Post date: Dec 1, 2013 2:40:52 PM
1 December 2013
I admit to being a bit mystified why there is not more solar hot water in Nicaragua. Hot water is not common. In contrast, the 'cold' water is about 85 F. Not exactly cold.
From what I can determine, a small package solar water system costs about US$2,000 in Costa Rica - installed. Such a system is capable of delivering about 600 KwHr (Kilowatt Hours) per year of energy in the form of hot water. This is enough for two people. The price of a gas (propane) fired demand water heater is also about US$2000.
Electricity is used to heat most water in Nicaragua (for those who do have hot water). This is often by a 'suicide shower', price US$200. Electric power costs about US$0.30/KwHr. Thus the cost of heating water by electricity is thus about US$200 per year for a family of two persons.
Except that the on-demand water heaters that I have seen don’t deliver constant temperature water and need to be replaced relatively often. (Sorry, I don’t have data, just some experience.) Thus they are unsatisfactory to use and expensive to maintain.
The solar water heaters I have seen in Mexico have lasted a couple of decades with no maintenance. If that applies to the newer units available from Costa Rica, they, too, should provide hot water for two or more decades without maintenance.
So the reason must not be construction versus operating costs. What is the difference? The cost of installation is too much for most Nicas. But the gringos here tend to build houses meant for rental at least part of the year. The renters are asked to pay for electricity as they use it. It would be hard to get them to pay for sunshine!
So the absentee house owner only has to pay a much smaller part of the total electricity cost (when s/he is also an occupant), but would have to pay the entire amortized cost of a solar installation.
In addition, there seems not to be widespread availability of solar water kits or the personnel needed to install them in Nicaragua. They are quite foolproof, but I have seen bad installations in Mexico - even where tile roofs are not involved!
There are, however, some excellent tradesmen here in Granada. I would trust them to install a solar water kit. I'll just have to investigate further to determine whether this mystery should be attributed simply to my ignorance.