First South African Manufactured Stainless Steel Geyser To Pass Sabs Quality Tests Successfully As part of a drive to turn solar heating into a mainstream technology in Africa, SunTank geysers have undergone SABS quality and performance tests, passing with flying colours. Pretoria, August 2006. In the spring of 2005, a strategic SunTank management meeting reached a decision that the time was right to enhance SunTank’s international recognition through the acquisition of the SABS quality mark as well as ISO 9001:2000 accreditation. During the first years of its operation SunTank used imported geysers as the hot water storage component of the SunTank solar heating system. In 1999 a decision was made to invest in a local production plant. A survey of the market indicated that a niche existed for a high-end product that will provide the consumer with a quality-alternative to the old carbon-steel enamelled geysers. With some technical assistance from the South African Stainless Steel Development Association and Columbus Stainless, commercial production started in the year 2000. The growth in SunTank’s domestic and international market-share required that an accelerated production development program be set in motion. The SABS testing process was one component of an on-going program of streamlining and automating production, setting-up state of the art production cells, communicating with customers and training staff in order to ensure that SunTank remains the undisputed leader in the solar geyser market. The results of the recently passed tests proved yet again that SunTank ‘s philosophy of differentiating itself through product quality is not just a lip service. In times of a looming energy crisis, specific attention should be given to the exceptional results achieved in the standing-loss test. This test indicates the energy losses incurred by an electric geyser over a 24 hour period. SunTank’s outstanding energy efficiency performance in this test gives hope that other industry players will follow the lead and save the water heating industry the embarrassment of having to retrofit the disgraceful Geyser Blankets. SunTank’s MD Yoram Gur Arie say: “We have set certain integrity guidelines for the company that enable us to face customers with pride. How can anyone sell a new geyser and expect the customer to immediately pay additional fees for an installation of a geyser blanket in order to achieve the desired performance? I call on the geyser manufacturing industry to rewrite performance standards and regain some lost reputation”. The SunTank Stainless Steel, Solar-Ready geyser Range consists of geyser capacities of 100, 200, 300 and 450 liters, offering solutions to a diverse range of applications. All geysers distributed to inland provinces are equipped with a double jacket type heat exchanger which enables the correct subsequent connection of solar panels should the end user desire to do so. ENDNotes to editors SunTankSunTank is South Africa’s leading solar heating company with interests and partnerships throughout Southern Africa, East Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. The company consists of 3 divisions covering manufacturing, marketing, distribution and installations of solar heating systems as well as construction and operation of clean energy plants. Company Website Enquiries |