Solar Power Water Heater - Does It Make Economic Sense

By: Adrian Fletcher

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 moved past the flat plate collector or through the tubing. The will heat the water that is then pumped into the home plumbing, water tank or boiler.

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 :

What amount of heated water is used in the house annually - This may be hard to get exactly right. You will probably have to average out the total over a few months, taking into account the fluctuations in usage during the summer and winter months

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.

The cost of a solar water heating system - the cost will depend on your needs as this will determine the size of the solar water system. However costs are coming down and with continued research in solar energy should continue to drop in the future.

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 it seems to make economic sense to install a solar water system in the future or even planning for the future but it is impossible to quantify the savings. What about the present though ? If you research solar power heat systems you will be given figures on the likely amount of energy that they can save. By factoring this into your annual energy usage you will arrive at the amount that can be saved on your monthly bills.