Welcome to on-sunsolar.com
NEWS AND VIEWS
21 June 2009
Today is the shortest day of the year for us here in South Africa. This is a good time to make sure that tall trees are not casting shadows on your solar water heater as the sun is moving across the sky at its lowest trajectory. I recently noticed my On-Sun was being shaded a little, and did the necessary trimming work from the relative safety of the roof.
The Mail & Guardian newspaper of 12-18 June carried a scathing article by Maya Fisher-French, complaining about the R30,000 imported solar water she had installed. Titled "Raising temperatures and tempers" she figured that the 15% import duty ended up adding R3,000 to the final price, after taking markups into consideration. This money, she said, goes straight into the government's pocket.
She was also highly critical of the Eskom subsidy on her solar water heater. Her particular imported system qualifies for a R4,917 Eskom rebate. "Eskom requires a tamper-proof time switch to be installed. This ensures that the geyser is not using electricity during peak periods. But the cost of the timer and the Eskom certification is R2,000, leaving just under R3,000 of rebate on a geyser. The rebate amounts to nothing more than a gimmick" she wrote.
Oh dear! But she could have installed a perfectly good South African made solar water heater with the SABS mark at a considerably lower cost that would not have attracted import duties!
Economist Mike Schussler said Eskom was guilty of price discrimination and that the residential sector always bore the brunt of tariff increases. Adressing a conference hosted by the National Consumer Forum in Randburg 0n 19 June, he said "It's wrong to say we have the lowest electricity rates in the world. Our industries might have, but not the residential sector - especially if Eskom gets its 34% tariff hike. In fact, if Eskom does get the hike it wants, the prices for the ordinary consumer would have quadrupled between 1966 and 2009."
Schussler said the residential sector was subsidising industry, as well as those people who do not pay for electricity. He also claimed the National Energy Regulator was "asleep". "They don't look after consumers but rather their own jobs," he said.
Municipalities, which were the arms of government, could not be let off the hook either. "Some of them have been making 100% profit from the sale of electricity," Schussler said. (Engineering News Online 19.06.2009).
Johannesburg's City Power has announced its new tariffs effective 1 July. The fixed monthly charge for domestic consumers is to increase by 52%. This is iniquitous, and makes a mockery of calls by government for consumers to save electricity. Increasing the fixed tariff reduces the impact of reducing consumption, and is an insult to those consumers who would really like to do their bit for the country. The unit charge is also increasing by 32%, but City Power says that if Eskom gets a 34% hike, it will do likewise.
At the moment electricity from City Power costs 57.67 cents per kilowatt hour (39.82 + 2c dsm levy + 5.85 VAT). A 32% increase will see this climb to 76.12 c/kWh. So despite the outrageous increase in fixed costs, it will still be in our interests to reduce monthly consumption.
A solar water heater is one way to do this, but buy wisely and do your sums. It is your choice if you prefer to buy an imported system rather than a locally made system.
Welcome to the budget website of Gauteng Solar Solutions! We do this website ouselves so we don't have to pay fees to web designers and others. Tell your friends to take a look at www.on-sunsolar.com
I offer you my experience and time to consult, discuss and conduct a free site visit to assess your solar water heating requirements. When you buy an On-Sun system, I will personally be on site with my team to install and commission it. When you buy our South African On-Sun solar water heating system, you own the system and you make the savings in electricity. Every year you save more as the cost of electricity goes up.
When you buy an On-Sun system from us, you become part of a growing family. We will be there when you need us!
UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE - 26 JUNE 2009
"The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) on Thursday (25 June 2009) granted Eskom a 31.3% power tariff increase, which includes an environmental levy, and warned consumers that future tariff increases would occur" (Engineering News Online 26.06.09.)
We installed an On-Sun 150 system for a client near Fourways (north of Johannesburg) on Tuesday. Today he sent me an e-mail: "Your solar geyser just became 31.3% cheaper. Such fortuitous timing!"
The writing is on the wall - electricity costs are up 30%, and will continue to increase in the foreseeable future.
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ABOUT GAUTENG SOLAR SOLUTIONS
We promote, market and instal On-Sun South African Solar Water Heaters in Gauteng Province, the vibrant business and economic hub of South Africa.
We are Corporate Members of the Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA) and of the Solar Water Heating Division (SWHD) of SESSA. Members of the SWHD sign a Code of Conduct which gives you the assurance that SESSA will act against a member who does unsatisfactory work or is responsible for complaints from customers.
SESSA is a non-government, non-profit organization that represents the renewable energy sector in Southern Africa. SESSA has three active Divisions, namely the Solar Water Heating Division (SWHD), the Photo Voltaic Sales and Marketing Division (PVSM) and the alternative fuels cooking division (AFRECA).
Visit the SESSA website at www.sessa.org.za for more information. SESSA is hosting the Solar World Congress 2009 at the Sandton Convention Centre from 11-14 October 2009. This is the flagship scientific meeting and business exhibition of ISES, the International Solar Energy Society, held every two years. Go to www.swc2009.co.za
There is a report on the SESSA website about a project managed by SESSA on behalf of the national electric utility, Eskom, to evaluate the performance of solar water heaters. Follow the links to Media Centre, then to Presentations, then to "Residential hot water energy project - "Quantification of benefits, one year on" by Jon Adams. This report gave Eskom the information it required to introduce its domestic solar water heating incentive (see later).
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Gauteng Solar Solutions - Our Business
We have only one product, the truly remarkable On-Sun solar water heating system, designed and patented by Willi Suremann in 1990 and built by hand in his small factory in Ladybrand, in the Free State province of South Africa. We devote all our efforts to placing these "personal power stations" on as many South African roofs as we can, to harvest the abundant energy of the African sun.
Each time we instal another On-Sun system, we celebrate a small victory for the environment - a little less electricity used to heat water; a little less coal used to generate that electricity; and a little less Carbon Dioxide emitted to change our climate. These small victories help other little steps towards the big effort required by all of humankind, to slow down our consumption of fossil fuel and reduce our damage to the environment.
The On-Sun South African Solar Water Heater embodies all Willi Suremann's experience and skills acquired over a lifetime of working with renewable energy. In 1980 Willi established a business to instal photovoltaic systems and solar water heaters for farmers, schools, clinics, hospitals and mission stations in the Eastern Free State and Lesotho, where the high altitude, intense solar radiation and freezing winters resulted in a very high failure rate of the various water heating products that he bought from other suppliers.
The only product that worked consistently well was the Van Leer direct system (no heat transfer fluid), manufactured with special machinery as a stainless steel "sandwich" that could withstand freezing by flexing to accommodate the increased volume of ice inside. There are still many Van Leer direct systems working in freezing conditions in South Africa. Below is one that Willi installed in Ladybrand in 1980. In April 2007 he removed the system for refurbishing. Although the old fibreglass covers were almost completely opaque, the system was still working and making hot water. After cleaning the panels and fitting new toughened glass, the 29 year old system is now as good as new again!
Van Leer panels before refurbishing Panels refitted to roof after refurbishing
You will hear and read a lot of propaganda from people who only market indirect systems about why direct systems cannot be used in areas that experience frost. The Van Leer collector is a direct system that is still operational after 29 years. It is often said that 'direct systems' must not be installed in areas that get frost in winter - most direct systems cannot, but the On-Sun is a direct system that has been exposed to frost, ice and snow for 19 years!
The Dutch Van Leer company decided to withdraw from South Africa because of the country's apartheid policies. The machines used by Van Leer to make their unique collectors were bought by a competitor who changed the design, resulting in collectors that failed on a massive scale during a particularly cold winter in the mid 1980s that saw temperatures in Johannesburg drop to -7 degrees C. This resulted in a setback to the solar water heating industry that has persisted for nearly 30 years. It is only now in 2009 that rising electricity costs and reliable solar water heaters are creating the renaissance in harnessing the power of the sun once again.
Having lost his only supply of reliable, freeze resistant, direct solar water heaters, Willi then set about designing his own system that would work equally effectively in this very tough environment.
His design challenge: how to build an efficient, durable, practical and aesthetically acceptable solar water heater that would operate at the extremes of very high solar radiation at high altitude, coupled with extremely high temperatures in summer, and freezing winter temperatures with ice and snow in winter?
Add to that Willi's philosophy that:
- the system had to be built by hand by unskilled but trained workers, to create jobs for poor people in an impoverished part of South Africa.
- it could be installed by any DIY enthusiast or competent handyman, and be easily repaired using ordinary tools.
- it would incorporate standard water pressure and electrical components available throughout South Africa and neighbouring countries from plumbing and hardware outlets.
- the system had to be resistant to both hail and freezing and be simple to instal and maintain.
- the system would have a clean and neat appearance when installed on the roof.
The result: The On-Sun South African Solar Water Heater!
Today the On-Sun is the only freeze-tolerant, flat plate, direct system (n0 anti-freeze, pumps or valves) solar water heater made in South Africa!
What are the Advantages of the On-Sun system?
- Direct, freeze resistant system is efficient and reliable
- No pumps or valves to cause problems
- No anti-freeze to worry about
- No regular servicing required
- Fully South African built with locally available components
- Provides South Africans with employment to build the On-Sun
- No import duties payable
- Easily repaired using local parts and skills
- Track record of 19 years under extreme climatic conditions
Here is a system that was installed on the ablution block of the Sehlabathebe Farm Training Centre in Lesotho in April 1992, and that is still going strong nearly 17 years later!
Lesotho has one of the harshest climates in Africa.The annual total solar radiation over the country is estimated to be between 5,700 MJ/sq m and 7,700 MJ/sq m. Temperatures are highly variable on diurnal, monthly and annual time scales. Normal monthly winter minimum temperatures range from -6.3 degrees C in the highlands to -5.1 degrees C in the lowlands. However, extremes of monthly mean winter minimum temperatures of -10.7 degrees C can be reached, and daily winter temperatures can drop as low as -21 degrees C. (Source: Lesotho Meteorological Services: www.lesmet.org.ls).
The On-Sun system is available in 100 litre, 150 litre and 300 litre configurations, operating at water pressures of either 100 kPa or 200 kPa. The most popular model is the one-piece On-Sun 150 litre 200 kPa system.
Further variations include a 150 litre split system (the On-Sun 202) where the collector and tank are closely coupled by six standard connectors. The benefit of this configuration lies in simpler transport, an aluminium collector tray, and better safety on high roofs for the installer.
The On-Sun systems are available in a variety of tank covers, ranging from galvanised steel (very durable and long-lasting in the high interior of South Africa), to aluminium for coastal areas, to stainless steel (for smart apearance everywhere!), and to Chromadek coated steel (for matching roof colours).
Computer-designed steel frames can be made up to provide the correct orientation on any roof slope. Below is a system recently installed on the west-sloping roof of a house built by a Korean businessman in Ladybrand. As Willi Suremann says "The wise man from the East has installed a product designed and made locally for local conditions!"
The On-Sun for Institutional Water Heating
As noted above at the Sehlabathebe Farm Training Centre, the On-Sun can be installed as multiple systems to provide large amounts of hot water for institutions. The photo below shows one of Willi Suremann's latest installations for a facility in Maseru, where a total of 10 x 150 litre units have been fitted to the roofs.
On-Sun has a Royal client!
I was searching the web for some information about Lesotho when I found a video feature about Prince Harry at an AIDS orphanage he has helped to sponsor in Maseru, Lesotho. He has a special interest in Lesotho and has visited the country many times.
As the Prince was being interviewed in front of the building, the On-Sun solar water heaters on the roof behind him were clearly visible! I think we can justifiably claim that Prince Harry is yet another of our esteemed On-Sun clients!
The On-Sun is a unique product, unlike any other solar water heater on the market!
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SOME FEATURES OF THE ON-SUN SOUTH AFRICAN SOLAR WATER HEATING SYSTEM
The On-Sun has a very clean and neat appearance, as all the water controls are contained within the tank cover. The tank cover can be painted to match the roof colour, or it can be made of coloured Chromadek. Tank covers are also available in aluminium or stainless steel. This is a standard 150 litre model, fitted flat on a north-facing pitched roof.
This On-Sun 150 litre unit is mounted on a steel frame on a flat roof, to achieve the correct orientation (true north) and tilt (35 degrees from horizontal at a latitude of 25 degrees South).
On-Sun mounted on the ground in 300 litre configuration. Here we use a special matched pair of 150 litre units that are closely connected in series. A cover over the connections makes for a very neat appearance, with no piping visible. Note the solar cooker in the background! We can supply these 2m super solar cookers on request.
The On-Sun 100 litre system is well suited for low cost housing, providing a quality product at an affordable price. This system is installed on an experimental RDP house on the campus of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. I am an Associate Professor of this University, where I teach a module on Renewable Energy for the M.Sc. in Environmental Science.
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I have been marketing and installing the On-Sun South African Patent Solar Water Heater in Gauteng, South Africa, for seven years, and have learnt to appreciate the very special qualities of this unique product.
We have installed On-Sun systems in Nelspruit in the East, Ventersdorp and Lichtenburg in the West, Pretoria in the North, and Meyerton in the South. We prefer to work in Gauteng, but remember that the On-Sun is easily installed by any plumber or handyman, so you can always pick up a unit from us and DO IT YOURSELF!
You can contact me by telephone at 011-680-1553, by mobile at 083-650-1768, by e-mail at John.Ledger@wol.co.za. Give me a call any time of the day, or leave a message if the line is busy. I enjoy talking to folks about renewable energy!
I also have an electronic brochure that gives further information about the On-Sun solar water heater, and it will be my pleasure to e-mail it to you on request.
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SOME RECENT INSTALLATIONS OF ON-SUN SOUTH AFRICAN SOLAR WATER HEATERS
113 Seventh Street, Linden
When a satisfied client orders a second On-Sun because the performance of the first is so good, we really feel proud of our product! Mrs Kirsch installed an On-Sun 150 litre system for her kitchen, scullery and outbuilding. It worked so well that she ordered a second one for her bathroom. We installed an On-Sun 150 202 split system close to the first. This house is now harvesting a significant amount of thermal energy from the sun, and cutting electricity costs! Mrs Kirsch is helping to reduce South Africa's coal and water consumption for electricity generation, and preventing significant amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants from entering the atmosphere every year.
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21 First Avenue, Houghton
We recently installed three systems for a client in Houghton, Johannesburg, one of the city's upmarket northern suburbs. One standard 150 litre On-Sun was mounted on a frame on a horizontal concrete roof as a stand-alone supply with electric backup to a flat (we removed the existing geyser). A 150 litre 202 split system was installed on the main house as a pre-feed to the two existing electric geysers, and a 100 litre system was fitted onto the roof of a patio next to the swimming pool, to supply hot water to an outdoor shower and a hand basin. The tank covers of the latter two systems were painted by the client's handyman to match the terracotta colour of the tiled roofs.
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14 Roxburghe Road, Craighall Park
Two On-Sun 150 units were installed, one on the main house (left) and the pther on the outbuilding. The main house system was mounted flat onto the slate roof, while the system for the outbuilding was mounted on a steel frame to get the best inclination for year-round performance.
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31 Denton Place, Mondeor
On-Sun 150 system installed on a steel frame on a back-sloping IBR roof with loose tiles on top.
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17 Chamfuti Street, Sharonlea, Randburg
This On-Sun 150 has been painted to match the green tiled roof of the house. Water-based primer and roof paint from Prominent Paints was applied, after the tank cover and tray were thoroughly cleaned with galvanized steel cleaner and the fibreglass end-caps sanded with water paper. The paint is guaranteed for 7 years and the On-Sun can be touched up whenever the roof is repainted. The green solar water heater blends well with the roof, the awnings and the greenery of the garden. Because all the water controls, including the vacuum breakers, are housed inside the tank cover, we do not have insightly pipes projecting above the system.
The On-Sun is the only flat-plate, freeze-resistant, direct solar water on the South African market. The SABS test for freeze tolerance requires the system to be cooled to minus 20 degrees C and held there for 14 hours. With its 19 year pedigree in the snow and ice of Lesotho, the On-Sun had no problem with that particular challenge!
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21 Denton Place, Mondeor
This is the On-Sun 150 litre system in the "202" split configuration. The tank and collector are supplied as separate, matched units. This makes the system easier to transport and lift onto steep roofs. In this particular installation, we had to get our solar water heater to the top of three stories, each ringed by a high parapet. The 202 system is much easier to handle in such a situation, reducing the risk of damage and accidents. In this case the system is mounted on a steel frame, and the collector is joined to the tank with six Cobra Conex straight couplers. The small gap is closed with a stainless steel cover to give a neat finish.
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The Eskom SWH Incentive Scheme
Eskom's incentive scheme to encourage South Africans to instal solar water heaters has grown steadily since the beginning of 2008. To find out more about the scheme, visit www.eskomdsm.co.za and follow the links to Solar Water Heating. All the information you need about the programme is on this web site.
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ON-SUN Q and A
Q: Is the On-Sun South African Solar Water Heater currently accredited for the Eskom incentive scheme?
A: NOT YET
The On-Sun 150 has so far passed part of the testing for SABS 1307 (mechanical and thermal testing of solar water heaters) and all the tests for SABS 60335-2-21 (electrical safety). The On-Sun is currently being tested for SABS 151 (Fixed electric storage water heaters). All three tests are mandatory for entry to the Eskom incentive scheme. Also, as 151 is an integral part of 1307, the SABS will not issue the certificate for 1307 until SABS 151 is completed - Catch 22!
Q: Do you expect the On-Sun system to be on the Eskom suppliers' list soon?
A: WE HOPE TO OVERCOME THE FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE HURDLES DURING THIS YEAR
We are expecting the results of our SABS 151 test any day now, and will then apply for registration with Eskom. For a small enterprise like On-Sun, the cost of the SABS testing has been significant.
Included in the cost of SABS 151 is R4,000 for a "water test". Copper has been used for the past 2000 years for brewing beer, and for decades to store and pipe potable water without any ill-effects to humans. In fact copper has significant antimicrobial properties that can protect humans from harmful bacteria. Surely there is no justication to impose a water test on those SWH suppliers that use copper tanks?
We believe that the origin of this test requirement arose some years ago when one manufacturer introduced a fibreglass geyser. There were apparently customer complaints about the smell of the water from the solvents used to make this tank. The water quality test was then introduced to check on this individual product. The legacy of this is that now everyone who submits their product for the SABS 151 test has to pay an extra R4,000 to the SABS for a water test.
Anyway, these are the rules by which we have to play, but consumers should be aware that it is they who will ultimately pay the cost of the SABS tests required by Eskom. Remember too that the SABS test or mark is not an assurance that the supplier will last longer than the five year guarantee period on the solar water heater!
At the moment we have enough interest in the On-Sun to allocate our limited production to discerning buyers who want a unique South African product that provides jobs for South Africans and uses local components .
The On-Sun is very competitively priced and can match most comparable systems that qualify for the Eskom subsidy - and then there is our 19-year track record that comes at no cost!
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Economic and Environmental Benefits of Solar Water heaters
This paper by Willi Suremann and John Ledger was published in Energize magazine in 2005.
A copy of the paper will be e-mailed to you on request; the environmental data have been updated according to Eskom's 2006 Sustainability Report.
Please contact me at John.Ledger@wol.co.za for a copy.
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On-Sun Survives Hail the Size of Oranges!
We were gratified to receive this e-mail from one of our clients:
Dear John
You may remember that I bought a solar water heater from you about a year ago for Mosetlha Bush Camp.
I see that Eskom now has a small rebate scheme for domestic solar water heaters. I'm thinking of getting one for my house in Joburg (Kelvin), but you don't seem to be on Eskom's list of accredited suppliers whose products qualify for the rebate.
Are you likely to be on there in the future?
Kind regards
CL
P.S. In November 2007 we had a once in a lifetime hail storm with stones the size of oranges - literally - and your panel survived unbroken. Others - particularly the photovoltaics - all smashed and two other make solar panels also!
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Save Water, Save Electricity
It makes sense that the less hot water you use, the less energy you will need to heat that water. That is why solar water heating makes such good sense, because you should be able to reduce the amount of electricity used for water heating by 80% when you fit a SWH.
But do you know that using less COLD water in Gauteng will also save energy? This is because we receive our precious water from Rand Water, and they have to pump it uphill from the Vaal River Basin to the higher ground on which Gauteng is situated. In fact Rand Water has to do more pumping than almost any other water utility in the world!
Low flow showers are a great way to save water, and we recommend the RST low flow shower-heads to our clients - all those who fitted them are extremely pleased with their performance. At the operating pressure of the On-Sun system, which is 200 kPa, the RST low flow shower-heads use only 50% of the water that would flow through a conventional shower-head. These smart shower-heads are made in Germany and introduce air into the water to give a very pleasant shower with minimal water use. Go to www.rst.co.za for more information.
Please contact me to discuss your solar water heating requirements. If I can't give you what you need, I will put you in touch with a SESSA member who can.
Best wishes
John
26 June 2009
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