Work

Water heating in Brazilian residential buildings: a comparison between electric showers and solar heating

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study compares electricity consumption between solar water heating systems and electric showers in twelve bioclimatic zones in Brazil. Solar heating was assessed using the simplified and detailed methods of INMETRO's Normative Instruction for Residential Buildings (INI-R) and the Energy Plus programme. At the same time, electric showers were analysed using programming routines. Annual energy consumption for water heating varied between 143 and 1825 kWh for electric showers and between 0 and 539 kWh for solar heating systems, with differences in the results depending on the methodology used for evaluation. The economic viability of solar heating depends on the climate and the local energy tariff, being advantageous only in Canela, Vitória da Conquista, Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, Goiânia and Cuiabá. The study highlights the need for more research on the subject and recommends that INMETRO reconsiders adopting the simplified method, as it presents more favourable results for certification than the detailed method.

Source: Ambiente Construído

DOI: 10.1590/s1678-86212025000100905

Authors: Igor Catão Martins Vaz, Vanessa Santos, Thalita Giglio, Enedir Ghisi

Institutions: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Universidade Estadual de Londrina

Language: English

Topic: Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Systems

Subfield: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Climate action, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior