University of Otago researcher Andrew Wallace with his
product created to provide free hot water for domestic
homes. Photo by Craig Baxter.
Andrew Wallace is in hot water after designing, for
domestic housing, a water heating system which uses solar
radiation.
Mr Wallace is a professional practice fellow in the design
studies department at the University of Otago.
His research project has been chosen to heat water in
Victoria University's sustainable house, which is entered in
the United States Department of Energy solar decathlon in
Washington DC next year.
The biennial research challenge was established in 2002 and
is limited to 20 universities worldwide.
Mr Wallace said the combined entry was the first from New
Zealand or Australia in the design competition.
The event highlighted and tested new technologies which
promised a "demonstrable benefit" for society.
Using mirrors to reflect sunlight on to "absorbers", which
heat water, Mr Wallace's design is not unique.
The idea is used by large commercial entities, but Mr Wallace
says the technology is not available for domestic housing.
His work with micro-parabolic collectors uses the principles
of large, commercial technologies in an application suitable
for housing.
He hopes his design will be available within a decade in
Third World countries as an inexpensive source of water
heating.
Mr Wallace was delighted to be contributing to Victoria
University's project.
"This event is an opportunity to rethink the role of energy
efficient housing in both a local and global context.
"Architecture and the building sector not only account for
50% of the world's energy consumption, they also consume 50%
of its resources and create 40% of the world's waste.
"This highlights the need for innovative solutions to both
energy consumption and the use of materials in construction,"
he said.
- john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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