" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 15px 15px; width: 250px;">

Solar hot water at community-scale

The Local Government implements a set of integrated measures to deploy solar hot water in private buildings and facilities in the community within its jurisdiction, using its regulatory power as the main leverage to approve, or amend, a municipal building code which requires (new) buildings to use solar hot water (SHW) systems - Solar Ordinance.

Motivation / Relevance

The energy consumption for the production of hot water can be significant in different community sectors, having an impact on their energy bill.

As an example, in São Paulo (Brazil) water heating is estimated to account for approximately 40% of the city`s electricity consumption, including both residential and commercial use (e.g. swimming pools) [1]. The production of hot water in households represents more than 10% of the final energy consumption in the European Union (13%) [2], and in the USA (18%) [3].

Typically, water is heated by using fossil fuels and/or electricity. This presents an opportunity for renewable solar energy use, through readily available technologies.

Main impacts

  • Growth of the local market for solar hot water systems and contribute to complete value chain activation (equipment providers, installers, certification bodies, etc.)
  • Reduce overall costs of the technology in the local market
  • Induce greater deployment in other societal/economic sectors

Benefits and Co-Benefits

  • Reduce fossil fuel consumption and dependency /increase share of renewables
  • Reduce the energy bill of households and businesses
  • Contribute to job creation and security (technically qualified workers for installation and maintenance, etc.)
  • Economic growth (development of new sector of activity)
  • Enhance the city profile as green and sustainable
  • Improved air quality where fossil fuels are replaced
  • Reduce community´s GHG emissions (by displacing fossil fuels and electricity)

Pool of Experts on LinkedIn


For each of the various sectors addressed by the Solutions Gateway, a Pool of Experts thematic subgroup as been created in LinkedIn.

The current Solution links to the following Expert Subgroups:

Please join the subgroup in question and/or use the listed expert entries to contact experts directly. Note that you need to be a registered LinkedIn user to utilise the groups.

Rate this solution

This form gives you the opportunity to evaluate this Solution. Your feedback will help us to improve this Solution for your future use.


Do you find this Solution's structure clear?

Do you find the level of detail of the contents adequate?

Do you intend to implement this Solution?

When? Please indicate the year:

What is the main role you have in your Local Government?

Comments and suggestions:

Share materials and contribute to this Solution

We will be happy to consider the inclusion of your materials in the Solutions Gateway and give visibility and recognition to your Local Government and its experts. This form gives you the opportunity to share with us case studies, tools and other resources that may help to enrich this Solution with additional guidance. Sharing your materials will contribute to experience sharing and peer-learning among Local Governments, and support replication of good practices worldwide.


Briefly describe the material you want to share with us:

Is this material already available online? If yes, please provide the URL. (Note: the Solutions Gateway links to external materials which are already available online. By pointing to the website where the materials are hosted we help to drive traffic to your webpages):

Other comments:


Report your results

This form gives you the opportunity to share with us your action plans and programs, experiences and success with the implementation of this Solution. We will be happy to disseminate your results using ICLEI's web and social media. Your success is our success!


Have you incorporated this Solution into your municipal or project workplan?

With how much private investment? Please indicate USD.

With how much public investment? Please indicate USD.

What benefits have been observed? Please indicate quantitative results if possible.

Other comments

Register to access information!

I have read and agree to the solutions Gateway's Terms of Use.


Login to access information!

Remember me!