Harness the Sun to Heat Water in the Home
Congress extended legislation benefiting homeowners that to add solar water heaters to their homes. If they choose to do so, they can claim a tax credit to recoup 30% of the cost and up to $2,000 of the cost of materials and installation of a solar thermal water heating system. Congress extended the solar tax credit for another 8 years.
Before deciding whether or not to go solar for heating the water in the home, homeowners should do their homework to know how solar friendly homes work. Factors determining how solar friendly a home is are orientation of the roof where solar cells will be placed, location as far region of the country, what the cost of installation and materials will be compared to tax credits and rebates available. All of these factors will help homeowners come to a decision that is sensible and eco-friendly.
The average cost of installation for a solar thermal water heating system will be around $8,000 to $11,000. Some installations can cost more depending on the complexity of the project. Installation often consists of two to three solar collectors on the roof and holding tanks around 100 gallons that hold the solar heated water.
While this seems like an expensive investment, it will actually save money over time. After installing a solar water heater the cost of heating water in the home will be reduced by 50 to 80%. That adds up to a good chunk of money when it is taken into consideration that up to 25% of a homeowners energy bill can be attributed to heating water.
Depending on where the house is located, the cost of installation and materials needed it can take up to 9 years to completely recoup the amount of money invested. However, this should be looked at as a long term investment.
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Author: Paul Escobedo