There are a number of topics where information can be found on Solar Hot water systems. I suggest that doing a search on solar hot water might pay dividends for you. Sadly it is hard to bring them altogether for you but as a start:
I’m looking to replace gas with solar hot water. Two of my quotes say ‘Apricus’ is the system to choose. When I googled this make I got some good and some bad reviews (50/50 nearly). I would be especially interested in any Central Qld owners’ reviews of this system: how long you’ve had it, how many break-downs, how many days without hot water and how did your warranty perform?
A great option if the site suits, with a 300l storage tank very generous for just two. We managed a family of 5 with a similar sized solar HW system. The electric booster was connected to off peak (night rate). It was easy to monitor how well the solar HW performed. We usually left the power to the booster element turned off. It was only during prolonged periods of heavy cloud and wet that the booster was needed.
Depending on where you are flat plate HW collector which is cheaper than evacuate…
Solar PV panels have an advantage and a reasonable payback around 3-5years depending on the size installed, but the real savings come from solar/heatpump hot water systems.
I have used solar roof top panels for 30 years and about 5 years ago upgraded the HWS to heat pump model and my annual hot water bill is around $50, whereas if using a standard hot water service it typically would be around $400-$600pa depending on the number of kids home.
Also at the moment if you hunt around you can get n…
I have a small, older brick house in Melbourne with:
Gas ducted heating (big winter bills)
Gas hot water system (old)
4KW solar system
I’m interested in any opinions of what to do when it comes to replace the gas hot water system:
Just replace with another standalone gas, solar or electric hot water system
Switch hot water to electric and replace the gas ducted heating with a ducted electric split system
Heat pump?
Other?
Has anyone gone through a similar situation?
Cheers
Adam
The approach that is most intellectually appealing to me, especially since you have a greenfields opportunity, is a suitably sized solar array with batteries sufficient to ideally last days if necessary, and electric everything. If you have sufficient roof area solar hot water and pool heating would make sense to possibly lessen battery capacity required.
Re lighting, if you are running everything from your own solar power it comes down to aesthetics and personal preferences, noting anything …
Would replacing the kettle for a ‘Zip’ hot water, if you have solar hot water installed, be a cost-effective solution in reducing costs? Would the initial expense of purchasing installing a ‘Zip’ be worthwhile in the long term?
I installed and assembled my solar 30 evacuated tube HWS about 8 years ago, so it is about time to inspect the sacrificial anode (which is Magnesium metal). My tank is stainless steel and has only had rainwater in it, which is slightly acidic (pH <6), but with minimal hardness. It will be interesting to see how much the anode has corroded.
If you get rid of the HWS meter and put it all on residential, you could save part of the fixed charges. Adding a solar hot water system (if you have a HW tank in good working order, you really only need an evacuated tube manifold and pump, and no extra tank) would almost eliminate electric element heating. PV solar might then be worthwhile.
PV should cover a large percentage of loads such as air conditioning.
I agree with @mark_m that is not necessary what one gives up, but what things does one to to minimise one’s environmental or carbon footprint. It is also not necessarily about saving the planet, but being conscious of the decisions one makes in everyday life, to make the future hopefully better than the past.
Giving something up is a negative, doing something differently is a positive.
It is also refreshing to see that @bottville recognises that minimising one’s footprint starts at home and th…
This depends very much on where you live. We’ve had solar hot water panels for the past 30+ years, and they work really well for us. We are in Brisbane, which helps
Maybe. You will also wait while the heater turns on and heats up in addition to the wait while it comes through the pipes. So quite a lot of cold water is going down the drain until you put the plug in. This can be really annoying when you are cooking and want little bursts of hot water, as the machine turns off and cools down in between so you keep waiting each time. You can have the situation that the water at the hot tap gets colder before it gets hotter as cold water is fed into the ho…
Some of the links may be more relevant than others but I hope they help.
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