Solar Hot Water
An estimated 2,000,000 solar water-heating systems have been installed in the United States. The basic technology for these systems is very simple. Sunlight strikes and heats an "absorber" surface within a "solar collector." Either a heat-transfer fluid or the actual potable water flows through tubes attached to the absorber and picks up heat. The heated water is stored in a separate preheat tank or a conventional water heater tank until needed.
Solar hot water systems require a backup system for cloudy days and times of increased demand using electricity or fossil-fuel energy.
System Benefits
Nearly 30% of the electricity consumed in an all electric home is used to keep the water in your water heater hot at all times of the day. For an all electric home the best dollar for dollar use of solar energy is solar water heating. Solar water heating can slash your energy bills by 30% for 1/10 the cost of solar power (PV) in an all electric home.
APS can retrofit your existing water heater with a solar water heating system for less than the cost of a tank-less water heating system. These systems do not require the modification of your existing utility supply pipes when gas or propane is used as the back-up energy supply, and these systems virtually eliminate the need for fossil fuel energy consumption for 75% of a typical year.
Solar water heating may help qualify a home for an EPA Five Star Home energy efficiency mortgage, LEED certification, or as a Zero Energy Home (ZEH). Solar Hot water heaters are used in some cases to reduce the cost of heating the interior space of a home using the same system.
Rebates & Incentives
The U.S. Government provides a unlimited 30% tax credit towards the installation of solar hot water heating system in residential applications. In addition, property tax exemptions can be claimed for the increase in property value as a result of the solar hot water system.
After-Sale Services
We offer long term maintenance service contracts that can be purchased at the time a new system is installed, or on an existing system. Our service contracts enable the homeowner to ensure the continual performance of their systems beyond the time of standard warranties.
Types of Collectors
APS offers two types of solar collectors for our typical commercial applications:
- Glazed flat-plate collectors - Insulated, weatherproofed boxes that contain a dark absorber plate under one or more tempered glass covers.
- Evacuated-tube solar collectors - Features parallel rows of transparent glass tubes. Each tube contains a glass outer tube and metal absorber tube attached to a fin. The fin's coating absorbs solar energy but inhibits heat loss.
Typical Install Cost
The variables that influence the cost of these systems include but are not limited to the amount or water to be heated, the desired water temperature, the selected system collectors, and the desired function(s) of the system.
Call us at 877-861-3061 or fill out our Contact Form for your solar water heating Houston, Texas.