As a homeowner in Australia, you’ve likely encountered scorching summers and chilly winter mornings. But what better option to fully harness its power than installing a solar hot water system in your home? With this brilliant solution, you can bask in the abundant sunshine while enjoying a continuous hot water supply throughout the year.
Lower water bills, clean energy, and heating water by the power of sunlight are a few reasons why the best way to warm up to solar water heaters. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), a national solar trade association, predicts that solar energy utilization will increase by 42% between 2022 and 2025. Some good news about solar: Solar water heaters will probably pay for their use in as little as three to six years after the upfront investment.
Are you wondering if a solar hot-water heater is a good choice for the home? Read up on uncovering the various kinds of solar water heaters and discover their pros and cons.
Just what is a Solar Water Heater?
An ideal way to heat your water without the use of your energy grid, solar water heaters draw power from the sun. Unlike traditional water heaters, solar water heaters utilize solar collectors for your rooftop to rework sunlight into solar technology, which then would heat the water within your home.
Is There Much Difference Between Solar Water Heaters and Traditional Systems?
While solar water heaters are fueled by the sun, conventional water heaters are powered by electricity or gas. , dissimilar to the non-renewable fuels and coal in combination with electric or gas water heaters. However, solar collectors can only heat water and should not power your appliances like traditional systems. To power appliances using solar, it is fair to use a photovoltaic (PV) solar technology system, often provided by solar technology companies, to generate electricity.
How exactly does a Solar Water Heater work?
Although they are available in numerous designs, all solar water heaters include a collector and a storage tank that absorbs the sun’s thermal energy to heat water. The two main different kinds of solar water heaters are active and passive; each works differently and with different equipment. Still, they will both collect enough domestic hot water to meet your day-to-day domestic domestic hot water needs.
Kinds Solar Water Heaters
They operate as follows:
Active Solar Water Heating Systems
- Direct circulating systems: Pumps circulate water through solar collectors on top and into your house. Direct circulating systems work in climates that aren’t vulnerable to freezing temperatures.
- Indirect circulating systems: Pumps circulate a non-freezing heat-transfer liquid through collectors and also a heat exchanger that warms the water that flows as a potable water tank. These systems can work in environments susceptible to freezing.
Passive Solar Water Heating Systems
Passive solar water heating systems store water for cold and cloudy days and might use up all your heat following a long cold spell. Passive systems become more dependable, come in less expensive, and can go longer than active systems.
There are two main different kinds of passive solar water heating systems:
- Integral collector-storage passive systems: Ultraviolet rays heat the water by having a transparent cover for a storage tank that transports the water as a plumbing system. This technique works well in environments that aren’t susceptible to freezing.
- Thermosyphon systems: The collector for a roof heats the water that flows into the plumbing system when someone turns on the domestic hot water faucet. Most thermosyphon systems can take 40 gallons of water.
How Much Does A Solar Water Heater Cost?
Although solar water heaters are more pricey than traditional water heaters, they’re incredibly cost-effective and simply lower utility bills, therefore making you qualified to receive solar tax credits. From materials where you will system size to installation and maintenance costs, solar water heaters might rely on various factors. However, a solar hot-water heater could cost anywhere between $3,000 to $9,000.
What Tend to be the Advantages of Solar Water Heaters?
More people from the United States are switching to solar water heaters. Consider a part of the pros of going solar.
Saves Money
According to the Department of Energy, your domestic hot water accounts for 14% to 18% of your utility bills. Homeowners spend large sums on gas and electricity on an annual basis to heat the water in their homes. Although installing solar equipment comes at an increased price, homeowners see savings of $781 on energy costs year after year and also a 100% return on their investment in only a couple of years. Thereafter, sunlight produces free hot water.
Low Maintenance
Solar water heaters require little maintenance. Just call back an expert every two years to change the antifreeze in your own solar warm water system, and you ought to be fine. The sole time you wish to maintain your device is whenever your home is known for dangerous hard water mineral deposits, which often clog the system. But that may be easily remedied by installing a water softener.
Better with the Environment
Generating electric and natural gas power boosts the carbon footprint. Electricity is dependent upon coal, and natural gas assures greenhouse gas emissions. Solar water heaters might rely on 100% clean, renewable power generated through the sun, which converts that energy to heat water.
Increase Your Home’s Value
Working with a renewable power source in your abode like Adelaide plumbing service is an appealing quality many new homebuyers seek. Research has shown solar water heaters can boost home value between 3% and 4%. It indicates your dream house worth $400,000 could increase in popularity value by up to $16,000.
ITC Tax Credits
The federal solar tax credit, described as an investment tax credit (ITC), permits homeowners who purchase a solar system between 2020 and 2022 to deduct 26% from other federal taxes. The tax credit decreases to 22% when installing a solar system in 2023. You decide that’s a significant savings of $2,000 to $2,350. Also, discuss with a state and local government together with your utility company to get more rebates.
What Includes the Downsides of Solar Water Heaters
Solar water heaters undeniably have their upsides. However, they also have a couple of disadvantages, too.
Upfront Installation Costs
Installing a solar warm water system includes a high upfront cost, averaging around $9,000, as reported by Fixr.com. Observed tax credits and rebates, the price may make it difficult to obtain a solar water heating system.
Performance Utilizes the Sun
Sunshine plays a key role in powering a solar water heating system. While a backup heater brings warm water for quite a while on cold and cloudy days, the heater can eventually deplete power after extended periods without sun. Aside from that, living in a sunny climate allows a homeowner to back up much higher prices on water heating bills because they don’t need to rely on a backup electric or natural gas heating source as often.
Can’t Power Appliances
Solar water heating systems only heat water. To power appliances in the home, you’d need to set up a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel technology system to generate electricity for one’s appliances. In the event you already own the hot-water tank, perhaps it will make more sense to set up a PV system, so you should utilize renewable solar electricity to power the complete home.
Scaling and Corrosion
Various factors could negatively affect your solar water heaters. Still, you have to be interested in two performance issues: scaling (in liquid or hydronic-based systems) and corrosion (in hydronic and air systems).
- Scaling: Before deciding on a solar hot-water tank, you should look at your water type. That offer detailed wave in a neighborhood with hard water, and your body can clog because of calcium deposits in the water that collects over time. This “scaling” or build-up can negatively affect your system. To avert this issue, you can add a water softener to your water.
- Corrosion: Corrosion occurs through an electron transfer process when two varieties of metal are touching; this is called galvanic corrosion. Within a well-designed system, this can not present a problem. However, corrosion might be a massive problem if your solar hot-water tank system is not regularly inspected. To further prevent corrosion, it’s best to clean the heater when not being and ensure that it stays dry.
Considerations to Consider While Buying Solar Water Heaters
Contingent on the quantity of warm water the house requires, which kind of system you will want, in your city, and your budget, there are numerous factors when acquiring solar water heaters. Here are a couple of aspects to consider:
Cost
Solar water heaters could save you lots of money after a while, with estimates ranging from a 50% to 90% decrease in your own heating bill. However, solar water heaters are more expensive than traditional water heaters. Contingent on the quantity of warm water all your family uses, it is essential to determine that the outright cost of a solar hot-water tank is ultimately of great benefit in the long run.
Types
Separated into two types, passive and active, solar water heaters are eco-efficient ways to heat your water. But why is both different? This system moves water. Active systems require circulating pumps to go water, while passive systems have confidence in gravity to go water. You’ll want to keep in mind that active systems are really more reliable than passive systems.
Climate
When picking the level of solar hot-water tank you need, you ought to glance at the climate you stay in and how much sunlight the house receives. Difficulties are generated in sunny areas using a comparatively small system. However, in colder regions, larger collectors are required. Also, since your pipe freezing is a considerable concern for homes in colder regions, active solar water heaters are intended to fail to freeze in cold climates.
How Much Can a Solar Water Heater System Save You?
How much money you’ll save while utilizing solar hot-water tank systems is dependent upon various factors, which include your local area, the shape and efficiency of the system, the price of conventional energy towards you, your warm water usage patterns, and available solar incentives. Generally, solar water heaters could help you significantly save money on energy bills as opposed to traditional water heating methods.
- Location: This offers a detailed wave in a location with less sunlight. It is usually tougher for your solar hot-water tank to generate the same amount of energy as a solar hot-water tank in a region with a lot more sunlight.
- System size and efficiency: The size of your solar hot-water tank can be described as a factor that hopefully will figure out how much warm water you are able to produce. The greater it, the greater warm water you’ll be able to produce, which means you might have more warm water to make and definitely will cut back money on your utility bills.
- Energy costs: Solar technology is a superb investment because it’s cheaper than power from conventional sources. Therefore, for everybody who is in a neighborhood rich in electricity or gas prices, the savings by using solar panel technology can become more substantial.
- Difficulties usage: The greater the warm water your household consumes, the greater the potential savings. Larger families or those rich in warm water demand will benefit more from a solar water heater.
- Solar incentives: If you’re considering installing a solar hot-water tank system, check your local government’s incentives and rebates. Some regions offer tax incentives, rebates, or other financial incentives to encourage installing solar hot-water tank systems, which often further increase your savings.
May, a well-designed and properly installed solar hot-water tank system can save homeowners anywhere from 50% to 80% on water heating costs. Quite often, the savings can cover your initial investment in the solar hot-water tank within several years, bringing about long-term financial benefits.
Are Solar Water Heaters Worth It?
Solar water heaters are of great benefit to many homeowners. Nevertheless, the decision is dependent upon various factors and preferences. Therefore, it’s vital to explore a few of the reasons why solar water heaters are often times considered a helpful investment:
Energy Cost Savings
Solar water heaters make use of the sun’s free and renewable power to heat water, significantly reducing the requirement for electricity or gas. Because of this, homeowners can experience substantial savings on energy bills over time. As the upfront expense of installing a solar hot-water tank is pretty high, the long-term energy savings can make it the cost-effective choice, particularly in places with abundant sunshine.
Environmental Benefits
By dependent upon clean and renewable solar panel technology, solar water heaters help in lowering greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact. Therefore, a solar hot-water tank can be an appealing and responsible option for homeowners aiming to reduce their carbon footprint.
Solar Incentives
Many local governments and utility companies offer financial incentives, tax credits, or rebates to encourage homeowners to set up solar water heaters. In particular, solar water heaters would qualify for the current Federal Solar Tax Credit. These incentives can significantly reduce your initial investment cost, making the transition to solar more desirable and accelerating the payback period.
Where Can You Buy the Best Solar Water Heater?
To get the best solar hot-water tank, explore specialized solar retailers, DIY stores, and internet marketplaces. These sources often offer vast, obvious, reputable brands and models to fit your needs. Additionally, consider reaching out to solar panel technology installers, as they quite simply typically can supply expert advice while offering one’s own product options. Keep in mind factors, which include system size, efficiency, and warranty, ensuring the solar hot-water tank aligns with your home’s requirements and local climate.
