February 2, 2009

Solar Water Heaters in Turkey
Fethiye, Turkey

It's pretty amazing to see some 99% of all residential buildings in this part of Turkey—regardless of age—with solar heating on the roof. I'm told that propane is very expensive and natural gas isn't yet available in the city, and as a result, many people have adopted a combination of electric and solar heating built into their water systems.

There aren't any fancy solar cells, just a metal drum or two of water atop a large black rectangle. Piping runs though the rectangle, which the water runs through when the household opens the tap inside the home—leaving gravity and the transfer of heat to do the rest.
