Solar Water Heater Installation and operating cost.
Solar Water Heaters are generally available in three sizes, 150 liters, 200 liters & 300 liters. A 150 liter EIMEX solar water heater cost as on 20th June 2024 is Rs 115,000, 200 liter Rs 130,000.00 and a 300 liter units including all accessories costs Rs 175,000.00. This is including delivery within the city and assembly and grouting on the roof of the client.
Additionally, the consumer has to consider cost of plumbing of these units on their roof tops. Which can cost from Rs 25,000.00 to 35,000.00 depending on the consumer’s site.
Although this cost may appear high as compared to other cheaper stand alone electric & gas water heater options but a solar geyser is the cheapest source of water heating in the long run. This is according to a study conducted by Numark Associates for USAID titled INCENTIVIZING CONVERSION OF RESIDENTIAL GAS-FIRED HEATING LOADS TO ELECTRICITY under their Power sector Improvement activity. (The study compared solar water heaters or alternatively called solar geysers in their hybrid model with an assumption that the electricity option was used frequently).
Operating Solar Water Heater Cost
The study found out that, for middle income households Solar electric Hybird Water heater had lowest monthly operating costs at Rs 4,457/ month, as compared to electric instant with a monthly operating cost of Rs 9,102/ month, electric-gas hybrid at Rs 10,219/month and electric storage at Rs 11,209/month. The important thing to mention here is that the Rs 4,457/month monthly operating cost for solar electric hybrid water heaters is applicable in peak winter months of December & January. In other months a solar geyser operates solely through the sun with zero monthly operating cost.
For high income households. The difference between monthly operating cost of a solar electric hybrid water heater (Rs 7,469/month) as compared to electric instant (Rs 15,253/month), electric gas hybrid (18,313/month) & electric storage (Rs 18,784/month) was even higher. In fact, in this category the monthly operating cost of solar electric hybrid was even lower than gas storage water heaters/geysers (Rs 9,208/month).
Lifecycle Cost.
Solar geysers also have the lowest lifecycle cost. An All Stainless Steel body EIMEX solar Geyser unit can last 25 years. Therefore the annualized cost after adding the equipment cost and average operating costs of a solar water heater came to Rs 6,748/month as compared to Rs 8,720/month cost of electric/gas hybrid storage, 8,621/month of electric storage. Rs 9,558.00 of Electric instant water heater. Thus proving that Solar Water Heaters are the most efficient and cost effective water heating option available even if used in their hybrid model.
The most important thing to note here is that this study was conducted before the gas & electricity tariff increase in Fiscal year 2024., and now with the increased gas & electricity tariffs Solar Water Heaters / Solar Geysers have become much more cost effective to operate.
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I also write at www.faransohaib.com.