• Florida's “Solar Energy System Incentives Program” rebates $500!
• The Federal "Residential Energy Tax Credit" is a 30% tax credit
for solar investments, up to $2000 – through 12/31/08!
• Progress Energy's "EnergyWise" Program rebates $450!
• OUC's "Pilot Solar" Program pays a monthly "production credit"!
• Orange County's "Solar Hot Water Incentive Program" rebates $200!
Solar Hot Water Saves Money
In an average Florida home, the energy cost of heating water is second only
to air conditioning! Solar is the most cost-efficient way to heat
water. Solar Hot Water systems usually pay for themselves in 3-5 years! The
price of the hot water from your Solar Hot Water System will never increase!
Protect your family from rising energy prices!
Nearly Free Hot Water Around the Clock
Solar water heaters provide hot water 24 hours a day. On a sunny day, a properly sized system
will store 2 days worth of hot water. In the event of extended rainy
weather, an electric element heats the water so that hot water is always
available.
How it Works
If you have ever turned on a water hose that
was lying in the sun, you have experienced the principle of solar hot water.
Solar water heaters collect the heat from the sun and store it in a
water tank. Modern systems are electronically-managed to take maximum
advantage of that basic principle to collect and hold all available heat.
The best system for use in Florida is called an
“active-direct” system. It is called active because the fluid is actively
pumped through the solar collector panel. It is called direct because the fluid in
the collector is the potable water. The system has a collector panel on the
roof and a tank below. When the sun has heated the water in the collector,
cold water from the bottom of the tank is pumped up to the collector and the
heated water is delivered to the top of the tank. If the system uses a
photovoltaic (PV) panel to power the pump, it will operate during power
outages. The electric heating element, located in the upper third of the
tank, makes sure that it never runs out of hot water during extended periods
of bad weather. Fortunately for Floridians, freezing weather is rare so a
simple valve that opens to allow warm water into the collector is all that
is needed to protect the collector from freezing. A check valve prevents the
hot water from rising back up to the collector at night. The remaining
elements of the system are for extra safety and for draining the system.
Learn More
Florida Solar Energy Center - Solar Hot Water
FLASEREF - Solar Water Heating Flyer
