Largest Water Solar Heater with PET Bottles Installed in Parana, Brazil
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 08.11.08
The State of Parana has added one more star to its green reputation: since a few days ago it hosts the largest solar water heater Brazil, built with 1.8 thousand PET bottles and 1.5 thousand tetra-packs. The heater was installed in Palmas, in southern Parana, over a building belonging to the Brazilian army that serves as home for 50 soldiers and consumes eight thousand liters of water daily.
Solar heaters are becoming an important alternative in Brazil, where electric water heaters account for 47% of the household energy consume in critical hours (source: Tierramerica).
More on Parana's big PET bottles heater in the extended. Via Tierramerica.
Parana's solar heater
The heater installed in Palmas, Parana, was built under a design by Jose Alcino Alano, which the Environmental Secretariat has been spreading since 2004 as part of the Zero Waste Program. The idea is that people can download the design in a PDF file and install it in their homes, and so far it has been installed by six thousand homes according to the Parana news agency.
The system is the same than the one used by commercial solar heaters, known as thermosiphon, and it can heat water up to 38º in winter and over 50º in summer.
Brazilian soldiers install the water heater.
Energy and waste reduction
According to the Environmental Secretary, Rasca Rodrigues, the energy savings are calculated in 35%. In terms of money, the State's news agency informs a similar heater was installed in a non-profit institution and resulted in 200 Reais (124 USD) monthly savings in energy.
On top of that, on the repurposing side the heater represents the recovering of 100 kilograms of plastic. Not a small fact knowing that of every 100 PET bottles sold in Parana state, only 15 are recycled (Environmental Secretariat).
Parana's green side
This state, located in Southern Brazil, has built its green reputation partly thanks to its capital: Curitiba.
Under the direction of architect Jaime Lerner, during the '70s Curitiba went through major urban planning prioritizing public transportation, biking, and encouraging the planting of trees. Its Rapid Bus Transit system became so popular that people left their cars at home and now they account 55% of the city's transport demand. People use 30% less petrol than eight comparable Brazilian cities.
An astonishing 98% of the inhabitants of Curitiba are happy with their city. Read more about this city in the post Curitiba: City with a Soul and hear the words of architect Jaime Lerner on the post Jaime Lerner on Sustainability in Curitiba and 'Urban Accupunture'.
A rapid bus transit system stop in Curitiba, Brazil. (Photo by xander76).
PDF link for the solar water heater download
Parana Environmental Secretariat
Sources:
Largest solar water heater starts functioning in Paraná (Parana news agency, in Portuguese)
Parana installed Brazil's largest solar water heater (Estrategia Empresarial, in Portuguese)
More on solar water heaters:
Make a solar water heater for less than 5 dollars
See how an Argentine scientist designed a low-cost configurable solar roof
Learn how an Argentine architect is helping Bolivian communities with PET
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That is amazing! I've seen eco friendly and self sustaining houses using technology similar to this. By using large black barrels to collect rainwater, the barrels sit on top of the house and because they are black, the suns energy heats the water inside.
Very cool! Thanks for the report!
I can say personally, my parents still live there and I lived there for more than 20 years, Curitiba is a city that has innovation in it's design and many tend to follow that inspiring trend. Too bad other cities in Brazil stay so involved in politics/corruption/violence to pay attention to the benefits of trying sometimes cheap solutions to a better life.
Here's where a little coordination could make a big difference. *SOME* plastic water bottle company could offer a bottle for sale that is pre-molded with a female threaded joint in the base, so one bottle could mate with another. Just puncture the joint and screw together.
Second, they could mold in a black, freestanding film within the bottle's interior. This would dramatically increase solar absorption.
Together, this could make plastic water bottles a bit more eco-friendly. Reduce, reuse, repurpose.
Awesome ideas, gregb. One thing you shouldn't be doing with this hot water, though: drinking it.
To complete the green attitude they love so much to sho, they should now start implementing an efficient plan to reverse their population growth rate. Indeed, most nations should, worldwide. And so many individuals, of course.
God man Brazil is doing great in this time of different crisis ...... I love the steps the have taken what a remarkable country.... So why havent we bombed them yet and brought them back to the playing level? Jesus Bush I thought you were quicker then that !! I think its time to declare war ....
jk
celsius to fahrenheit conversion for those of us in the USA
38ºC in winter. 100.4ºF in winter.
50ºC in summer. 122ºF in summer.
those are impressive numbers!
While I don't desire to dismiss the effort, while the temperatures attained are impressive, but they aren't unexpected. Placing lengths of black tubing inside the bottles prior to assembly should increase the solar energy absorption.
Solar water heater will be more and more popular in the future. We need this green energy. Lucky, we could supply this. If you are interested, you could go to our website to download our price list. If you have any question, we could help you.
I don't speak or read Portugese so my apologies for some very basic questions.
1 Could someone please explain the point of the Longlife milk cartons?
2 Why do you have to split the bottles, as opposed to just cutting the bottoms off and making sure the neck is large enough for the water tubes to go through?
3 Would the extra expense of copper tubing for the heating pipes inside the bottles be worth it in terms of increased heating efficiency? Presumably you could reduce the size of the panel
S/2008 Dated:- 19-09-08
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