Solahart water heater
1953
solar hot water system
Solahart has made hundreds of thousands of solar hot water systems since the 1950s. They sit on roofs in more than 40 countries and quietly use heat from the sun to heat water, especially in cold climates.
Solahart's success is based on continuing technical innovation, quality in manufacturing, and an understanding of the various markets to which it sells.
The idea of using solar energy for water heating has been around for a long time. Commercial systems were available in the late 1800s. Advances by the CSIRO in the 1950s made Australian systems about 20% more efficient than other solar hot water systems.
Solahart has been making solar hot water systems in Perth since the 1950s. In 1978 it released its L series with high-efficiency heat-collecting surfaces and improved corrosion resistance to cope with poor quality water. These improvements helped expand Solahart's markets, and its solar heaters can now be seen on rooftops across the world.
Who Did It?
Key Organisations
Key organisations
Solahart Australia : manufacture
CSIRO Division of Mechanical Engineering : R&D
Key People
Wayne Reed : commercialisation
Roger Morse : CSIRO engineer
Wal Read : CSIRO engineer
Further Reading
'Century-old idea undergoes revival'
Peter Fries
The Australian, 16 April 1991, p 41.
Links
Solahart
Technology
in Australia 1788-1988, ATSE
Questions & Activities
Solahart hot water system
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