Identification of the environmental impact from the use of different materials in domestic solar hot water systems

The use of different materials for the same solar system component (collector, water tank, etc.) affects both the efficiency and the amount of conventional energy substituted by the system and hence the overall environmental impact of a Domestic Solar Hot Water System (DSHWS). The net environmental gain achieved by the use of DSHWS therefore is influenced, among others, by the materials and techniques used, up to 20% in some cases. In this paper, Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of a variety of typical, for the Greek market, DSHWS is performed. Their environmental impact, as well as the influence from the use of different materials or/and manufacturing techniques on their impact, is identified. In all cases examined, the environmental impact of the solar systems is significantly lower compared to that of the energy conserved. As thermal efficiency differs from system to system, their environmental performance is influenced mainly by the conventional energy substituted and to a lesser extent by the materials used for their production.