Are Solar Hot Water Heaters Worth It

That s for a flat plate thermosiphon tank on roof style system like the one in the first pic above.

Are solar hot water heaters worth it.

Generate almost 8 percent of the nation s heating and. Xii the average solar water heater costs between 6 000 and 10 000 before incentives. Solar water heating is a system that directly heats the water that gets pumped into your home. Use a solar hot water system to heat the water directly a solar hot water system will typically cut your water heating energy bills by 70 80.

Whether any of these options make financial sense depends on how much you pay per kwh of electricity to heat your water. Department of energy solar water heaters reduce monthly utility bills by 50 percent to 80 percent on average. These cost about 4000 5000. The answer of course is yes.

Solar water heaters are cost effective reliable and use proven technology developed right here in australia and pioneered by solahart back in 1953. So let s say your solar water heater costs 5 000. This varies based on the area of the country you live in the type of unit you buy and how much hot water your family uses. You ll receive a tax credit of 1 300 bringing the total cost of your system down to just 3 700.

If you replace your current gas or electric water heater with a solar water heater you could save up to 65 3 of your hot water energy use. In fact a recent report by the solar energy industries association estimates that solar heating and cooling shc in the u s. The price of a suitable solar hot water system is about 4 000 installed. If you currently have an electric storage hot water system your household energy consumption will probably break down like this.

It s important to remember that current payback periods are tied to today s utility rates. Will buying a solar water heater save you money on your power bills. Both can be dependent on the climate so it is still recommended to give them a try during the warmer months of the year. Solar will save you most of that electricity and typically shave 500 700 per year off your bill.

This is quite high when compared to a conventional gas water heater s 600 to 1 350. According to a 2012 study by the national renewable energy lab p. There are two main types of solar water heating systems active and passive. You can see that around 25 of your electricity bill is used to heat your water.

3 buy a conventional solar hot water system that uses the heat of the sun to directly heat the water in hot water panels. According to the u s. With savings like that solar water heaters pay for themselves very quickly usually within 5 to 10 years.