Yes Solar | The Water and Solar Company

Nov 242010

Let’s understand what R100 billion buys us when it comes to energy. We will compare a coal fired power station with alternative solutions. Most people have no idea what R100 billion is and what it can buy.
Two years ago, R100 Billion bought one 5GW power station. This power station requires about 8,000 people to build and about 1,000 people to run and several hundred more to supply it. It requires 35 tons of coal every 15 seconds to run, needs coal mines, trucks, fuel to dig the mines, run the trucks, it requires roads to be built and serviced, ongoing maintenance, etc. It also requires a huge amount of concrete to be poured. [And concrete as most of you know is the biggest source of pollution after converting coal into oil.

Let’s look at an alternative that can be easily understood.
R100 Billion is equal to 6,666,667 * R15,000 solar water heaters.
[Ie 10,000,000 * R10,000 = R100,000,000,000]
Assuming that there are 200 working days per year, then over 8 years there are 1600 working days.
Assuming we wish to install 10 million solar water heaters in 1600 days, we need to install 4,167 solar water heaters per day. This would mean that the entire suburb of Milnerton for example would get solar water heaters in one day.
Assuming a team of three people to install one solar water heater per day, we need 12,500 installers. Together with manufacturing, support, supply chain, maintenance, sales people, electricians, inspectors, this industry might permanently support double that number to reach 25,000 people.

And best of all it would replace 13 GW of power stations, ie it would need 13 GW of electricity to power 6,666,667 electrical water heaters, so it can be said that our money is at almost 3 times more efficient when spent on solar water than on electricity to heat water.

Figures and original article adapted and adjusted from comment by David Lipschitz; Published from Yes the Blog

Western Cape faces severe restrictions – Car washes under the loop.

Greywater Harvesting, Main Stories, rainwater harvesting, water harvesting 1 Response »

Nov 122010

The necessity of saving water is still in our faces, just as we thought it might be the beginning of the end with the resent rains we had. But just the opposite is becoming a reality. At Water Rhapsody, we want to urge the public to start another thinking mode than what they were used to. Not just during or because of restrictions, but as a general way of thinking. Let us not be so narrow minded, that the availability of water are no concern to us at this stage of our lives, and we think we will be gone by the time it really becomes a problem.

We have a system called the Poseidon Advantage, where the grey water from car washes are going through a cleaning process, and re-using the same used, but clean water to wash the cars again. Car washes are being targeted to invest in systems to conserve water, for their demand of washes might increase significantly during these droughts.

Have a look at this article in the Port Elizabeth Express by Monique Vermeulen on the 3rd of Nov:

Despite much need rain over the last three weeks, the region’s water crisis continue to worsen with supply dams rapidly drying up.

If it does not rain significantly in the next few weeks, residents and businesses will face even more severe water restrictions to be introduces by the Department of Water Affairs, which will inevitably have a negative effect on the economy. At a recent Infrastructure and Engineering Committee meeting, it was said that further water restrictions, with a devastating impact on industry, will be unavoidable unless dam levels rose significantly. “We expect the Department of Water Affairs and other role players, which includes the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, to consider the curtailment of water resources when the combined dam level capacity reaches 30%. This could happen in three to four weeks if we do not get more rain,” said Municipal Media Management Officer, Kupido Baron. When asked what these restrictions would entail, Baron said that he was not at liberty to predict what the outcome of the operational meeting would be.

The average level of the dams currently stands at just over 31%, and the current predictions by the Municipality suggest that the Metro will run out of water July 2011. The current water situation is painting a bleak picture for car washes.

In an open letter to car washes, the Municipality requested the urgent implementation of water-saving measures. The letter states that more people are making use of car washes to conserve their own home usage and to comply with the rules for domestic consumption. “This has served only to divert the usage from one consumer to another. The result of this has seen an expansion of many car washes with little or no usage control. Therefore, all car washes are urgently requested to take measures that will save water and/or harness rain water, so as to reduce consumption of this precious commodity. It is recommended that car washes erect water tanks to collect rain water. The letter furthermore states that car washes should keep water usage statistics as the Municipality intends to acknowledge car washes that proactively save water as part of their operations

In May this year, the Municipality applied for R1.6 billion in drought relief from the Eastern Cape Provincial and National Government, but to date has not heard from them. According to a daily newspaper, the application is still with the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, which is waiting for additional information from the Eastern Cape government on how it spent received disaster funds.

First on the list of emergency measured is the construction of a desalination plant at Swartkops at a cost of R750 million. Additional emergency measures include the fast tracking of the Nooitgedaght-low-level scheme (R650 million), accessing the low-level storage (8000 ml) in the Impofu Dam (R5 Million), the sinking of Boreholes (R100 million), the repair of water leaks at schools (R50 Million), and the detection of water loss (R20 Million).

Please take your time to scroll through the whole of this website: have a look at our systems of Rainwater Harvesting (Grand Opus), Grey water Re-use (Garden Rhapsody and Second Movement), the saving/recycling of Backwash water (Poolside tank), saving on the amount of water used to flush toilets with (the Multi Flush)

MD of yes solar interviewed by Pick n Pay

Solar Water heating No Responses »

Nov 112010

Ever wondered what going solar is really all about? We answer your questions below… Transcript from Pick n Pay

We chat to Richard Jamieson, managing director of Yes Solar, one of South Africa’s leading solar energy companies, to find out all the answers to our solar questions.
1. Why is solar power better than regular electricity?
Bottom line, you’re using a source of power that is 100% renewable. You’re not ‘using up’ the sun by putting a panel on your roof. Next most important thing is that it’s clean. Sure, the panel requires energy and materials to make, but after that you don’t produce any greenhouse gasses or other waste products when using solar.

2. Isn’t it very expensive to install?
The upfront cost is high, but the real number to look at is your payback period. This is how long it takes for your savings to add up to the upfront cost. Solar water heating systems, if correctly sized, pay for themselves in 3 to 4 years. This is much less than it used to be, thanks to higher electricity prices and to the Eskom rebate.

3. Is it true that Eskom offers a rebate?
Eskom has something called a Demand Side Management programme, and one of the initiatives of that programme is to offer a rebate to people who buy solar water heaters. The rebate is a cash amount which is paid out within eight weeks of installation. The process is managed by Deloitte. Rebates can be anywhere between R3000 and R13000, depending on the size and efficiency of your system.

4. Isn’t solar power only for hippies?
This might have been true in the past, but these days solar power is for people who want to save themselves money, and for people who want to be less dependent on Eskom, and for people who want to reduce their own carbon footprint. If you rely on Eskom in SA your carbon footprint is big, because they’re so reliant on coal to produce the electricity we all use.

5. How much money could potentially be saved by going solar?
This depends on a number of factors – mainly how many people in your home use hot water and what their water usage habits are. Somewhere between R200 and R400 a month for 2-5 people living together with fairly normal water usage habits.

6. What if it’s cloudy all month and there’s no sun?
Every system we install has electrical backup. A timer/controller on the unit makes sure that hot water when you need it by activating the element (if solar alone is not getting the water hot enough).

7. How reliable is it?
Reliability is a key factor when making a purchasing decision. You’re buying something that should last you twenty years, so choose carefully and don’t go for the cheapest option. Choosing a company that is going to provide good backup service is also important. Look for a supplier that has SABS mark approval.

8. How does one go about getting it installed?
Call us and we will come round and do a site visit which will allow us to put together a solution (or range of solutions) that suit your home and your budget. If you decide to go ahead, installation takes roughly one day per geyser.

Yes Solar Acquires Solar Science

Solar Water heating No Responses »

Oct 222010

Yes Solar is proud to announce the acquisition of Solar Science, one of the Western Cape’s leading solar marketing and installation companies. Solar Science joins Yes Solar and brings with it considerable skills in the marketing and installation of a number of carefully chosen Solar water systems and Heat Pumps.

Solar Science will be rebranded as Yes Solar and Richard Jamieson (B.Sc Electrical) will take over as managing director of Yes Solar from Charles Bryant. Simon Lamond is a PIRB registered plumber and Eskom accredited solar installer. Simon with 10 years of green plumbing experience takes up the position of technical director in Yes Solar.

Simon immediately brings with him the ability to handle all solar installations in the Western Cape for Yes Solar franchisees, and as a long term strategy will look to engage and recruit the highest quality installation capacity for Gauteng, the E.Cape and Mpumalanga. Richard will focus on the support of Yes Solar franchisees in both marketing and product training and Charles will be responsible for growing the Yes Solar footprint with high quality dedicated ecopreneurs.

The aim of Yes Solar will always be to put the customer first. We aim to do this by giving impartial advice, having the right products in our mix as well as the skills to dispense this advice. Our vision is to become one of the top 3 solar brands by the year 2012.

Checking for leaks in taps, pipes and dishwasher hoses is an easy way to reduce water wastage.
Remember, one leaking tap can waste more than 2,000 lt a month.
There’s no need to leave the tap running while you brush your teeth. Simply wet your toothbrush before you begin and use a glass of water to rinse your mouth.
The most water efficient methods for cooking vegetables are microwaving, steaming or using a pressure cooker. You can also cut down on water loss by using tight lids on pots and simmering instead of boiling rapidly.
Installing water efficient taps or tap aerators is a great, inexpensive way to cut your water usage without you even noticing.
Put the plug in the sink when washing your hands instead of holding them under running water.
Thaw frozen foods before you need them or use the microwave instead of placing them under running water.
Prevent taps from leaking by turning taps off lightly and replace washers as soon as they begin to leak.
Automatic dishwashers can use up to 40 lt of water per load. By using a dishwasher with at least a 3 star/AAA rating, you can get this figure down to 18 lt per load and still get the kind of sparkling clean dishes you’re used to.
Wait until you have a full load in your dishwasher before using it. This saves water and energy, and reduces the amount of detergent entering the sewerage system.
Keep a container of water in the fridge so that you won’t need to run the water down the sink until it’s cool enough to drink.
Washing fruit and vegetables in a half-filled sink instead of under running water is a great way to cut back on water wastage.
Rinsing your dishes in a plugged sink rather than under a running tap saves water and is just as easy and effective.
Use a sink strainer.
Try to use phosphate-free, eco-friendly detergents and cleaning products. There’s a great range to choose from these days and they’re much better for our environment.
Remember to regularly clean the lint filter on your washing machine.
Most washing machines have a load adjustment button or dial, so try to set this to match the amount of washing you’re doing. If your machine doesn’t have a load adjustment function, try to wait until you have enough washing for a full load.
Installing one of the latest 3 star/AAA rating showerheads can give you a great shower and save you around 10 lt of water a minute. They also save you energy costs, as you’ll use less hot water.
To rinse your razor, run a little water into a plugged sink. Rinsing your razor under a running tap wastes lots of water.
Electric or fuel powered leaf blowers work more efficiently than hosing down paths and driveways.
Pool covers reduce the amount of water you need to keep your pool full and running efficiently.

Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha

What kind of Energy does R100 Billion buy you these days?

Western Cape faces severe restrictions – Car washes under the loop.

MD of yes solar interviewed by Pick n Pay

Yes Solar Acquires Solar Science

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What kind of Energy does R100 Billion buy you these days?

Western Cape faces severe restrictions – Car washes under the loop.

MD of yes solar interviewed by Pick n Pay

Yes Solar Acquires Solar Science

Categories

Links

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