Solar Power Water Heater

July 24, 2010 by SolarInfo
Filed under Home Improvement

Kristiana Jones asked:

The solar power water heater may be just the appliance you have been looking for if you are interested in saving both money and energy. Your current water heater is using electricity at an alarming rate and is costing you money that you can probably use elsewhere. If that isn't enough the water heater in your basement is also spewing out about two tons of CO2 emissions for an average family of four.

According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) a residential solar power water heater will cost about $1500 dollars to install. A gas or electric will cost about $150-$450 dollars. The solar powered water heater will pay for itself within eight years in energy savings and they last up to forty years which is the same amount of time you can expect a conventional water heater to last. Essentially you will get twenty plus years of free hot water after paying for the initial installation. You may also be eligible for a federal tax benefit of up to $2,000 dollars for installing a solar power water heater.

Energy experts believe that the CO2 emitted by all hot water heaters in the country is equal to the amount that is emitted by all cars and smaller trucks combined. If every household that could use one did so it would be the equivalent of taking half of the traffic off of the roads of America from an environmental standpoint.

There really is no god reason not to purchase a solar hot water heater right now. The savings combined with the positive effect on the environment make this an easy way to be fiscally responsible and environmentally friendly. As with all solar powered devices you should be sure you live in a region that has enough annual days of sunlight to provide for your energy needs. A qualified solar expert in your area can tell you exactly how much solar energy your particular area can expect to receive. EESI estimates that forty percent of houses in the United States receive enough solar energy to make a solar power water heater an excellent choice for their hot water needs.