Mitigating Climate Change by the Development and Deployment of Solar Water Heating Systems

Solar energy is becoming an alternative for the limited fossil fuel resources. One of the simplest and most direct applications of this energy is the conversion of solar radiation into heat, which can be used in Water Heating Systems. Ogun State in Nigeria was used as a case study. The solar radiation for the state was explored with an annual average of 4.775？kWh/m2 recorded. The designed system comprised storage tanks and the collector unit which comprises wooden casing, copper tube, and aluminium foil. Test results for the unlagged and lagged storage tanks for water temperature at various angles of inclination (2.500°–20.000°) were on the average 27.800°C and 28.300°C, respectively, for the inlet temperature and 60.100°C and 63.000°C for the outlet temperature, respectively. The efficiency of the Solar Water Heating System was 72.500% and the power saved 2.798？kW. The cost of the unit is put at 1121,400 ($145) as at August 2012. The unit developed can be applied for the purpose of reducing the cost of energy, dealing with environmental challenges, and improving the use of energy, hence serving as a climate mitigation process as this can be extended for water heating for domestic and other industrial purposes. 1. Introduction Solar energy happens to be a naturally occurring renewable source of energy that is gotten directly from one of the major heavenly bodies known as the sun. It has been in existence since the creation of the world and of mankind, but its potentials have not been and could not be harnessed as a result of ignorance and lack of the right technology until now as a result of increase in the demand of power energy supply for human consumption, basically for industrial, commercial, and domestic uses. The total deposit of fossil fuels left on earth is not up to the amount of energy that could be supplied in a couple of days by the sun which happens to be the root of all energy sources. Therefore, there is a need to changeover to renewable energy sources because of the skyrocketing cost of oil and gas in the production of electricity and the effects of pollutants on climate change (including global warming and ozone layer depletion); especially when it comes to the area of domestic and commercial water heating, solar energy can be a very good substitute to the conventional way of water heating. One of the biggest uses of electricity, gas, and oil is the heating of water in home, offices, schools, and hospitals. Solar water heating is a very simple and efficient way to tap energy from the sun and use it. Solar water heaters concentrate