WATER HEATING IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR – USE OFALTERNATIVE SOLAR COLLECTORS FOR REDUCING ELECTRICENERGY CONSUMPTION

摘要

Low cost solar collectors provide an alternative way for obtaining hot water, diminishing therndependence on traditional water heating systems (e.g., electric shower). This work approaches thernpossible savings of electric heating energy by alternative solar water heating systems. Such alternativerntechnology-low cost solutions provide comfort to consumers and help the country reduce electric energyrnconsumption in the tip schedule (does this mean “during utility peak periods”?). This fact constitutes onernof the biggest concerns of the electric sector concessionaires. Based on the fact that the biggestrnpercentage of the Brazilian population is constituted by low-income consumers and the initial cost forrnthe acquisition of conventional solar collectors becomes impracticable for many families, the purpose ofrnthis work is to study solar collectors constructed by home building. The work focuses in consumptionrnand costs estimations of electric energy comparing the electric shower vis-à-vis the alternative solarrnheating system in a period of one year. As a result, it was verified that the use of alternative solar heatingrnsystem promotes lesser demand for electricity at the lowest cost.