Environmental Performance of Thermosyphonic Domestic Solar Hot Water Systems under Different Climatic Conditions: A Case Study for Greece

Undoubtedly, sun is the cleanest energy source. Specific systems are needed however for the
collection and transformation of solar energy and the manufacturing processes of such systems, as
well as the production of the raw materials required, are associated with impacts to the environment.
As a result, the life cycle environmental impact of solar systems depends on the type and the size of
the systems. System characteristics and also the climate of the installation area, affect the substituted
conventional energy (solar coverage). In this paper, the net environmental gain of flat plate
thermosyphonic solar systems for domestic use is determined, accounting for the household size
(different collector sizes) and the installation area (different solar coverage and transportation
distance) for the major cities of Greece. Calculations are based on the “Eco-Indicator ‘99”
methodology and database and it is proved that substituting electricity with solar energy is always
environmentally beneficial for systems installed in all major cities of Greece.