Many of us who live in big cities and modern infrastructure take our hot water for granted. We turn on the tap, and hot, warm, or cold water comes flowing out without a problem. But the same can’t be said for rural parts of the North America and South America, or Africa.
Based on the needs of a customer who supplies infrastructure to African medical clinics, Free Hot Water has recently introduced Maya, a new off-grid thermosyphon hot water system designed and manufactured to meet the hot water and sanitation needs of off grid consumers.
The Maya off-grid solar hot water package includes a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel and a controller, which power to a 12 volt pump equipped with a demand switch that provides running water in an off grid setting.
Having hot water is a crucial health benefit in the developing world. Waterborne diseases have been an issue throughout many African countries, especially in areas hit by flooding. Water related diseases are the leading cause of disease and death around the world, according to The World Health Organization. An assessment commissioned by th
e United Nations estimates that 4,000 children die each day as a result of diseases caused by ingestion of contaminated or unsanitary water. Other illnesses, such as dysentery, are caused by parasites that live in water contaminated by the feces of sick individuals.
After listening to these issues, Free Hot Water understood how to engineer the solar thermal system that would both protect and service these off-grid clinics with limited water supplies. For sanitation purposes, Maya features a standard, easy-to-clean strainer. Easy to use, May comes with a self-priming mechanism and provides water pressure of up to 40 ft of head, and maximum of 3 gallons per minute.
Most importantly, Maya needs no utility connection to expensive, dirty, gasoline or diesel-fueled generators. Easy to ship and assemble, even with a sophisticated solar PV-powered pump station, Maya can also be fitted with an optional cold and hot water manifold and/or a battery pack for night time operations.
To be even more useful in off-grid environments, Free Hot Water designed Maya’s solar PV module to not only power its water pump, but also to be able to connect to other 12 volt appliances, such as a refrigerator, lights, cell phone chargers, and more.
The Free Hot Water Maya off-grid solar water heating system includes:
1 High Performance Solar Thermal Collector
- 76.5” X 41” X 3”
- Gross Area: 2.031 m2, 21.86 sf
- Net Aperture: 1.89 m2, 20.30 sf
- Thermal Output 1.26 Kw per hour
- Weight – 60 Lbs
- 10 Year Limited Warranty
- Certifications: SRCC OG 100
- SRCC Clear Day Daily BTUs: 21,500
1 Solar Storage Tank
- 150 liters/40 gallons
1 Pump
- 12 VDC /40 ft head, self priming to 5
- Pressure demand sensor
1 Controller
- Free Hot Water voltage converter allows a direct connection to the pump
- Enclosed in an outdoor National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) box
Photovoltaic System
- 250 W/36 V Solar PV Panel
To learn more about Maya and its potential for off-grid solar thermal applications, please contact our engineers for a free consultation.
