Arizona Solar Powered Hot Water Heating Systems

July 02, 2010

The Benefits of a Solar Powered Hot Water Heating System in Arizona

Who wouldn’t want to save the planet while saving money at the same time? A solar powered hot water heating system will allow you to do so, and Arizona is the perfect state in which to do it. Because the amount of heat delivered by a solar powered hot water heating system depends primarily on the amount of heat delivered by the sun in a particular place, Arizona is a prime location for a residence equipped with a solar powered hot water heating system. Shining almost 300 days a year, the Arizona sun will adequately heat your hot water, making your home a more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly place. And should the rare cloudy day occur, don’t worry: a backup system will ensure that your home is provided with hot water without interruption.

How Do Solar Powered Hot Water Heating Systems Work?

A solar powered hot water heating system is typically comprised of solar thermal collectors, a water storage tank (or another point of usage), interconnecting pipes, and a fluid system to move heat from the collector to the tank.

Specifically, a solar powered hot water heating system is designed to have an array of solar collector panels on the roof of a home. When the solar powered hot water heating system is installed, these panels are then connected to a hot water tank, and a fluid is circulated around the solar panels and the hot water tank. The sun's energy heats the fluid up to a suitably high temperature as it passes through the panels. This fluid is not used for washing and showering, but for heating the water in your hot water tank. Inside the hot water tank is a coiled copper pipe whose increased surface area allows the heat from the circulated fluid to transfer to the water stored in the tank. Hot water heating systems have sensors to detect when the sun is hot enough to heat the fluid, and these sensors will start the water pump working at the appropriate time.

What happens if there isn't enough solar energy to generate adequate hot water? Solar powered hot water heating systems have hot water tanks that are fitted with an electric heater element and a thermostat. The thermostat can sense if the water is hot enough. If it isn't, then the electric element will switch itself on until the desired temperature is reached.

Go Solar Powered and Save Money

Though initially more expensive than conventional electric or gas water heaters, a solar powered hot water heating system immediately starts saving you money upon installation -- sometimes well over $500 a year! This is especially important in light of the fact that hot water represents the second largest energy consumer in American households. A typical 80 gallon electric hot water tank serving a family of four will consume roughly 150 million British Thermal Units (BTUs) in its seven-year lifespan. The cost for the energy used by the average electric hot water tank over its lifespan can exceed $4,000. And this figure does not include the cost of having to replace the conventional hot water heater once it has exceeded its lifespan.

Five Benefits of a Solar Powered Hot Water Heating System

There are numerous benefits to installing a solar powered hot water heating system in your home. Here are just five of them:

• Solar powered hot water heating systems can work in any climate Solar powered hot water heating systems last up to 40 years
• Solar powered hot water heating systems might qualify a home for a substantial tax credit
• Solar powered hot water heating systems will increase the value of your home
• Solar powered hot water heating systems come in a variety of styles, so a household can choose the right system for their needs

Call an Arizona Plumbing Professional Today

More and more homes in Arizona are being built or retrofitted for solar power. These solar powered homes are reducing the nation’s dependency on fossil fuels by minimizing their carbon footprint. But you don’t need to have your home run completely on solar power to do your part to help the environment. A solar powered hot water heating system is the perfect way to reduce your carbon footprint and to make your home an environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient, and economical space. But a solar powered hot water heating system is best installed by a plumbing specialist. Only a plumbing specialist can ensure your solar powered hot water heating system is correctly installed and working properly. So call your local Arizona plumbing professional today and ask about how you can make your home a greener, more environmentally-friendly place with a solar powered hot water heating system.