Abstract

The Solar Water Heater project focused on the design, construction, and testing of a device that converts solar radiation into usable thermal energy to warm up cold water. The objective was to explore how material selection and heat transfer mechanisms influence water heating efficiency using a low-cost, scalable design.

The project integrates solar energy capture, thermal systems, and heat transfer analysis, emphasizing real-world constraints such as environmental losses, system efficiency, and manufacturability. It demonstrates how fundamental heat transfer principles can be applied to renewable energy systems for sustainable infrastructure and energy storage.

Results

• Successfully achieved a water temperature increase using only passive solar heating.
• Demonstrated effective solar-to-thermal energy conversion under real outdoor conditions.
• Identified key performance and design limitations due to convective and radiative heat losses.

R&D

1. Concept development: Evaluated different solar water heater architectures.
2. Material selection: Chose materials based on thermal conductivity and availability.
3. System fabrication: Built a working solar water heater prototype with integrated water flow and insulation.
4. Outdoor testing: Conducted performance testing under varying solar intensity and ambient conditions.
5. Analysis & optimization: Assessed efficiency bottlenecks and proposed design improvements.

Skills (3)

Annex

Some adjustments of my prototype.

Charging the prototype under sunlight.

Testing the prototype after it finished charging for around 2 hours.