17 FAQs on Solar Water Heating Systems:

1. How Much Does it Cost?

To work out if a solar water heating system is worth installing from a financial point of view, you need a rough idea of how much you spend on hot water throughout the year, and when you use it.

There is a program called "Let the sun pay the rent", where you rent the complete system with no money down. The money you save on your monthly utilities is actually being used to pay the rent on your water heating system with some left over. That way system pays for itself and it is free!

If you do not go solar, you will be incurring a monthly debt with no equity and higher payments with no savings or return. EVERY DAY THE SUN RISES. . . and every day you could be saving money and enjoying the revitalizing power of sun heated water...

Therefore, the choice is not about spending money. The choice is only about what you actually "get" in return for a continuing monthly debt. You are spending money anyway - either you invest it for more home equity and savings, or you give it away for a service provided by your local utility.

If you decide to buy your own system, costs vary with the type and number of collectors, storage system and site conditions. A typical system for a family of 4 with an 80 gallon hot water storage tank can range from under $3,500 to over $6,000.

All banks and lending institutions will loan you money to put in a solar system. The good news is that even for two people the equity value and savings will result in a net positive income for the length of the loan and that equity value has been proven to last over 30 to 40 years. Then the system will generate $500-$1,000 in non-taxable income each year.

It is ironic that you, if you are an individual using oil, natural gas, propane gas or electricity to heat water, will pay for a solar hot water system over the next 3 to 7 years whether you get one or not! You can invest today in a solar hot water heating system and have monthly savings and increased equity value in your home, or you can pay the local utility company every month. The choice is yours!

2. What are the incentives for solar water heating in Ontario?

Unfortunately, at present there are no insentives for solar water heating in Ontario.

3. Why install a solar water heating system?

Installing solar water heating has considerable environmental benefits and reduces the carbon dioxide emissions caused by burning fossil fuels. It's a really good way to make your home more environmentally friendly, and can also save you money - a properly installed solar water heating system should pay for itself within 3 to 7 years.

4. What about the environmental benefits of going solar?

Any time you use solar energy to offset the amount of fossil fuels that are burned, you contribute to everyone's health and welfare. Operating one solar water heater instead of an electric water heater saves the equivalent of nine barrels of oil every year and reduces carbon dioxide emissions (a greenhouse gas) by 1600 pounds and sulfur dioxide (contributes to acid rain) emissions by 12 pounds. Multiply those emissions per household by all the homes in your neighborhood, town, county, or province, and the benefits -- and the air and water -- become even more clear. Environmental Consciousness is a state that induces action through your belief in leaving a better world for yourself and future generations. We are all free to believe what we choose and what we each do, attests to what we believe.

5. What about the appearance of a Solar Collector on our roof?

Today solar collectors are typically integrated into the slope of the roof. This method of installation gives the solar collector the appearance of a quality, opaque, glass skylight. In most cases, since the piping is not seen, it actually improves the appearance of the home because it looks like an elegant, expensive skylight.

We offer a free solar site survey to determine the location of the solar collector, and to verify that you will not have any collector shading problems. You typically need only about 4 hours of direct sun (between 9am to 4pm) per day.

6. How much of the water heating load can be met by a solar water heating system?

Properly sized systems can produce up to 80% of a building’s hot water loads. A back-up water heating system is still required and in retrofit situations the existing water heater is used as the backup.

7. What type of maintenance is required?

Glycol based systems require a change in the anti-freeze every three to five years at an average cost of $100-$200 depending on the volume of the antifreeze required, usually 4 to 8 gallons. Drain-back water systems require little or no maintenance.

8. What is the expected life of the system?

Solar thermal collectors have no moving parts and should last as long as the copper piping in a home. Protection of the collector is assured in an indirect system since public water is not in the collector.

As is the case with any water heaters with storage tanks, some care is needed when systems are installed in a building using well water to ensure that the water quality will not harm the storage tank. Additional anode rods can protect a storage tank for many years.

9. What kind of space is needed for solar water heating?

A typical system for a family of 4 requires from approximately 40 to 80 square feet of unobstructed southern exposure. The size requirements vary depending on the type and efficiency of the collectors. Many systems will also have a separate 80 or even 120 gallon water storage tank in addition to the existing water heater.

10. Is my roof suitable?

Ideally, solar panels should be south-facing and free of shade, at an angle of between 20 and 50 degrees. Panels facing south-east or south-west will also operate efficiently. Rooftop panels are the most common, but they can also be mounted at ground level. You will need about 1 square metre per person.

11. How will a solar panel feed in to my existing heating system?

You need to have a conventional water heating system as well, such as a gas, oil or wood fired boiler, to top up the heat from the panels when necessary and provide hot water and space heating in the winter.

You can add solar panels to most existing hot water systems, though you will usually have to add an additional 'pre-heat' water tank or change your existing one to a twin coil cylinder. You may need a pump to circulate the water, and some regulating equipment to prevent overheating.

12. Can I make and install panels myself?

You can build and install your own DIY solar panels using old radiators or aluminium clip fins on copper pipes.

If you have good plumbing skills then you may be considering buying and installing a system yourself. However, you would not be able to rent a system and you'd have no warranty, so do think carefully about whether it is the best option for you.

13. What size solar system do I need?

For Ontario residences with a dishwasher and an automatic clothes washer, a rough rule of thumb is one square meter of collector area, per person, and 20 gallons of water storage, per person. Thus, for a family of four, 4 square meters of collector and a total tank storage of 80 gallons are typical.

14. Do I have to change my habits to use a solar water heater?

No. Solar water heaters are always installed with a backup heating system in the storage tank to ensure that hot water is available at all times. However, to maximize solar utilization and your savings, you should attempt to use the most hot water in the late morning and early afternoon when the solar system is operating at its peak due to the available sunshine.

Also, your solar system will be more effective if your use of hot water is spread more evenly over the week. For example, if you use hot water for laundry, instead of washing seven loads of clothes in a single day, wash one load each day. This will reduce the amount of backup energy required for your solar system.

15. How do I protect my solar system from freezing weather?

Freeze protection is an absolute must for any solar system because a single freeze can destroy a collector.

An antifreeze solution, similar to that used in automobiles, is circulated through the collector. A heat exchanger between the collector and storage tank transfers heat from the antifreeze to the potable water.

16. Are solar water heating systems reliable?

Properly designed and installed systems with glass-covered collectors should perform well for more than 20 years. Controllers, like other electronic devices, may require servicing during the life of the system, and the pump and hot water tank may have to be replaced after 15 years. Since conventional water heaters have the same expected lifetime, water tank replacement costs are not regarded as unique to solar energy systems.

Normal maintenance consists of checking pipe insulation, roof penetrations and collector mounting, pump operation and tank flushing. The latter is also recommended for conventional water heating systems, as is periodic replacement of the water heater sacrificial anode rod.

Many installation firms provide yearly maintenance check-ups of their solar systems similar to annual air-conditioning system maintenance programs. These can be beneficial in extending the life of the system and ensuring optimum performance.

It is important to request that the installer put an indicator on your solar system showing that the system is working. It can be as simple as a small light that comes on when the system is operating.

17. What is the "payback" on a solar hot water system?

The term "payback" is a misconception that shows a false value towards an income generating device. Electric and gas water heaters do not have a payback! When you purchase a more efficient refrigerator, the decision to buy comes not from how long the savings generated will pay you back for your initial investment, but it comes from getting better service for a lower operating cost with a better rate of return. Solar water heating systems do just that. They provide quality hot water at a lower cost than heating with electricity, oil or gas with more equity value in your home.

Solar collectors are typically designed to last as long as your home with little or no maintenance. These systems often give a 14% to 20% per year non-taxable rate of return on your money - even for a two person household. It is important to remember that hot water is a constant daily expense; other large household appliances, like air conditioners and heaters, are seasonal expenses.

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