INADEQUATE ACCESS TO HOT WATER IS A MAJOR CHALLENGE
HEALTH
A lack of access to good hygiene creates long-term impacts on health, education and economic potential.
ENVIRONMENT
Heating water with fire causes indoor air pollution, strips forests from wood and adds to climate change.
DIGNITY
... because it is hard to feel confident when we don't feel clean.
A COMMON SCENARIO
Heating water is arduous and inefficient.
This family has a new home with gas supply, yet they're still cooking meals and heating water behind their house on open fire.
There is an indoor kitchen with a hot and cold water connections available. However, there is no hot water piped in because electricity and gas are prohibitively expensive.
We discussed and tested our prototype with Mr. Fernandez on his roof. He believes it would work well for them, and looks forward most to sending his kids to school clean!
MEET THE FERNANDES FAMILY
Puebla, Mexico
Like 1/3 of the world's population, the Fernandes family uses wood for cooking & heating water.
ADDRESSABLE MARKETS
There are millions of people all over the world who would benefit from Suntap; therefore, we know our potential market is very large.
Our first markets will be Mexico, India and Africa, because those locations have a combination of favorable climates and good business environments.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Existing water heaters are either too expensive to buy or too expensive to operate.
Suntap presents an affordable and sustainable solution.
SUNTAP IS THE FIRST SOLAR WATER HEATER DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR EMERGING MARKET CONDITIONS.
Low
Price
Low
Tech
Compact Distribution
Simple
Setup
Emission Free
Patented Design
BUSINESS MODEL
Low-income housing developers like Grupo MIA in Mexico will enable Suntap to address customers in the $5-$10 PPP/day range by encouraging buyers to purchase Suntap for their new homes.
Off-grid solar installers like d.light in India and East Africa give Suntap access to people, who live on $2-$5 PPP/day by using their existing mobile payment platforms for credited purchases.
TECHNOLOGY
Solar thermal technology - transforming the sun’s heat directly into hot water - is simple and highly efficient. A thermosyphon system is an easy to use, easy to maintain, solar hot water system. Natural circulation of the water occurs without the need of an external pump.
System Performance
On a warm day, Suntap produces 15 gal (56 liters) of over 160°F (70°C) hot water.
Energy Comparison
Heating water accounts for 1/3 of the total energy required for an average household. Because Suntap represents a environmentally sustainable and inexpensive solution, it gives people access to energy even if they aren't yet financially sound.
Status and Milestones
In two years of operation, Suntap has achieved a few major milestones:
Field
Reseach
We conducted field research in Bihar, India and Puebla, Mexico.
In both locations, we repeatedly heard how hot water is important for well-being. We also received great feedback for our prototypes.
Accelerator Participation
With Silicon Climate and Mentor Capital Network we were able to participate in two highly sought after startup programs.
Both networks are indispensable partners and continue to support our financing efforts.
University Collaboration
The department of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo under Professor Michael Collins created a project to study and improve the fluid dynamic properties of Suntap's heater.
PrototypeBuild
Design has evolved trough approximately 15 built and tested prototypes. The performance data we have captured is helping us to iterate and improve our design in cost effective ways.
Partner Organisation
IDEO.org
non-profit design and innovation organization
University of Waterloo
The Affordable Energy for Humanity Global Change Initiative
Advisors
Sam Goldman
Founder & Chief Product Officer at d.light
Werner Weiss
Managing Director, AEE, Institute for Sustainable Technologies
Ameen Saafir
Business Advisor, Silicon Climate
Doug Solomon
IDEO Fellow
Contact details.
Address : Bergstraße 53/11
8020 Graz, AUT
Tel : +43 664 9229 891
hello@suntap.solar
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