Sustainable Energy Successees

   

Solar Water Heating in a Hotel at the Black Sea Coast,Bulgaria

The owners of a newly built hotel in Primorsko at the Black Sea Coast faced a serious problem: a rising level of hot-water consumption on the part of their guests at a time of increasing electricity prices.

Primorsko is located in an area with a lot of sunshine during the summer period, so the owners decided to solve the problem by buying and installing solar collectors for water heating.

The project was not subsidized in any way. The owners themselves financed the solar hot-water system. The construction work started before the prime turist season and ended in July 1997. The payback time is estimated to be two years.

The solar water system comprises 9 solar panels, of 1.5 m² each. It provides the hotel with a stable capacity of 600 litres of water at 40^oC. The only electric appliance powered at the solar collector system is a small pump, which uses no more power than a lightbulb.

The owners of the hotel are happy with their new "green" image, although they think more in terms of money-saving. The installation has caused curiosity among the local inhabitants and neighbours come to see the new "gadget".

Encouraged by the success of the solar water-heating scheme, the owners will try to use it for central heating in winter, after they install radiators in all of their rooms. In this way, they may prolong the active season and attract late holiday-makers.