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Solar water heaters are fast catching up in urban and rural areas. It is a device which can provide hot water using solar thermal energy for various applications in domestic, industrial and commercial sectors. A domestic solar water heater of 100 litres per day capacity can save around 1500 units of electricity in a year. Domestic solar water heaters are generally viable in places where the hot water requirement extends from about six to twelve months in a year. It pays back the cost to the user in 3 to 4 years, after which the hot water is available almost free of cost during the remaining period of 20 years’ life of the system. One thousand such systems installed in homes can result in peak saving of 1 MW. Industrial solar water heaters of 100 litres per day capacity can save around 150 litres of furnace oil in a year through pre-heating. Generally, the hot water requirement in industrial and commercial sectors is throughout the year and the solar water heaters installed in these sectors pays back the cost in 5 to 6 years.
To promote large-scale use of solar water heating systems in the country, the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) has been coordinating and working with the Ministry of Urban Development to get the building bye-laws in municipalities across the country amended so that installation of solar water heaters becomes mandatory for various categories of new buildings. In consultation with MNES, a model regulation / building bye-law for installation of solar assisted water heating systems in such buildings has been circulated by the Ministry of Urban Development to all States and Union Territories with a request for onward circulation to all local bodies for incorporation in their building bye-laws. The regulation states that no new building in the following categories--Hospitals and nursing homes, hotels, lodges, and guest houses, hostels of schools, colleges, training centres, barracks of armed forces, para-military forces and police, and individual residential buildings having more that 150 sq.m. plinth area. Functional buildings of railway stations and airports such as waiting rooms, retiring rooms, rest rooms, inspection bungalows and catering units -- in which there is a system or installation for supplying hot water shall be built unless the building has an auxiliary solar assisted water heating systems.
The model regulations when incorporated by the local bodies in their existing bye-laws will make the installation of solar water heating systems mandatory in those categories of new buildings.
To encourage the local bodies, the MNES provides one-time financial assistance of Rs. 5-10 lakh to the municipal and local bodies that adopt the modification in their building bye-laws. The support is provided for organizing training, study tours, awareness creation, preparation of brochures/ manuals, creating infrastructure etc. for implementing the mandatory provision.
As a result of these measures and initiatives taken by MNES, the Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttranchal and Chandigarh have already issued necessary orders to their local bodies. The Municipal Corporations of Rajkot in Gujarat and Thane in Maharashtra have adopted the amendment to their building bye-laws this year . Based on the amendments made by the Thane Municipal Corporation, 10 commercial buildings have already incorporated solar – assisted water heating systems in their building plans and the plans have been approved by the Corporation. Other State Governments and municipal corporations are in the process of issuing such orders/ adopting the amendment to their building bye-laws.
Amendment of building bye-laws will enhance the use of solar water heating systems in the country resulting in large-scale saving of conventional electricity and furnace oil, apart from reducing green house
Gas emissions.
85 Solar Water Heaters installed at Magarpatta City, Hadapsar, Pune
*Information Officer, PIB, Delhi
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