Solar Power Water Heater Does It Make Economic Sense

Solar power water heater systems can help you save money on your monthly power bills (water heating is one of the more expensive uses of electricity or gas) so why not install such a system ? This article will discuss whether it makes financial sense to install a solar water heating system in the home. Solar power water heater systems are normally used with an existing hot water system. The principle behind such a system is that they absorb the sun's heat energy. They are constructed to maximize this ability to absorb heat and insulated so that the heat is not lost to the environment.

This is known as a solar collector and can be a specially design water tank or a length of piping that absorbs the sun's energy. Water is circulated through the tank or tubing based on it's temperature. As it passes through the tank or tubing it is heated up and is then passed to the regular boiler or plumbing system in the home. 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 ? To start with, you should look into your existing hot water system.

Saving money is not only about looking at free sources of energy but making your use of energy as efficient as possible. You should consider installing the latest energy saving boiler and get proper lagging to insulate the tank. The boiler should be the right size for your hot water needs. An over sized boiler will cost more over time.

With this established you can then consider the viability of a solar water heater system. There are five things that should be factored into your thinking : The annual amount of hot water used by your family - Take an average over a few months or record a whole year if you have the time. If you are taking an average remember that usage may increase in colder seasons and factor this into the total. 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 the fuel you are currently using now and in the future - this seems clearcut but hard to quantify. Existing fuels like coal and gas will continue to go up in price as they become harder to find and extract.

This argument forms the basis for the increased attention and championing of many renewable energy sources, including solar energy. 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.

Find out more on solar hot water systems and information on solar powered landscape lighting visit solarpowerappliances.com.