Did you know that dollar for dollar Solar Hot Water systems can provide the greatest energy output of all the renewable energies available for your home? Solar Hot Water systems have the lowest investment of most solutions and the largest tax credits available. These systems can provide you with up to 90% of your hot water free year round by harnessing energy from the sun. At the same time you are helping to save the planet by reducing your carbon emissions by as much as 30%.
How do Solar Hot Water systems work?
The Home Energy Company utilizes a drain back system that maximizes the heat from the sun and eliminates the risk of freezing the pipes in the winter and overheating in the summer.
Most standard residential systems use two panels located on the roof of the home. These can be mounted on other locations if necessary. When the thermostat on the hot water tank is lower than the heat in the collector, a small circulator pump circulates water directly through the collectors and through a copper coil located within the Hot Water Solar Tank. As the water is circulated, the potable water in the tank heats up. This process continues as long as the sun heats the collector.
That's it! Home Energy Solar Hot Water Systems are both extremely simple form a mechanical perspective and extremely efficient by design. They are designed to preheat a home's standard hot water heater, which serves as back up in case of little or no sun and provides additional storage in times of heavy usage.
What are the available tax incentives for Solar Water Heating?
There are both Federal and State tax incentives available for Solar Water heating systems. Combined, these incentives can provide you with tax credits that pay for nearly 1/2 of the system cost. The Home Energy Company recommends that you check with your accountant to understand the tax incentives available to you and how you qualify.
For Example: If you were to purchase a Solar Hot Water system in 2008 in the state of North Carolina, you would qualify for a 30% Federal Tax credit up to $2,000.00 and a 35% State tax credit up to $1,400.00.
You could receive up to $3,400.00 on a system that averages $7,000.00. That's a net cost of as little as $3,600.00 for free hot water over the next 20 years! Payback on these systems can easily be less than 5 years without factoring in rising energy rates.
You can find most federal and state incentives at www.dsireusa.org.
How long do they take to install?
These systems can be installed in 1-2 days for most homes.
Are Solar Hot Water Systems difficult to maintain?
The Home Energy Company's Solar Hot water systems require little or no maintenance. The system is fully automatic and operates without the need for homeowner intervention. Our systems are designed to operate efficiently in excess of 20 years, with collectors designed to withstand all types of weather.
The Home Energy Company installs as many as 100 systems per year in NC, SC and VA. Check out some of our installations on our job page...
Project Gallery
The Home Energy Company uses SOLARGENIX® Winston Series CPC collectors with all of its Solar Hot Water installations. Solargenix® CPC collectors utilize compound parabolic mirrors to focus the sun's energy directly onto high efficiency absorber tubes.
