solar hot water systems

[Lionel]

Don't know if I have the right group, but I hope so.

I'm interested in installing a solar hotwater system (I'm in Brisbane,
Australia). I'm just wondering how well they work, how much do they cut
down your power usage for hotwater generation? Also, are you better of
with gas or electricity back up, and what are the things to consider in
such a case. I would like to install this in a two bedroom unit.

Thanks,

Lionel.

 

[Blue Cat]

Don't know if I have the right group, but I hope so.

I'm interested in installing a solar hotwater system (I'm in Brisbane,
Australia). I'm just wondering how well they work, how much do they cut
down your power usage for hotwater generation? Also, are you better of
with gas or electricity back up, and what are the things to consider in
such a case. I would like to install this in a two bedroom unit.

Thanks,

Lionel.

My father, who lived in North Carolina (USA), built and used a solar
domestic hot water heater during the 1980's, and it worked quite well.
However, he didn't use anti-freeze in his system and had to shut it down
during the winter. Modern solar DHW heaters for temperate climates do use
anti-freeze and have the required heat exchanger to make them work during
the winter. My father's experience with solar DHW was that when the heater
was used, it produced all of his hot water needs. Although North Carolina is
considered part of the "Sunbelt", there are still periods of cloudy weather
that could last several days. Cost savings would depend of the fuel you
would have used for your hot water, with electric being the highest. As for
backup, you would have to consider any unproductive forms of weather in your
area, such as extreme cold, lengthy cloudy or rainy periods.

 

[Lionel]

My father, who lived in North Carolina (USA), built and used a solar
domestic hot water heater during the 1980's, and it worked quite well.
However, he didn't use anti-freeze in his system and had to shut it down
during the winter. Modern solar DHW heaters for temperate climates do use
anti-freeze and have the required heat exchanger to make them work during
the winter. My father's experience with solar DHW was that when the heater
was used, it produced all of his hot water needs. Although North Carolina is
considered part of the "Sunbelt", there are still periods of cloudy weather
that could last several days. Cost savings would depend of the fuel you
would have used for your hot water, with electric being the highest. As for
backup, you would have to consider any unproductive forms of weather in your
area, such as extreme cold, lengthy cloudy or rainy periods.

Thanks. Brisbane certainly doesn't get gold, it doesn't even frost, and
rain, well in the last 10 years there wouldn't have been any more than a
few days of rain in a row so it sounds like it might work very well.

Lionel.

 

[Lionel]

Better suited for topic in

alt.solar.thermal

Ok, thanks, re-posted there.

Lionel.

 

[Lionel]

I've had clients that had billing histories that say it saved them 200$
a month. The Canadian Government's Natural Resources department claim a
return on investment of 5-7 years.

Well, that would be nice but my last bill was 264 for a quarter so I
can't see that happending . I would love to install solar for the
environmental benefit as well as the power saving. I'm currently trying
to find out how much it will cost me, my mortgage costs enough as is so
I don't want to be spending huge amounts of money. There are some
incentives in Australia, though the state I'm in has recently made it
harder to get rebates.

Thanks for your comments,

Lionel.

 

[Steve Spence]

Don't know if I have the right group, but I hope so.

I'm interested in installing a solar hotwater system (I'm in Brisbane,
Australia). I'm just wondering how well they work, how much do they cut
down your power usage for hotwater generation? Also, are you better of
with gas or electricity back up, and what are the things to consider in
such a case. I would like to install this in a two bedroom unit.

Thanks,

Lionel.

alt.solar.thermal is the right place, this is the solar electric group.
however, in the right climate (I think yours qualifies), with enough
collector area, you can completely replace your existing water heating
needs with a solar water heater and heat storage tank. You can use your
existing heater as the backup.

 

[Brian Graham]

If you're heating water electrically, the number I keep seeing on the net is about a 33% savings.

And as someone else posted, I like propane since you can purchase a supply that will last you X months and you can pretty much count on it being there when you need it. Not necessarily the case with hydro, or city-supplied natural gas. (Gas mains can be shut off when the utility deems it necessary - maintenance, shortages etc.)
--
Brian
Don't know if I have the right group, but I hope so.

I'm interested in installing a solar hotwater system (I'm in Brisbane,
Australia). I'm just wondering how well they work, how much do they cut
down your power usage for hotwater generation? Also, are you better of
with gas or electricity back up, and what are the things to consider in
such a case. I would like to install this in a two bedroom unit.

Thanks,

Lionel.

 

[Lionel]

If you're heating water electrically, the number I keep seeing on the net is about a 33% savings.

Thanks for that. 33% sounds pretty right, I've seen some figures of
hotwater being 35%-40% of peoples electricity bills from some government
sites here in Australia. I actually think ming might be on the upper end
because at this stage I have a 50 litre system that isn't off peak. It
does an incredible job, it always has hotwater, but it's very inefficient.

Lionel.

 

[Fritz Oppliger]

For backup I would use an on-demand unit.

Thanks for that. 33% sounds pretty right, I've seen some figures of
hotwater being 35%-40% of peoples electricity bills from some government
sites here in Australia. I actually think ming might be on the upper end
because at this stage I have a 50 litre system that isn't off peak. It
does an incredible job, it always has hotwater, but it's very
inefficient.

Lionel.