5 Benefits Of Installing A Solar Water Heater In Your Home 

A solar water heater is one of the most worthwhile eco-friendly products for your home. 

Did you know that a solar water heater can reduce your energy consumption by at least 17 percent? 

A regular home electric water heater consumes up to 3 kWh energy. And that translates to 0.36 cents in energy charges if you run your heater for an hour. 

While that figure may look small at first, you’ll be surprised to know that 20 percent of your total energy expenses are from water heating. So by reducing the use of conventional water heaters and following energy-efficient heating practices, you can save big on energy. 

In fact, you can bring down your water heating costs to almost zero by simply installing a solar water heater. 

But how exactly do solar water heaters save you money? 

You see, just as an Apollo solar roofing system does for your electrical systems, a solar assisted heat pump takes your water heating systems completely off the grid. That means your water heater no longer depends on your home’s electrical loading and functions as an energy-independent unit. 

Mostly, solar water heaters function similarly to solar roofing, as they’re powered by solar panels that generate electricity. And that is precisely the reason why a solar-powered water heater is a part of sustainable building materials for homes. 

However, the solar water heating systems in your home need not be run by solar shingles or panels. That’s because there are passive solar water heaters that use the sun’s energy to warm up your water without the need for electricity. 

Since no electricity is needed for heating water, you don’t need to install solar panels. 

Interesting, isn’t it? 

Active & Passive Solar Water Heater: What’s The Difference 

As you can see, a solar water heater can be both electrical and non-electrical, often called active and passive heating systems. 

You might be wondering what the difference is between them; after all, they both heat your water. 

You see, the active solar water heaters use a pump to move warm/hot water throughout your home. And that needs electricity, which is generated by solar panels. 

On the contrary, passive solar water heating systems rely on gravity to move water without electricity. 

So how much do they cost, you may ask? 

According to HomeGuide, a solar water heater can cost you $3000 on average. 

Now, coming to the price difference between the two, an active solar heater can cost you between $2300 and $6000. At the same time, you can expect to pay between $1000 and $3700 for passive solar water heating. 

But, even as passive solar water heaters cost half as much as their active heating counterparts, they’re not without limitations. 

For instance, passive solar water heating systems don’t rely on any external sources at all and use only absorbed sunlight. And while it makes the passive heating system comparatively cheaper, it also renders the heater ineffective during bad weather. 

That means you will face difficulty heating water with a passive heating system on days without sunshine. 

Nevertheless, a passive solar water heater’s inefficiency shouldn’t be a problem for you in the sunshine state of Florida. So you can choose between passive and active solar water heaters, worry-free of cloudy days preventing warm water supply. 

How to choose between the two? 

When it comes to choosing between these eco-friendly products for your Florida home, it depends on your budget and preferences. 

They will be more or less the same in terms of performance, given there’s abundant sunlight throughout the year. 

There you have it, the perfect environmentally friendly warm water solution for your home. 

You might also want to read – Solar Assisted Heat Pumps: Everything You Need To Know About.

Reasons Why You Should Get A Solar Water Heater 

Sustainable housing products are becoming trendy as more people seek to build ecologically sound home with eco-friendly building materials. 

You might want to build a sustainable home too. And when doing so, it’s better to get a solar water heater and take your water heating system completely off the grid. 

You may wonder if it is all about reducing energy costs and consumption of unclean energy. 

However, there are many other benefits of having one such system installed other than the obvious ones. So let’s have a look at them. 

#1. Solar water heaters are much more efficient than solar roofing

Surprising as it may sound, a solar water heating system for your home is many times more efficient than solar roofing shingles. 

How? 

You see, a solar water heater works on solar thermal technology, which offers efficiency between 80 and 90 percent. On the contrary, solar roofing shingles are powered by solar photovoltaic cells, and they offer efficiency levels of 15-20 percent. 

That’s because in the solar thermal process, out of 100 units of solar energy, more than 80-90 units get converted into usable energy. And that is way more than the 15-20 units of useful energy that photovoltaics generate. 

Also, a solar power generation system will take up to 4-5 meters of your roof space to generate the same amount of energy that a solar water heater will produce in 1 square meter. 

So the difference is for you to see. 

While solar roofing panels/shingles are equally important for clean energy production, you should consider using some of your roof space for solar water heating. 

#2. Little to no maintenance costs 

The traditional water heaters run on complex electrical systems, which are prone to break down if you use them extensively. Further, small wear and tear are commonplace, which means you’ll also need to replace heating components more often than not. 

Put together, the cost of maintaining a regular water heating system can even break your bank. And that’s exactly the reason why investing in a zero maintenance water heating solution makes complete sense. 

But do such water heaters even exist? 

Certainly, yes. 

A solar water heater is one such solution that can bring down your maintenance costs to zero. That’s because, unlike traditional heaters, solar water heaters don’t consist of any major moving or electrical components except heating pumps. 

If you have a hard water supply in your home, you may well need to maintain your heater periodically. However, maintenance costs in such situations are minimal, and you can hire maintenance companies on a shoestring budget. 

As a safety measure, you can get your solar water heater inspected by a contractor after every few years. Also, it’s better to replace the antifreeze liquid in your heating system while you get it inspected. 

Expensive as they might sound, you’ll be surprised to know that inspection and antifreeze liquid is very reasonably priced. 

You see, just like scalloped metal roofing, with solar water heaters, you can rest assured of maintenance-free service for years. 

That sounds amazing for sure, doesn’t it? 

#3. A solar water heater offers a long service life 

Nothing beats a solar water heater when it comes to the overall longevity of the system. 

Let’s have a look at a comparison between regular and solar water heaters for a better understanding. 

According to bob vila, most tank water heaters have a lifespan between 8 and 12 years on average. Further, depending on the manufacturer, if you use the heating system extensively, chances are that its longevity will decrease manifold.

On the contrary, solar water heaters have a long service life and can easily last you between 15 and 20 years. 

The only thing that stands to reduce the lifespan of a solar water heater is hard water. However, your heating system will last for at least ten years even if you have a bad quality water supply. 

In fact, you can go for a whole house ozone water treatment as a remedy for hard water problems. That’s because such a system naturally will improve your water quality, thus maximizing the longevity of your solar water heater. 

There it is, a long-lasting and sustainable water heating solution for your home. 

#4. Become eligible for federal investment tax credits (ITC)

The best thing about getting a solar water heating system for your home is that you don’t have to shoulder the entire cost of the system. 

How is that possible, you may wonder? 

You see, to promote green energy and reduce dependency on fossil fuels, the federal government offers investment tax credits. 

Also called the ITC or federal residential renewable energy tax credits, this can reduce your solar water heater costs exponentially. That’s because the government offers a tax credit of up to 26 percent of the total cost of solar water heaters. 

However, there are some conditions that you need to fulfill to become eligible for this scheme.

Let’s have a look at what exactly these requirements are:

• At least 50 percent of the total electricity consumption in your home should be powered by solar energy. 
• The solar water heating system that you purchase for your home should be certified by Solar Rating and Certification Corporation. Also, if your system doesn’t carry SRCC certification, it should be certified by a similar institution in your state. 
• The federal rules for tax credits also state that you should only use the water heating system within your home. That means you can’t use them to warm up your swimming pool or jacuzzi, among others. 

Apart from the federal investment tax credits, you can also become eligible for the Florida net metering scheme. As a result, you can sell excess energy produced by your solar systems to your local grid. 

Wondering which solar energy materials can help you become eligible for federal ITC?

You can go through our blog – The Best Residential Solar Energy Solutions.

#5. Add the cost of your solar water heater to your home mortgage loan 

Did you know that you can install a solar water heater now and pay for it later? 

If you are building a new home or refinancing it, you can easily add the cost of your solar water heating system to the mortgage. So, if you have a 30-year mortgage period, you’ll need to pay between $13 and $20 for the water heater. 

In fact, you can take advantage of the federal incentives and reduce your monthly water heater mortgage to $10 – $15. That is cheaper than what you’ll normally spend to warm your water using a regular water heater. 

Impressive, isn’t it? 

You might also want to read – The 8 Best Solar Street Lights.