Smart Solar Water Heating System: Design, Optimizationand Cost-Effective Performance for Sustainable Domestic Use

This paper presents the design, production, and extensive testing of an economical and efficient solar water heating (SWH) system for ‎household applications, which integrates Internet of Things (IoT) technology for enhanced performance as well as user experience. The ‎system consists of two photovoltaic components: a flat-plate solar collector for thermal water heating and a PV solar panel integrated with a ‎water circulation pump for circulating water. Sensors are strategically placed on pipes, exterior surfaces, and storage tanks to collect real-time data. These sensors are linked to Arduino microcontrollers, which support remote monitoring and control via a mobile app. ANSYS ‎computational modeling was done for the optimization of thermal performance, and simulated results were very close to experimental findings, with a maximum error of 6.8%. The system achieved a constant-state temperature rise of water from 20 °C to approximately 55 °C in ‎five hours and an efficiency of 39.15%, greater than reported in most of the studies. Cost analysis indicates that the SWH system has 79.5% ‎lower cost than conventional electric water heaters with a payback period of ten years. The result confirms that local-level production of ‎solar water heating solutions is a viable, eco-friendly, economical, and sustainable alternative to conventional heating practices.