Development of solar domestic hot water systems in Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, 41,3% of the households are equipped with a Domestic Hot Water System (DHW), which operate in a large majority from electricity. These systems represent an estimated national consumption over 250 GWh per year. In this work, insolation data and monthly average temperature were compiled, for each district of the country. With this data, a software tool was developed, that calculates the solar fraction of a DHW installation using the F-Chart method. The financial performance of a solar DHW system for an average home was analyzed, proving the need of policies and incentives to achieve mass use of solar thermal technology in the residential sector. Finally, an implantation strategy of the technology was proposed for Costa Rica, covering regulatory issues, training of a national technical staff, and creation of laws governing the sector. The goal is to create tools to introduce solar DHW systems in Costa Rica, to replace electric water heaters, as a way of contributing to national energy saving.