| Solar Water Heaters Could Save $35 B / Year |
| Written by Hank Green | ||
| Monday, 10 March 2008 | ||
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A recent study compiled in the UK (notably, not the sunniest place on earth) has determined that the average household could save around $450 per year. Now, the numbers would certainly be slightly different for Americans, and city dwellers with less roof space might not have the same options. But even with a big chunk shaved off the top, $450 for, let's say, the 80 million American households that are ready for hot water panels, is more than $30 billion per year. And all of that power would be coming from a renewable and ongoing resource. No natural gas bills every month. Just one installation and then years of cheap water heating. So why haven't we done it? A few reasons. First, installation can cost more than $5,000 dollars, especially in older houses. Second, new home buyers apparently don't like to see solar water heaters disrupting their "roof lines." But there's good news on both these fronts. First, banks are looking for new kinds of loans in America. A loan that would, in effect, pay for itself and be more or less default-free could be very enticing. A ten-year loan on a solar water heater would, in effect, be free for the home owner and risk-free for the bank. Second, people are looking for low-carbon homes now. Installing hot water heaters are a less expensive move (per pound of carbon negated) than photovoltaics. People are now able to be proud of their panels, and their neighbors will maybe even be a little bit jealous. Via The Telegraph
Comments
(21)
What banks?
written by Amy , March 10, 2008
So do you know of any banks actually lending the money for these things? That would be interesting to know! Thanks!
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written by Sarah Flood , March 10, 2008
Too bad my roof is covered in snow for 3-4 months of the year.
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written by Dan Anderson , March 10, 2008
If your not in the south which would probably supply all your hot water needs during the day, combining this with a tankless water heater could save you more than what they're probably reporting in this article.
I Dream of Greenie
written by GreenKristine , March 10, 2008
I am curious about the bank loan comment. Today borrowers in AMerica are walking away from their homes becuase of an inability to pay. Troubled borrowers might cease payments on their solar water heater before their homes. The credit markets aren't interested in any loan at the moment!!!
Love your site ecogeek boy! PS Can I link you to my green blog for women? THey need to hear about this geeky stuff. If you can return the fav, that would be awesome. GK
Old Home Renovation
written by N. & J. , March 10, 2008
My fiance and I currently live in apartment but once we relocate we want to buy a small house and this is one of the first changes I want to make. It's "relatively inexpensive" and fairly simple to get done.
N. http://badhuman.wordpress.com
i've been promoting this for a while
written by def , March 10, 2008
Look, the problem isn't technology, its us. Here we have a proven low-tech solution to a huge problem, and its almost never mentioned on "ten things you could do to save the planet" lists.
What we need to do is support government subsidization to kill off the upfront costs (besides, it'd stimulate the economy); support legislation requiring that solar budgets be calculated for most new home construction and when beneficial *requiring* that an appropriate solar water heating technology be installed with it, as part of standard building code. Recently a housing construction company here in Fresno announced that all new subdivision homes would have it installed. (wish I could remember who it was, or where i read that) For folks living in places without the solar budget of sunny California, don't think that it wouldn't necessarily work for you. Think of it as a unit to supplement traditional methods of heating water. For more info, you can go here: http://www.eere.energy.gov/con...opic=12850
what i mean is programs like this!
written by def , March 10, 2008 The City of Fresno is pleased to announce a new innovative program that will promote the use of solar energy systems in Fresno. The Solar Energy System Rebate and Loan Program will provide a much needed incentive to jump start the private use of solar panels and solar water heaters for qualified Fresno families. The program is not only intended to reduce electricity costs to homeowners, but will also encourage the use of renewable energy sources and reduce Fresno’s reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels that harm our air quality. http://www.fresno.gov/News/Pre...REBATE.htm
And this wonderful law which made it int
written by def , March 10, 2008
save hot water, shave head.
written by ian , March 11, 2008
At least 7 minutes in a shower is used to shampoo and condition one's hair, this represents an awful lot of hot water. Imagine how much energy and water could be saved if at least 150 million Americans shaved their heads.
yeah
written by def , March 11, 2008
Facts:
*water heating is roughly 14 percent of a household's energy budget. *A therm of natural gas translates into 11.7 pounds of CO2 *A small home of two adults and one child using natural gas to heat their water, uses about 300 therms a year. That's 3510 pounds of CO2 a year. *Assuming the rather pessimistic figure of 30%, installing a solar water heater would save 1050 pounds of CO2 a year for this household, and would reduce water heating as part of total household energy budget to 9.8%. *Assuming the more optimistic figure of 90%, that's 3159 pounds of CO2 saved a year, and would reduce water heating as part of total household energy budget to only 1%. As a very rough estimate, average the two you get about 2000 pounds of CO2 saved per year. Multiply that by about 100 million households and you get 200 billion pounds of CO2 saved per year, in the US alone. Not trivial.
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written by Meir , March 12, 2008
I live in Israel and here, for many years, all the buildings have, by low, solar water heating systems. The buildings are made in a shape that you usually can't see the solar collectors and water tanks from the street. The climate here is simillar to Califonia's climate, so I belive you can benefit these systems with the same success as we do in many parts of the USA. We get enough hot water even in a partially sunny winter days.
What about cold weather states
written by Wildgoosechase , March 14, 2008
While solar water heaters are great in the sun belt the vast majority of the country experiences below freezing temperatures during winter. I'd hate to have that on my roof when the pipes burst.
cold weather
written by dude , March 14, 2008
Your worry about cold weather is legitimate, but that is why different designs are used for different climates. If you check out http://www.eere.energy.gov/con...opic=12850 they'll talk about it.
Pay Over Time Through Utility Bill
written by Buzz Bundy , March 18, 2008
I think the government needs to pay the up-front cost of installing these. The homeowner would then pay a surcharge on their bill, representing the average difference between the old and new bill. This would continue until the installation cost was recovered, at which time the surcharge would be dropped.
No cost to the homeowner, and after about 10 years they get a nice reduction in their monthly bill, maybe just in time for their retirement.
Weather
written by josh , March 22, 2008
When I was in Hawaii, new government military housing used these for water heaters. The government has the money for the initial payment and the patience to save the money in the long run. The big problem I see is a lot of the really warm places in the country, west Texas for example, would be great candidates for these. However, what is golf-ball (or bigger) sized hail going to do those solar panels when big thunderstorms come?
VP
written by Reeves , April 02, 2008
We install in Seattle, WA. Not the sunniest place in the US. We have a customer that we saw last week (still winter and rainy here) and his solar hot water system is saving him 50-60 gallons of propane each month. Two months ago his price/gallon doubled. The payback on his system just got cut in half.
Solar water heater supplier
written by steven , April 27, 2008
We are a solar product company in China.Our product include solar garden light ,solar garden decoration light,solar water heater..... Please visit our web www.sunnybp.com for our product catalog.
Solar Hot Water Pays You in Australia
written by Alexander Kohl , June 01, 2008
I have been looking for a green technology that directly benefits the user and has positive environmental implications. Solar Hot Water in Australia fits that. Based on government figures a household can save up to $12,000 over 20 years. At the same time they avoid 60,000kg of CO2 emissions.
The biggest block: the upfront cost. So we have searched and found a solution for that as well and launched http://www.SolarPay.com.au 3 days ago.
we have all kinds of solar water heater
written by David , June 17, 2008
we have all kinds of solar water heaters,and if you interested in it ,you can contact us.Our e-mail:
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
David
solar water heater
written by David , June 17, 2008
we sella all kinds of solar water heaters,and if you intested in it, you can contact us, our e-mail is :
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
An optional way to save money while heat
written by Dave Perkins , June 30, 2008 In addition to use solar water heaters to save money, here's a tip my electrician shared with me that is saving me lots of cash! Many homeowners heat their water 24/7/365 when they could use a timer that will shut off their water heater at night (when they're sleeping) and also during the day (when they're at work}. This is a simple install and IS effective in reducing consumption of electricity on electric water heaters. Sometimes as much as 50%, especially if the water heater and pipes are well insulated. Dave www.AskMrAuto.com | ||
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Solar water heaters are low tech. Basically, they're black pipes on panels. There's no nanotechnology, no monosilicon crystals, and no DC to AC conversion. Just run a pipe to your roof, through the panel, and then back into your house. In many parts of the US, solar water heaters can provide more than 90% of a household's water. And in all but the cloudiest climates, they can provide more than 30%.
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