Renewable energy in the form of a solar powered water heater

Now I can tell you that you will save about 30-40% of your current utility bill using a solar powered water heater
I can tell you that it will probably qualify you for a sweet tax incentive.
I can tell you it will most likely pay for itself in 5-9 years or so depending on which system you opt for.
But the biggest reason, at this point, you would install a solar powered water heater rather than a traditional one is because it would keep approximately 2 to 2-1/2 TONS of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere per YEAR!

There are two different types of solar powered water heaters; active and passive.
These terms basically refer to how the water is moved around in the system.
A passive system utilizes the heat convection to move the water in the tank around. That is, warmer water moves to the top and cooler water goes toward the bottom.
There are 2 connected tanks with the passive system. As the water is heated and moves up through the first tank, it passes to a highly insulated tank where it is stored and flows to the faucet using gravity to get it there.

Because of its inherent design, this passive system is positioned usually in an attic so the water can naturally flow down and the storage tank is closest to the energy collectors or solar panels that are attached to the roof.
Since the attic of a home is usually poorly insulated, these passive systems are not recommended for use in regions where the temperatures can go below freezing.

Passive solar water heaters are also the best performers when the hot water demand is greatest in the afternoon and evening.
Since the water is heated in the daytime hours, the night hours offer no additional heat and the water tends to lose a few degrees even in the highly insulated tank.

An active system relies on an electric pump to circulate the water and pump it off to whichever faucet requires it.
Being that it uses electricity, it is not considered as energy efficient as the passive system.

The pump may need occasional maintenance and repair as well, making it overall, a bit more costly to maintain.

The water pressure is better though and given that the water circulation is faster, it heats a bit more water at a time.

Another point to consider is in the event of an electrical outage, the passive system keeps on working.

Often, a homeowner opts to use a solar powered water heater system but keeps their natural gas or electric water heater as a back up.
That is not necessary but if it is already in place, it doesn’t hurt.

As I mentioned before, the energy collection part of the system is the solar panels that are mounted onto the roof.

In new construction, they can be integrated into the roof line looking more like skylights than solar panels.
Because they are roof mounted, some towns and municipalities may require you to get a building permit before putting them up.
That should just take a phone call to your local building permit office.
Better safe than sorry.

Even factoring in the energy savings, the price of these systems with installation makes it a wash with the traditional water heaters.
The prices will probably come down in the near future, though, and new construction will most likely feature the solar powered water heaters more and more.

There is no question as to their helping to make an eco friendly home. Keep them in your mind.

Let’s leave the solar powered water heater page and see more on energy efficiency.