Innovation fund - Timaru Top 10 Holiday Park

The solar water heating project at the Timaru Top 10 Holiday Park is another example of solar in a location not normally associated with high sunshine hours, and therefore the results of monitoring the system installed under this project will be greatly anticipated.

The Holiday Park site includes motel units, tourist flats, cabins, as well as caravan and tent sites and most of the patronage is over the summer months when the solar resource is at its highest.

Solar Group Ltd and Timaru Plumbing and Gas have installed a 10m2 Edwards Titan solar water heating system on the shower block as a pre-heater to the existing gas boiler.

The gas costs for the Holiday Park have been approximately $4,000 per year with around 3,000-4,000 showers taken.

The system has been monitored and results will be provided at the end of the project.