Solar Hot Water

Water heating accounts for about 30 percent of an average household's total greenhouse gas emissions and about the same proportion of total household energy use.Installing a solar water heater can greatly reduce your energy bills as it will use energy from the sun to heat water at zero cost.

Using solar energy to heat water produces no harmful greenhouse gas emissions. A solar water heater can provide between 50 percent and 90 percent of your total hot water requirements, depending on the climate and the model of heater.

The upfront cost of a solar water heater (including installation) is higher than electric or gas water heaters but energy bill savings will compensate for this over time.

Government rebates are available in many parts of Australia to assist with the initial purchase cost of a solar water heater. How do they work?

Most solar hot water systems use solar collectors or panels to absorb energy from the sun. Water is heated by the sun as it passes through the collectors. It then flows into an insulated storage tank for later use.

In passive systems, water flows unassisted between the collectors and the tank. In active systems, water is pumped between the collectors and the tank.

The storage tank is usually fitted with an electric, gas or solid fuel booster that heats the water when sunlight is insufficient. Some solar water heaters also have frost protection to prevent damage in frost prone areas.

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