Solar Water Heater
More and more homeowners are realizing that a solar water heater can lead to big savings on their electricity bills. But how much money can you really expect to save?
Well, the good news is quite a lot. Most people see a saving of around 33% on their electricity costs after installing a solar heater. That’s because solar hot water systems will supply an average of 80 or even 90% of a home’s annual water heating needs.
It’s pretty cool to be able to knock a third of your bill every month as well help the environment.
How Solar Water Heaters Work
There are two types of home solar heaters, active (also called pumped) – which use pumps and controls for circulation – and passive (also called compact) which don’t. Both types have a solar collector and storage tank.
The collector is mounted on the roof or on a wall that faces the sun and is used to heat a working fluid. In active / pumped systems, the fluid is pumped around while in passive / compact heaters the fluid moves on its own by convection.
In both types of heater, the heat is then passed to the hot water heaters. Some are two-tank systems where the solar water heater preheats the water before sending it to the main water heater. In a one-tank system, the two separate tanks are combined into one.
Solar Water Heating Kit
Although designed to deliver hot water most of the year, there may not be enough solar heat in winter to heat the water fully so an electric or gas booster is also used to provide a heating boost. That means you’ll also have hot water, regardless of weather conditions.
Bear in mind that active / pumped systems need more maintenance than passive / compact systems but active solar water heaters will probably only need to be looked at once every 3-5 years.
Prices for home solar water heating kits vary enormously – you’ll see kits prices at anything from a few hundred dollars to one of two thousands dollars. That said, there’s a number of excellent kits at a more affordable price.
One of the best is the 2 Panel Hybrid Solar Water Heater Kit from Heliatos Solar, currently selling at less than $500. For that you can a complete kit for self-installation that connects to your existing water heater (electric or gas). It’s even part pre-assembled. Check the full details here.
The DIY Solar Water Heater
DIY Solar Heater Book
