Solar collectors as an alternative to coal furnace at the hotel in Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan)

In a small private hotel located on the coast of the lake Issyk-Kul in Cholpon-Ata, solar water heaters (SWH) were installed instead of the old coal furnaces.

This installation contributes not only to environment preservation, but also to the creation of comfortable living conditions for visitors all year round. The installation consists of the solar thermal collector , a heat exchanger circuit and a heat accumulator. The coolant circulates through the solar collector and is heated by the solar energy. Then the water in the storage tank is heated through a heat exchanger built into the tank. The heated water is stored in the tank until it is used. A backup electric heater is mounted into the storage tank, which automatically turns on to heat the water to the required temperature in cloudy weather or in winter during less sunny days.

The solar collector has an energy conversion efficiency of over 75% and provides the hotel with the required amount of heat.

BENEFITS

The installed SWH system allows the hotel owner to save more than 70% of the energy spent on heating, which is up to 70 MWh annually. Additionally, harmful emissions of carbon dioxide CO2 have been reduced by more than 30 tons per year.