According to Stroud, "A roof can be a very easy place to hide a solar system" (35). Although there are other solar-powered projects underway across the country with the same goal of reducing Israel's dependence on foreign-imported energy sources, these rooftop units remain the most common. For example, Faiman reports that, "Perhaps the most common manifestation of putting the sun to work in Israel are the solar water heaters that cover roof-tops all over the country. Typical domestic units consist of a 150 liter insulated storage tank and a 2 sq.m. flat panel" (3). The units used for most residential applications are highly efficient, and operate using a gravity-driven loop that does not require a water pump; however, the solar-powered water heaters used for larger high-rise housing projects and in a number of kibbutzim are typically pump-driven (Faiman). The typical solar panel and water heating configuration of the residential units used throughout Israel is illustrated in Figure 2 below.
Figure 2. Rooftop-mounted solar-powered water heaters in Tel Aviv
Source: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1-7r2wO3aw4/SIIYfXBWJnI/AAAAAAAAAhk/LCIkP6TJupA/s320/tel-aviv-rooftopsE.gif
The solar-powered water heater initiative also helps to promote a sense of community and self-reliance that transcend its immediate energy-saving effects. According to one authority, "These heaters were first installed when the country experienced a fuel supply crisis in the early 1950s. The government responded by severely restricting the times when water could be heated. Israelis in turn...
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