Solar Power Water Heater - Is It Financially Justifiable

Solar power water heater systems are a way to save money on your utility bills (heating water is usually one of the most costly uses of electricity or gas) so should you install a system or not. This article will ask if it makes sense economically for the home owner to install a solar water heating system.

Solar power water heater systems are usually used in conjunction with the existing hot water system. They consist of a method of collecting thermal rays from the sun. They use a solar collector that can simply be a water container that has added features to absorb the sun's heat or a length of tubing that also has sun absorbing features added to it.

Water is pumped past or through the solar collector based on it's temperature. By passing through a heated source the heat is transferred to the water. From the solar collector it moves to the house plumbing or hot water cylinder.

So traditional utility supplied energy usage is reduced when it comes to heating water as the water has been already heated by the solar system. This will save on utility bills but will it save enough money to justify the time and expense required to install a solar water system in the first place ?

In terms of saving money on energy bills, the first thing to consider before getting a solar system is how efficient your current system is. Many traditional hot water systems have advanced in terms of energy efficiency and insulation of heated water. Check that your current system is the best you can get in terms of energy efficiency and has adequate lagging. This can also apply to the home in general as hot water may be used provide warmth in the home. It will be wasted if most of this heat escapes because of poor insulation and draft spots.

Once you have worked this out, there a 5 things to think about when it comes to the viability of a solar power water heater. These are :

How much hot water is used by your family annually - You would probably have to average this out from a month or a few months rather than recording the whole year. However, you expect to use more hot water during the winter so factor this into your calculations.

When will the heated water be used - The solar water system will work better when the sun is hottest, generally midday.

Is the current heating system conducive with the solar system.

What will a solar power water heater system cost - this really depends on the size of the system which is dependent on your usage of hot water. However, prices of solar water systems should drop in future as more emphasis is placed on renewable or free energy sources.

The cost of traditional fossil fuels that power your current hot water system - It is almost certain that this price will rise in the future.

So broadly speaking, solar systems will go down and traditional energy systems will go up. This bodes well for the future but what about now. When looking at solar power water heaters you will be given indications of probably energy savings based on time of the day and quality of sunlight. You can factor these figures into your annual usage and come up with an annual saving.

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Get more information on solar power water heater systems and information on solar outdoor lighting at solarpowerappliances.com.