Feasibility of incorporating large scale solar water heating systems in different demand segments
Student name: Mr Sandeep Goel
Guide: Prof R.L.Sawhney
Year of completion: 2011
Host Organisation: IT Power India Pvt. Ltd.
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Dwipen Boruah
Abstract: Solar Water heating systems have a huge potential in low-heat applications in India. These
applications come from different demand segments such as industrial, residential and commercial
institutional etc. Feasibility of incorporating solar water heating systems in these different demand
sectors has been attempted in this report. Feasibility was carried out in establishments such as textile
industry, dairy industry, malt processing industry and institutions like Hospitals and hostels. Energy
demand, performance analysis, fuel savings, inter-row distance and baseline cost of hot water
generation were calculated and analyzed. It was shown that the baseline cost of hot water generation
was high in diesel/FO fired boilers and electric geysers as compared to biomass/petcoke fired boilers.
Practical challenges in facilitating large scale SWH installations, Government policies/schemes were
also discussed and it was found that though the current schemes are easy to implement, but they are
not able provide equal benefit to all type of end-users in all climatic regions. It was found that the
monetary returns were different in different demand segments and the SWH system’s performance is
different in different climatic. It was also found that the interest/awareness level of people in all the
sectors was very low. While 83 companies were contacted for Solar water heating systems, very few
showed their interest in understanding the system and allowing for carrying out the feasibility.
Keywords: Solar Water Heating systems; Demand Segments; low heat applications; Demand
analysis; Inter row distance
