SOLAR WATER HEATING
Solar water heating is indisputably the most cost-effective method of reducing your normal household energy use. It will reduce 80% of your yearly gas bill or about 25% of your yearly electric bill depending of course on how you heat your hot water. In the case of electric it will typically save between $300 to $400 per year. It will also typically pay for itself well within its warranty period. As energy costs increase so will your savings.
As we mentioned earlier, there is not just one solar water heating system that is right for every situation or for that matter each person's preference or comfort level. This is another area where our experience and integrity works for you. We can guide you to the most appropriate system for your family.
SolaRay
This is an "active" closed loop system which circulates nontoxic antifreeze through the solar panel and back down through 3/4" copper tubing which is wrapped around the solar water tank. There is a heat exchange between the heated antifreeze in the copper tubing and the water inside the tank. (The heat exchange occurs beneath the outer skin of the tank and an R-16 polyurethane insulation blanket.) This system combines the simplicity of a single pump and the antifreeze protection against overheating or freezing with the safety of a double wall heat exchanger. It comes in different size systems, all approved for various rebates and tax credits.
CopperHeart
This is a "passive" system called an Integral Collector Storage, or ICS system. It both stores water and heats it at the same time. This heated water is pushed into a standard electric or gas heater by your normal household water pressure when you draw hot water. Since it is putting hot water into your gas or electric water heater, the gas burner or electric heating element does not have to fire up, thus saving you energy use. It requires no pump or control. While it has the advantage of no moving parts, it does produce a lesser volume of hot water than an active system.
Both of the above systems have solar panels with copper water ways in an extruded anodized box with a low iron tempered glass covering for maximum heating performance. Compare them to open plastic panels which have significantly lower performance and life expectancy.
We also have access to other types of systems such as thermosiphon, drainback, and external heat exchange systems, but we feel that at this time the above systems in various configurations will cover most, if not all, needs. However, being from the school of thought that the customer's wishes come first, we can install these other types of systems, and you can be assured of the best installation possible.
INCENTIVES AND SAVINGS
Both the Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service give incentives for installing solar water heaters even if you have a gas or an older style existing solar water heater. These incentives are based on the independently tested kilowatt savings per year in the Solar Rating Certification Corporation’s OG-300 standards. And since we use only the highest rated systems available you receive the highest amount of incentive money.
In addition to the electric companies’ incentives there is also a State Tax Credit that pays for 25% of the system cost (up to $1000.00). There is also a Federal Tax Credit that pays for 30% of the system cost with no dollar limits.
This combination of incentives can leave you paying as little as 15% for our system. It amounts to the same, or just a little more than, the cost of a replacement gas or electric water heater. Of course, after the installation you start saving money immediately. So at the end of the first year of use (standard water heater vs. solar water heater) you will typically have a positive cash flow or a complete return on investment plus savings. It really is the best guaranteed financial investment that you will ever make.
An issue that people rightly bring up is what happens to their savings if there are expensive repair costs. We feel so strongly about the products we use and the quality of our workmanship that we give a full five year warranty on the complete system and an option for a full 10 year warranty. By full warranty we mean that all material and labor costs are covered. You are absolutely assured that you will have zero expenses during that time period, only savings, as well as for many years afterwards.
When people hear the word "solar" they often think of solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) systems where the sun’s light is converted to electricity which seems like free energy. As a result many people get excited about it and somewhat dismiss the benefits of Solar Water Heating. But the facts demonstrate that Solar Water Heating is dramatically more cost effective than solar electric and virtually everybody can afford it. Let’s give this example:
A 2.5 kilowatt solar electric/PV system will actually save you a little less in electricity than our Solar Water Heating system, but cost you five times as much! Environmentally speaking both will have equal benefits. When you consider that our Solar Water Heating system is only slightly more expensive than a standard water heater after the incentives, you know you can afford it. But if it were five times the cost for the same benefits (monetary and environmental) as is the case with solar electric systems, you would probably not want to pay for or be able to afford that investment. Why would you pay five times as much for the same result?
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