EGN NEWS DESK
That’s about double the upfront price for fuel or electrical choices, together with heat-pump water heaters, per Fixr.com. The common put in photo voltaic water heater price in tax-credit claims was about $6,000, in line with the just lately launched 2023 IRS knowledge.
Different system varieties and sizes have broadly various costs. Small passive techniques that warmth water instantly, don’t want a pump, and are outfitted with a 60-gallon tank might be on the low finish of the spectrum, whereas lively, freeze-resistant techniques with a 120-gallon tank might be at excessive finish.
The premium for photo voltaic water heaters has remained “stubbornly excessive,” says Shawn Martin, vp of technical providers on the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC), which certifies the efficiency of photo voltaic water heaters. “They haven’t been capable of obtain the sort of economies of scale that will begin to actually push the costs down.”
Luckily, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act prolonged a 30 p.c tax credit score for photo voltaic water heaters rated by the SRCC, and native incentives can additional scale back prices. In Texas, Austin Utilities affords a rebate of as much as $1,200 for photo voltaic thermal techniques, for instance. You can search the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) for rebates in your space.
In locations with excessive gas prices, photo voltaic water heaters may be effectively price it. The techniques typically have a payback time of 5 to 10 years, Giese says, however in Hawaii, which has the most costly electrical energy charges within the nation, you’ll be able to break even in lower than three years. With free power from the solar, this type of water heating can be insulated from fossil-fuel shortages and value spikes.
Exactly what you’ll save, although, is dependent upon how a lot sizzling water your family makes use of, how a lot solar you get, how effectively your system performs, and what you’d be paying for those who used solely fuel or electrical energy to warmth your water.
The photo voltaic collectors themselves are additionally fairly sturdy — they’ll final 20 years — however the sizzling water tank will must be changed sooner, Giese says. Like different tank water heaters, it tends to offer out after about 10 to 15 years.
So, do you have to go the photo voltaic route if you’re available in the market for a new water heater?
It’s a tough query that may finally be answered solely on a case-by-case foundation. If you reside someplace with excessive power costs — like Hawaii or California — and you don’t intend to get photovoltaic panels on your house, going with a photo voltaic water heater is perhaps a good possibility. But if in case you have low-cost electrical energy, or have PV panels in your roof or plan to get some, it might make extra monetary sense to scrub up your water use with a heat-pump possibility as an alternative.
A 2020 research by Flagstaff Research discovered that for Californians getting photo voltaic PV to energy their houses, it may be inexpensive to upsize the array to cowl a heat-pump water heater than to put in a water heater powered by the solar. However, the research was performed when the economics for rooftop PV panels within the state had been higher, Adam Chrisman, president of SunEarth Inc. (a Solaray subsidiary), factors out.
You might go for the double whammy of a photo voltaic PV array and a photo voltaic water heater. Some householders match each on their roofs.
Advice on getting a photo voltaic water heater
As with different house power initiatives, ensure you get a number of quotes from contractors for any kind of water-heating system you’re contemplating, whether or not a solar-powered or heat-pump water heater, recommends Kyle Gluesenkamp, an professional in thermal power storage on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. You’ll be capable of examine payback durations and dissect estimates of working and upkeep prices and the way a lot you’d spend for those who stick to the sort of water heater you have already got. If you’re feeling additional nerdy, you’ll be able to estimate the payback size your self with this calculator from the DOE.
Because of the complexity of putting in a photo voltaic water heater on the roof, “it’s essential discover an installer who actually is aware of the expertise effectively and is there to advise you,” Martin says. “They don’t require a lot of upkeep as soon as they stand up and operating, however you do should get them operating correctly.”
Then you’ll be able to let your photo voltaic sizzling water move.
