Solar Hot Water system got one?

disneyjoe7

This is the Green Year


Got a Solar Hot Water system?


What has it done to your electric, gas, or oil bill?


Questions I considering to do a Solar Hot Water system or to do a small 2KW electric solar system, the payback what one or the other would do for utility bill?

pearsall001

I don't have a solar hot water system...but I do have a solar pool heating system. It works superbly & kicks out some serious "FREE" heat. Having experience with my system, (7yrs running now) I can only assume that a solar hot water heater will be equally as good & will help cut down on your hot water bills substancially. Solar works baby!!! Go for it.

disneyjoe7

So my question is really how does a small electric system vs. a hot water system difference in payback time, electric bill overall?


And Yes got a solar water system for the pool LOVE IT, but still a little cold right now for me 75f Yes 75f is too cold 83f I consider it.

mantis

I'm interested in this as I have been thinking of getting a tankless hot water heater. A friend of mine is a Plumber and swears by them. They cost less to heat the water per gallon and you get space back as it mounts on the wall.
I have not even heard of this before, I will have to talk to my friend about it

obieone

$2,525.00 for a water heater seems a little HIGH?!

http://www.solarroofs.com/solarconfigurator.html

How much is your electric bill per month?

disneyjoe7

Well with all rebates perhaps looking at $1800 with about a $400 dollar off electric a year. Looking at 4.5 year break even point, then $ in my pocket.

Pablo

I'm no expert, but from what I know, solar is still a little expensive (and not as efficient as you would think [they don't absorb most of the light spectrum, they lose a lot when not parallel to the sun, and a ton of other thing]). I believe there are some good things on the horizon, but for now, the cost to savings ratio is not all that great (although for a pool it's probably a good solution). I believe the most cost efficient hot water system are the tank less ones (I'm looking into those now). They heat with natural gas on the fly, so you only use energy when you need it.

LessisNevermore

mantis wrote: »

I'm interested in this as I have been thinking of getting a tankless hot water heater. A friend of mine is a Plumber and swears by them. They cost less to heat the water per gallon and you get space back as it mounts on the wall.
I have not even heard of this before, I will have to talk to my friend about it

I have had one for about 7 years now, and I still love it.
They require about 15 minutes of simple maintenance once a year. A small price to pay for unlimited hot water, space savings, and cost savings. (and never again have a basement full of water from a rotted-out tank) There are a few minor drawbacks, such as price for a mid-sized unit is around $600, and you can only have one major usage at a time. (but honestly, who takes a shower when doing laundry? lol)

I've never figured out what the break-even point for price vs. savings is, but for 7 years I haven't been heating water until I use it.

I highly recommend them.

disneyjoe7

LessisNevermore wrote: »

I have had one for about 7 years now, and I still love it.
They require about 15 minutes of simple maintenance once a year. A small price to pay for unlimited hot water, space savings, and cost savings. (and never again have a basement full of water from a rotted-out tank) There are a few minor drawbacks, such as price for a mid-sized unit is around $600, and you can only have one major usage at a time. (but honestly, who takes a shower when doing laundry? lol)

I've never figured out what the break-even point for price vs. savings is, but for 7 years I haven't been heating water until I use it.

I highly recommend them.

You got a Gas Tankless hotwater right, if so yes I agree to go that way. I don't have gas, I have an electric house only. On the other hand everything as a payback time, even tankless I would think is about 4 to 5 years payback time.

obieone

(continuing the derail) I'd love a tankless WH, but the electric one uses 120A out of a 200A service. If the A/C or heat comes on while I'm either in the shower or doing laundry, using the D/W....That's cutting it kinda close.

disneyjoe7

obieone wrote: »

(continuing the derail) I'd love a tankless WH, but the electric one uses 120A out of a 200A service. If the A/C or heat comes on while I'm either in the shower or doing laundry, using the D/W....That's cutting it kinda close.

It's ok Solar WH system is not used by many here.


I couldn't do an electric tankless WH without not doing something with my electric also. I got 200 amp electric system, the main box is maxed out it has 2 quad breakers on it now, with 2 100amp breakers. Its a 8 circuit panel so it done, nothing going in there. Then this 2 main sub panels with are each feed by a 100 amp breaker for the main panel. These panels have many double breakers already. Theres pool sub panel also which is feed with a 30 amp circuit, but its working with one of those quads breakers from the main box also. And yes its fun to figure out what breaker circuit you need to shut off or turn back on, because all four boxes are in a different area of the house also.

seeclear

Further thread hijack alert!

Does anyone know of an online Green Construction forum? I have not had any luck with google, I mainly am getting the meeting/event type of forum and not the online kind like this one. Thanks in advance.

LessisNevermore

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

You got a Gas Tankless hotwater right, if so yes I agree to go that way. I don't have gas, I have an electric house only. On the other hand everything as a payback time, even tankless I would think is about 4 to 5 years payback time.

Yes, gas. Sorry for not specifying......(and for the derail:D)
Nat. gas prices have probably slowed the payback as well.

I'm considering adding a small, under the sink, electric model for the kitchen.

obieone

How do y'all feel about WOOD stoves?:p I was searching for H/W coils, and came across this article:

http://hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/domestic_dhw

I'd love to discover a way to circumvent the known laws of thermodynamics.
The world would be my ****!:D

disneyjoe7

^^ the above doesn't apply to me as I have a fire place on the deck which I started once. Much to warm must days for me right now 4:45pm its 75f outside.

disneyjoe7

Why pay someone else for something you could do yourself?

http://www.solardev.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SRS&Product_Code=PacII4x8&Category_Code=HWCS


If done this way would anyone know how the rebates work?

I-SIG

If you go whole house tankless, and all-electric, be prepared to pay your utility company also as you will very likely have to upgrade to a 320/400 amp service entrance which will require bigger wire and quite likely a bigger transformer.

On the water-heating vs. PV solar systems, I'd say at this point I would mainly mess with the water heating. There's a lot you have to consider for a PV system as maximizing their efficiency is the key to getting a reasonable ROI.

Some utilities may have a minimum size requirement for your PV system if you go that route. If you have a maxed-out 200A service you might have to upgrade anyway to accommodate a PV system.

That's a little utility perspective.

Wes

disneyjoe7

Wes,

I agree my electric system is a bit odd, and maxed out. But it came that way from the builder well at least 95% of it. There's some 230 homes in this sub division which there where 2 builders so it good to say there's some 115 homes like mine more or less. I have one of those large green electrical boxes which is in my front yard, I think it powers some 10 to 12 homes around me. So I wouldn't think anything in that department was needed, as it should be large enough for 320 or 400 amp service. I understand my main box which was a 8 slotted circuit box, is a bit small as the 2 sub boxes are eating 4 slots right off the bat. Leaving only 4 slots left for the master suite of house. Now that pool sub panel needed a 30 amp service a quad was added there removing 2 singles. The other was a GFI and another breaker, was removed for another quad breaker moving the GFI to an outlet. I have some questions about that in which I'll PM you for those.

Sami

I've been thinking about one, to heat the pool, hot tub and coming up sauna. What else do I need other than the panels? I don't want to mess with the existing grid, I just want to keep this a separate system.

disneyjoe7

Sami wrote: »

I've been thinking about one, to heat the pool, hot tub and coming up sauna. What else do I need other than the panels? I don't want to mess with the existing grid, I just want to keep this a separate system.

Sami,

For a pool just panels values, check value, controller (sensors temp / air), a motorized value or you got a manual system. That's it nothing to do at all about grid. I asked about grid electric grid national grid to a small 2KW solar electric system, but I don't think I'm doing that at all.

Sami

I am thinking I need batteries and inverter, since I'm looking to put in a sauna. Heater would be around 3kW on it (240V).

disneyjoe7

Electric huh?

Why not Propane much faster, then electric? Do to speed maybe cheaper also.

disneyjoe7

A grid solar electric system is a system without batteries, and charger system. One in which is tie to grid to add to electric grid money to you or to pull electric from them money to them. Cheaper then a battery backup system which can stand alone. It's what I know of them.

Sami

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

Electric huh?

Why not Propane much faster, then electric? Do to speed maybe cheaper also.

Didn't know they had any, and after looking it up, it would take some time to make up for the cost of one. $3k for a sauna stove... :eek:

Although I could just hook it up to my gas line, eventually it would pay itself off. The only thing worrying is the brand, it's unknown so how do I know how good they are. It's gas so it's probably durable. Thanks for pointing those out for me though, I better start saving up my Amazon gift certificates.

I'd love to do wood, it's hands down the best but that would end up being even more expensive as I can't just go and cut my own here in Texas.