WATER HEATING IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR - USE OF ALTERNATIVE SOLAR COLLECTORS FOR REDUCING ELECTRIC ENERGY CONSUMPTION

摘要

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