Switch to Solar and Save!

The California Energy Commission estimates that a typical homeowner' currently using electric water heating can save 60-70% on the cost of water heating by installing a solar water heating system. With record high gas prices, this translates to a savings of up to $750 a year.

An investment that pays for itself!

A typical payback for a solar water heating system is 6-8 years, while a solar pool heating system has a typical payback period of between 2-4 Years. The most impressive savings come in the form of avoided energy costs in the future after the system has paid for itself.

Think, Economics, Whether you have an electric or gas water heater, the operating cost will continue to rise over time. According to the California Public Utility Commission, electricity rates have been increasing an average of 6.7%  per year, over the past 35 years, and the wholesale price for natural gas has more than tripled in the past eight years. Since most of the electricity generated in California is produced with natural gas-fueled power plants, natural gas shortages are likely to push electric rates even higher in the near future. With solar you will no longer have to be at the mercy of the utilities and their ever rising rates.

In California , solar water heating systems will easily meet l00% of your water heating needs in the summer months, and approximately 50-60% of your hot water needs in the winter. On an average annual basis, solar water heating systems are typically designed to meet approximately 80-90% of your home's hot water needs. Because we need hot water in the winter as well as the summer, most solar water heating systems use gas or Electric backup during cloudy days. Solar water heating systems come in two basic designs: active and passive systems.

Active Solar Water Heating Systems-Open Loop

Active solar systems have circulating pumps and controls, and typically use 'flat-plate' solar collectors. These solar panels employ insulated metal boxes, copper pipes with black absorber plates, and glazing to produce hot water temperatures between 120-140 F for domestic use. Because these systems circulate water through the collectors, they are better suited for producing large volumes of hot water. For that reason active solar systems are generally used for larger  homes, or for heating pools and spas.

Passive Solar Water Heater systems

Passive solar systems have no pumps, Controls or moving parts. Passive systems come in two basic designs. One is the `Batch Type" Integrated Collector- Storage (ICS), which operates on in-line water pressure to move the hot water from the. ICS to your domestic storage tank. The other type is a thermo-siphon system which has a separate panel and a well-insulated storage tank. These Systems use the natural flow of gravity to move the hot water into the solar storage tank located above the panel on roof. They typically produce between 60 -80 Gallons of hot water per day. The simple nature of these systems provides the most reliable and cost-effective solution for solar water heating on a smaller scale. Multiple units can be connected together to produce greater volumes of hot water.

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Enjoy the tax credit for 30% of the cost of the Solar hot water system, up to $2,000.

 Download IRS Tax credit form here