Solar water heater applications in Swat, Pakistan (P-0781) (MFN 3892)

Abstract

The study focused on analysis of the pollution caused by the burning of wood on the environmental protection offered by domestic solar water heating systems. The results presented in this study show that by using solar energy for domestic water heating considerable amounts of greenhouse polluting gasses are avoided. The savings, compared to a conventional system, are about 80%, with electricity or wood about 75% with both electricity and wood. Additionally, all systems investigated give positive and very promising financial characteristics. With respect to life cycle assessment of the systems, the energy spent for the manufacture and installation of the solar systems is recouped in about 1.2 years, whereas the payback time with respect to emissions produced from the embodied energy required for the manufacture and installation of the systems varies from a few months to 3.7 years according to the energy and the particular pollutant considered. Moreover the cost of damage avoided by some of the pollutants is investigated with respect to damages to crops, materials, mortality and morbidity. It can therefore be concluded that solar energy systems offer significant protection to the environment and cost savings and should be employed whenever possible in order to achieve a sustainable future. The cost benefit studies show the daily expense on using three different sources of energy to heat water. Expense on using electricity and wood are Rs 23.50 and Rs 40 respectively while in using solar water heater the expense reduces to Rs 3.25 showing a significant amount of reduction expenses and emissions.