Solar Water Heaters

Did you know you can retrofit your traditional tank water heater to use an active open/closed loop solar system? You can also receive up to 30% credit for up to $2,000 for the purchase and installation of solar electric and solar water heating systems. The price tag for one of these systems is a healthy chunk of change, but with the tax credit and the savings on your energy bill, it might be an investment worth considering, even when subtracting out the enviro-friendly aspect of the technology. Check out more local and state incentives for solar systems here.

Comments (4)

I have this type of system on the house I'm in now, recently compared bills with the neighbor (hot water heater alone), and the minimum difference was $85 in one month and $140 another.

Now I'm focused on taking the house "full" solar by next year. Just trying to understand the various delivery methods for distributing heat throughout the house. And, if you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Building Education Center in Berkeley gives a great class (with local house tours) on solar solutions.

posted by Rucy on April 10th 2007 at 10:26am
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Have solar panels improved a lot? A few years back it seemed that their limited life span and completely NOT biodegradable materials kind of wiped out the benefits of installing them - it made them seem about as green as swiffer mops. Or is there some better technology out there now? I'd love to learn more about sustainable solar power projects.

posted by becky on April 10th 2007 at 2:06pm
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Becky, your good questions are worthy of a post itself! I will get some further information ready for a future post tackling those very questions. I have the hopes we're going to see more solar products for home/residential use with some of the technologies I've been following up on. They're still just outta reach for most of us...but getting closer!

posted by gregory on April 10th 2007 at 2:14pm
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A solar water heater is a great investment. It can save you alot of money and pay back very quickly. The ROI is very favorable compared to solar electric PV panels.
Austin solar water heater

posted by Green Guy on July 14th 2009 at 11:52am
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