Solar Plumbing

 

SAVE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON WATER HEATING BILLS

HEDGE AGAINST INCREASING ENERGY PRICES  REDUCE DEPENDANCE ON FOREIGN OIL  USE CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY  REDUCE AIR POLLUTION

New 30% Federal Solar Tax Credit A new 30% Federal tax credit will be offered on all solar systems installed between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008. For residential applications, there is a $2,000 cap; there is no cap for commercial applications. The complete cost of the system (equipment and installation) may be applied to the credit, although the credit applies to the basis remaining after any state or utility incentive available to the taxpayer is taken. For solar water heating systems, any property qualifying for the credit must be SRCC certified (or other comparable certification endorsed by the state), and at least 50% of energy used by the system to heat water must come from the sun.

Switch to Solar and Save! 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 8-10 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. Think Environment. Think Solar. Whether you have an electric or gas water heater, the operating cost will continue to rise over time. Electricity rates have been increasing an average of 6% per year, over the past 35 years, and the wholesale price for natural gas has more than tripled in the past eight years. Is a Solar Water Heating System Right For Me? To best take advantage of a solar energy system you need good southern exposure with minimum shading. Rooftop installations are the most common, but the collectors can also be mounted on accessory buildings, or on ground mounts. If you have an electric water heater you will realize the greatest savings by switching to solar water heating. If you have a gas water heater you are probably aware of the volatility and uncertainty of natural gas supply and forecast for continued price increases.     Systems Specific to Your Needs. In Oregon, solar water heating systems should meet 100% of your water heating needs in the summer months, and approximately 20-30% of your hot water needs in the winter. On an average annual basis, solar water heating systems are typically designed to meet approximately 60-70% 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 backup during cloudy days. Solar water heating systems come in two basic designs: active and passive systems. Active Solar Hot Water Systems 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 120o-140o 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 Heating 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 the 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 make more hot water. Payback on Solar Hot Water Heaters Paybacks for solar water heating systems vary widely depending on the amount of hot water you use, and in the case of electric water heaters, how much electricity you use overall in your home. A solar water heating system has a typical payback period of 8-10 years. However, the new baseline limits for residential electrical consumption in California establish a tiered rate structure that imposes much higher rates for “over-baseline” consumption. A similar “excess” rate applies to over-baseline use of natural gas. This can easily double the cost of electric water heating (with rates as high as 33 cents per kWh) and reduce the payback time significantly. Radiant Floor Heating with Active Solar Hot Water Systems It is also possible to heat the interior space of your home with a solar water heating system. The most efficient way to accomplish this is with an in-floor radiant heating system. These systems send hot water through pipes under the floor to warm the floor and heat the space. This is one of the most efficient ways to heat your home. It’s clean and quiet, with no fans or ducts to stir-up dust or pathogens, allowing you to maintain a healthy environment in your home. While in-floor radiant heating systems are more expensive to install (2-3 times the installation cost of forced-air heating) the annual operating cost is approximately 30-40% less than a conventional forced-air heating system. With these significant savings in operating cost, radiant floor heating has a 5-6 year payback. Solar Pool Heating   Determining the cost of pool heating is very site-specific. A solar pool heating system has a typical payback period of 2-4 years. There are several factors that affect the savings realized with a solar pool heating system. These include, your climate, the size of the pool, your cost for natural gas, the pool temperature you wish to maintain, whether you use a pool cover, the length of your swimming season, your climate zone, etc. A utility company study monitoring the amount of energy to heat a 500 sq. ft. pool in Santa Clara, California, from May through September, at a constant 80° F used approximately 1200 therms of natural gas. For residential summertime tiered gas rates this would approach $1,200 per year. For the same pool, a 400 sq. ft. solar pool heating system would maintain the same or higher temperatures through the same swim season. This system easily achieved a 4 year payback.