INTRODUCTION
The Middle East region is
ideally suited for using solar
power for water heaters, as
bright sunshine is assured
almost all year round with
not much cloud cover that
would affect their design.
However, the advantages
come with a few caveats:
n The solar panels need to
be regularly cleaned because
of the high level of dust in
the region.
n The right material with
correct specifications needs
to be chosen
n The equipment needs
to be correctly installed,
particularly in areas in the
vicinity of the sea, as sea
breeze and humid conditions
could harm them.
n Design safety is a
priority due to the possibility
of solar panels overheating.
It is, thus, evident that
many factors go into the
solar water heating system
design. This article aims to
give a general overview of the
significant factors that need to
be considered while installing
solar water heating (SWH)
systems in the region. It also
provides design guidelines.

When designing a SWH system, one of the important design parameters required is the DHW average daily demand. Another important parameter is the cold water temperature design tering the SWH system.
This temperature is critical to the optimum design of the system and should be chosen as accurately as possible, considering the variance in the cold water temperature from source during winter and summer time as well as during the day and at night. Normally, this is water coming from DEWA, ADWEA, SEWA or FEWA and should be checked with the authorities for the correct temperature variance;