Solar Hot Water Heaters: Go Green and Save Money

Do the words “free hot water” sound too good to be true? Minus the initial cost of the setup, the solar hot water heater works without the use of external electricity, therefore, being freely fueled by the sun. Most homes will find that close to 65% of their hot water burden can be accommodated through the solar heater. This heater by far is the cheapest and easiest green investment you can make for your home, and one with a quick return on the investment. 

Solar hot water heaters come in various designs and sizes, but each one works off the same premise of gathering heat via the solar panels/solar collectors, then transferring that heat to the water where the hot water is stored until used. This principle is recreated in science fairs all across the country, which shows how simple the process is and how easily applied.

While the initial outlay for a solar heater is more than the standard hot water heater, it will pay for itself in 1/3 the time of the standard hot water heater. It is estimated that after everything is taken into consideration from purchase to installation to maintenance, the solar hot water heater can not only pay for itself in 8 years but will last up to 40 years—something no electric or gas water heater has yet to be designed to do. In southern states like Florida, Georgia, Alabama or Mississippi, these types of heaters are particularly able to create large energy output for water; and, can be used more than the estimated 50-57% of use that most are estimated to offset.

Beyond the cost savings, the owners of these types of water heaters take comfort in knowing that they are helping to reduce their environmental footprint, and reduce the amount of energy being used from coal and nuclear power. The fact is that positive, gross environmental benefits of owning a solar hot water heater are too good to be true. The typical solar water heater used in residential locales has the ability to offset those greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 1,500 pounds of CO2 every year. To give a better understanding of what this means, by purchasing a solar water heater you are reducing the CO2 in the air by the amount of CO2 put off by a vehicle who has just driven over 15,000 miles! That's a lot of reduction to your carbon footprint.

If you like the idea of self-sustaining living and helping to reduce harmful CO2 gasses, the solar hot water heater could be the water heater for you.