Okay – I know that many people out there are like me and prefer to do things themselves and take unique pride in the sweat equity of a great home improvement project. And I know that there are many more people out there who would see a solar water heating installation as an opportunity to bear down, get dirty, and start saving on home energy. Unfortunately, most people simply don’t have the experience to pull off a world-class solar water heating installation despite the greatest intentions… The man or woman that coined the phrase “The devil is in the details” might have been a solar water heating installer…
In the spirit of progress, we want to help those along through the not-so-simple pleasures of mounting, sealing, plumbing, flashing, running, insulating, charging, troubleshooting, and fixing solar water heating systems. So here is just a little insight wrapped in an installation tip disguised as a head’s up when negotiating on the price of your solar water installation…
Exposed glycol-carrying lines should ideally have a metal cover or sheathing: We often custom fabricate metal sheathing to run our lines in and we paint them to match the roof color or building color if run along the exterior or otherwise visible from the street. Why? The first reason is that painted insulation or armaflex will degrade – split, crack, and pock up – and will generally end up looking like something for Halloween and it will not do its job of insulating that hot glycol. The second reason is that it keeps birds and other animals from picking at it, eating it, and using it for nesting material.
Another point about the line runs is that they should be slightly elevated to allow runoff and avoid catching leaves and other debris that can build up over time and become a fire hazard.
Keep in mind that this sheathing is often left out of the installation process – Why? : Because it can add a fair amount of cost to your installation. Our recommendation is to definitely confirm whether or not this is included in your quote and to either pay the extra money for this seemingly unimportant precaution or to slightly elevate and sheath the glycol lines yourself. This step will save you maintenance costs that are likely to accrue later on down the line. Let us know if you would like more information on how to apply these installation ideas…
1. You can spend about $1000 on a conventional water heater and get hot water and no money in return OR you can spend about $4000 on a solar water heater and get hot water in addition to a zero-risk investment indexed to the cost of energy with a return that is typically much higher than any conventional low-risk investment fund.
2. In strict “cost” terms, you pre-pay for hot water for about 7 years (on average) and then you get free hot water from the sun for the next 20 years.
3. Thermal is far and away the most efficient way to capture the sun’s free energy. To compare, solar electric converts about 15% of the sun energy that hits the panel into usable energy (in optimal conditions) where a solar water heater converts about 80%.
4. You will always need hot water and it will always need to be heated on-site: You can continue to pay to have all of it heated by the utilities or you can start to benefit from having most of it done by the sun for free. The second option will save you thousands of dollars – it’s a pretty clear choice if you ask us…
5. The rate you pay for the fuel to heat your water will go up. The sun’s heat is always free.
6. Solar thermal (water heating) represent Billion dollar industries in Europe and China, whereas the US market represents under 1% of the global solar thermal market. Solar thermal could be one of the biggest growth sectors in the US economy and a big part of our economic recovery!
7. If you don’t take the opportunity to invest in solar hot water, you lose simply by leaving money on the table: Much like opting into a 401(k) plan where your employer matches your contribution, you should always take advantage of free money that is available to you right now! In many places, the state and federal government will pay for half of your solar water heating system.
8. Heating water alone accounts for anywhere between 10% and 50% of your home’s utility bills: Meanwhile, free energy is shining down on your roof all the time and can reliably offset this cost.
9. Your water heating tank becomes a battery that stores this free energy – something that solar electricity technology hasn’t quite done yet. You can store this free sun water in your tank at about 160 degrees and temper the water out with an anti-scald valve so you are saving the maximum amount of energy possible. Not only are solar water heaters the most efficient way to generate energy via the sun, they are also the most efficient way to store the energy once it is generated.
10. If you are looking at an investment in your home’s energy efficiency, you should start with the one technology that typically gives the best return: SOLAR WATER HEATING.
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