The quickest complete guide on choosing the right solar hot water system for you.
Its a good idea to think long term if you have a real estate investment that you want to keep profitable. Get into the habit of thinking about whats right for your home to save money down the track.
Lets get started…
Firstly, ill be going over the basics of hot water systems in SECTION 1. If you just want to know what to consider for your personal needs then just go straight to section 2!
SECTION 1.
Understanding the types of hot Water systems
So first I’ll note here that there are literally loads of different hot water systems in the world! Not just the ones iv compiled here in this single article. They can come in lots of different sizes and variations, from different countries and manufacturers. But generally, there are around 7 main kinds of water heaters commonly found in the world.
Here iv compiled a list from most common to least…
- Conventional water heater with tank (electric/gas)
- (PV) or Solar Photovoltaic system
- Solar hot water panel with tank (with gas/electric boost)
- Flat plate solar thermal system
- Instant hot water system (electric/gas)
- Heat pump system
- Condensing water heater system
Now i’ll go into a little detail in what they all do differently…..
THE CONVENTIONAL HOT WATER SYSTEM
Probably the most common in all homes, offices and anywhere that needs hot water really, the tank hot water system. These can be powered by gas or electricity. It’s been the oldest type of hot water system. The technology goes back a hundred years or so and not much has changed. It really is just a big fancy kettle!
These systems mainly come powered by gas or electricity and are generally the cheapest to purchase. But you will need to hire a tradesperson or a contractor to install it in your home or office.
So yeh, they’re great if you just want something quick, cheap and easy to install. The only down side is they are definitely not the most ecofriendly and cheapest to run. So they might end up costing you more money in the long run.
If its for a quick easy fix for a renovation or flip then this would be the way to go!
SOLAR POWER!
Alright, now we can start talking sun power baby! These next few systems are definitely the options you’ll want if you can afford it. They can be a little bit more upfront but are better in the long term. I absolutely love solar power because they’re just so much more earth friendly and economic than other systems. They also save your back pocket with maintenance, running cost and efficiency.
The reason these are more eco-friendly is because they use the outside temperature or sunshine to heat the water. Whereas other systems continually use power to keep the water hot, which takes more power to operate. Though they can be cheaper to install at first, they will cost you more down the line.
SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC HOT WATER SYSTEM (PV)
Solar PV panels are just one part of a two part system used to power your hot water. It uses the suns natural energy to create electricity, then run the electricity to power whatever unit you want (electric storage tank, heat pump or solar tank. Its definitely a neat alternative to using power from the grid which you pay for. “Why buy electricity when you can get it for free aye?!” Its an idea thats become quite popular over recent years due to reduction in manufacturing costs. They also promise to pay themselves off quicker than other hot water systems.
The panels themselves require little to no maintenance compared to other systems, are cheap to install and produce cheap electricity.
SOLAR HOT WATER SYSTEM
Ah the simple solar tank! This looks similar to the electric PV panels i spoke about before. But instead of the plates gathering electricity, they are used to warm the water! The water slowly moves from the bottom to the top of the plates while being heated from sunlight. It’s then stored into the container above.
Rather than turning the suns energy into electricity then transfer that to power the system you have. This just takes the simplest option there is. Nothing fancy, just practical! Thats why its so popular.
Like conventional systems it does come with a gas or electric boost. Which pre heats the water before use incase the panels weren’t able to collect enough heat from the sun.
This by far, is the simplest system out there. They’re not the cheapest but you won’t be bothered with a lot of maintenance. Consider this system if you live somewhere sunny.
FLAT PLATE HOT WATER SYSTEM
This flat plate systems is just like the solar tank system before, only the tank is kept somewhere else. As before you can’t go wrong with this option if the climate where you live is mostly sunny!
INSTANT ELECTRIC or GAS HOT WATER SYSTEM
Well well well if you wanted instant hot water then i have what your looking for. This is about as instant as you could get! Ill be honest, Iv only ever seen the electric units while travelling through asia. The electric instant unit is pretty cheap to get your hands on but im not sure on the energy savings?
The instant gas however, is surprisingly efficient. It doesn’t take up a lot of room and is quite cheap to operate. The only down side is you won’t be able to use too many outlets at once. Theres only so much water volume these things can handle at once due to the lack of a tank.
HEAT PUMP SYSTEM
Ah the heat pump system! Probably my favourite type of water system out there. Its relatively cheap and its really really efficient. It still considered solar because it uses the outside air atmosphere to heat the water. You have the option in installing the heat pump system with the PV solar panels i mentioned before. This combo would be an efficient beast of a system that might out perform even the best solar thermal heaters. Its probably has all the best bits of energy efficiency and affordability.
THE CONDENSING HOT WATER SYSTEM
This funky system is a bit different from the others we’ve covered so far. Instead of using electricity or solar for heat. It recycles hot air from your oven or stove to heat the water. Then uses a gas or electric booster to heat the rest of the tank when needed. Its a system worth looking into if your home appliances run on a lot of gas.
SECTION 2:
When your considering buying a hot water unit you only really need to consider these 5 things….
- The price suited to your budget
- The size for your home
- Energy Efficiency
- Good Reviews
- Your climate (Consider solar panels if you live somewhere sunny).
The price of your solar hot water system$$$
So the first thing your probably considering is your budget. How much can you afford to spend? It just comes down to two things. 1: The more money you spend now the more you’ll save later on. 2: The less you spend the more your going to pay later on. How much money do you want to spend upfront to get the savings later on?
If you can, and are able to lash out a bit, id highly recommend getting something solar powered. These being the solar plates. The heat pumps. Or PV systems. Or a combination of these….you can’t go wrong 🙂
But it depends on you. I don’t know what your situation is. Maybe you just want a quick fix and get the place sold, rented out or renovated.
A decent solar hot water system will cost anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000 AUS Including installation ($2,100 to $5,000 USD). In contrast to cheaper water heaters your generally looking at $1,000 to $2,000 installed.
As i said before, if your on a shoe string budget then electric/gas tank heaters are the way to go. But there more expensive to operate long term which ultimately means higher bills.
Solar Hot Water System Size
Ok next up is the SIZE! What size is best for your house/family? The last thing you’d want is to finish your washing up then realise you have no hot water to shower! So definitely get something big enough to service your hous needs.
Generally sizes start from 50Litres to 400Litres
50 Litres: Great for a small apartment with 1 bedroom. MAYBE two bedrooms if your dwellers are conservative with their water usage.
125 Litres: Good fit for a two bedroom house or apartment
250 Litres: Would service a three bedroom house
315 to 400 Litres: Ideal for larger homes 4 – 6 Beds
This is just a guide so if you enjoy taking 45min showers and you live with 4 other people? Then maybe it’d be a good idea to get a bigger unit. Better to be safe than sorry sometimes….
Hot Water System Energy Efficiency
So you either pay for the savings up front or you pay during the life time of the unit. Im going to assume you want to save money? Then i recommend a water heater that has a high “life time efficiency”. This is hands down where solar beats anything on the market.
Iv read PV solar panels with a heat pump is pretty hard to beat with running costs. The only down side is heat pumps carry more components that break down and need replacing. Solar thermals i believe, don’t need as much maintenance.
Solar plates with gas boost or with a PV panels are pretty hard to beat these days. Then id recommend a heat pump. Then maybe a gas tank system.
Solar Hot Water REVIEWS
Look for lots of good reviews. You should have little doubt that people have been where you’ve been and have looked for the same answers!
Jump online and ask questions. Look in forums to find which brands or units are doing well and what people recommend.
You want to look for reputable brands. Brands that have been around for 5 or more years and reviews to support they’re reliable over time.
Be weary of fake reviews! Some new brands give discounts and warranty extensions to customers who write good reviews about their products. Just keep this in mind. If a brand has sixty 5 star reviews you probably should think there not real. Just double check their genuine.
* CONSIDER SOLAR ?*
If your lucky enough to live somewhere sunny then you definitely should get your mits on some hot water panels! If not then id say natural gas (instant or tank) would be your next best option.
CONCLUSION!
So there we have it, my quick guide on hot water systems. I really hope this has been of great help in assisting you on your hot water journey 🙂
Kristian
