Golden Valley Electric Association in chilly Alaska has installed the state’s largest hot water system at the Denali Education Center, McKinley Village.
The system is acting as a test installation to determine whether similar technology might work in other towns and remote villages in Alaska.
According to NewsMiner, the solar hot water system is expected to generate the equivalent of 32,000 kwh of electricity and save the Denali Education Center as much as AUD $11,000 annually in energy costs.
The system consists of 120 square meters of flat panel solar thermal collectors and the array stands around 13 meters high. The water storage tank for the system holds over 10,000 litres. Water is piped to cabins via 600 metres of insulated pipe.
Previously, the Center relied on water heaters powered by electricity or propane. Using their traditional power generation system, electricity usage was as much as 300 kilowatt-hours per day, with water heating comprising a substantial amount of that figure.
The massive solar hot water system will also provide educational opportunities. Denai Education Center is teaming up with Solar Energy International to provide courses on how to design, install and maintain renewable energy systems, and how to design and build efficient, sustainable homes.
In an Australian household, electric and gas hot water systems account for approximately 20% of a household’s greenhouse gas emissions. Households that install a solar hot water system can generate savings of up to 75% on their water heating costs.
