DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF SOLAR WATER HEATER FOR THE HOTEL, CATERING AND INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OF BOLGATANGA POLYTECHNIC

Solar water heating system consists of a collector plate to collect solar energy and an insulated storage tank to store hot water which can be used for domestic, industrial and small institutional purposes. This paper presents a systematic design and construction of solar water heater for use in the Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management (H.C.I.M) Department of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The solar water heater was well constructed using locally available materials. A plain glass was used as a collector plate and an aluminium sheet metal obtained from a scrap yard painted black was used as an absorber plate. In addition, copper pipes attached to the absorber plate as fluid carrying tubes were also designed. The solar energy incident on the coated absorber plate transfers the heat to the fluid carrying pipes underneath the absorber plate placed in an insulated casing with a transparent glass cover having a cold and a hot water tank integrated in the system. The water passing through the pipes gets heated and flows into a storage tank by the principle of thermosyphon system. When tested, a maximum fluid output temperature of 80oC was observed at a maximum collector temperature of 55oC with ambient temperature of 37°C, and solar radiation 4.61 kWh/m2 /day on a good sunny day. A total amount of 50 litres of hot water was harnessed which was in excess of hot water needed in the Department. This solar water heating system which is a renewable energy resource will continue to serve the heating needs of the Department and the Polytechnic at large since the area has abundant and consistent solar radiation.