History

The History of the Solar Water Heater

The Solar water heater began to be used in California around 1880 and was first patented by Clarence Kemp in 1881. It came to be used in 30% of California homes, but its popularity declined at the turn of the century due to the abundant use of oil at the time and the spread of electrification. After the oil crisis of the 1970s, and especially in the 1980s, its use became widespread in sunny countries.

In Cyprus, there is one solar water heater for every five residents, while in Israel, their use is mandatory in new buildings. In many other countries, their use is subsidized. In Greece, the spread of solar devices is very impressive: in 1980, there were about 150,000 square meters of installed collectors, and by 2004, that number had risen to approximately 3 million square meters. Part of this success is due to tax incentives introduced by the Greek government. Today, more than one million consumers use solar water heaters in Greece. Until recent years, Greece was one of the leading manufacturing countries of solar water heaters.

The Solar Water Heater as an Eco-Friendly Device

The solar water heater is one of the cleanest and most efficient devices that use renewable energy sources. It helps prevent the release of approximately 30 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Every shower taken with water from a solar water heater results in three kilograms less CO₂ being released into the air.