Solar Water Heating is a natural product of heating your household’s potable water so that you can cut down on harmful fossil fuels and reduce spending on gas. Depending on your household size, between 2-5 glazed and encased panels will be placed on the roof as with any other solar system. From there plumbing from your home’s water heater is bypassed to the collectors and the potable water circulates through a series of tubes and is converted back to a propylene glycol tank to store the hot water, sometimes with a heat exchanger to retain the heat when needed. The most recommended type of system is am active closed loop system, because it has all the necessary controls to keep the system in operation and maintains the ability to drain the system when needed to prevent freezing.

Fortunately with the type of system described above, a solar hot water heating system will have a storage tank in addition to the hot water heater. It does not replace your regular water heater but instead installs one for the solar heating that is circulated after pre-heating, and then filtered through your regular hot water tank which is typically 80-120 gallons. Depending on your individual usage and the number of days that it is cloudy, you will still have about 1-2 days of warm water to use in the event that there is a cloudy day or rain.

Because the cost of natural gas is at the greatest low in a long time the return on a solar hot water heating system is longer as well. A typical system installation is around $6,000 and a monthly bill average for gas or electric portion of hot water heating is about $35-60. So the return on an investment can be as long as 15 years. However, the system lasts 30-40 years, so you eventually get a financial benefit that is more than double your return!

Some other considerations for a solar hot water heating installation are how to best size and place the system. To ensure that a system is properly sized and installed be sure to choose a certified contractor that can properly evaluate your homes usage needs and the sites solar resource, along with choosing the correct system size and best placed for the climate, To optimize the performance of your solar hot water heating system, you should have it carefully maintained it every 3-5 years. Some plumbing and other components may need to be cleaned in dryer climates or need replacement parts.