At a time that we are more conscious than ever of how much trouble our environment is in, there are more options for a greener way to heat your home and your water.  One of these methods is the solar hot water heater.  This is something worth researching, especially if you are not in a position to tear up, re-wire, and re-plumb the whole house to make it more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Where Can I Put My Solar Panels?

These square window like objects are known as “collectors” and can be used on rooftops or against a wall.  Because they can be put on rooftops, they are saving space and can be used by those who don’t have a large ground area, but still want to be more environmentally aware.  There are many people turning to this method of hot water heaters, not just those who are eco-friendly, and it has proven to save money in a short time.  Not only are you using less energy from the grid, but also you are harnessing some of nature’s power on your rooftop without the help of your electricity company.

Are Solar Hot Water Heaters A Popular Choice?

The solar hot water heater is becoming so popular that now you can build them yourself.  One such website that can help you in this regard is   http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Homes/2007-10-01/Build-Your-Own-Solar-Water-Heater.  Here you will be guided through the basic background information to let you decide if this is for you.  Here you will also learn about the two types of solar hot water heaters – passive and active.  Active will not circulate the heat produced without your old-fashioned energy source of electricity; however, passive does not require this.  At a time that people are more aware of how much money they are spending - sometimes un-necessarily - the DIY solar hot water heater is bound to get more attention than it has in the past.

Do They Work In All Climates?

When we think of anything solar, we immediately think that these pieces of equipment are only suitable for nearly tropical weathers, but we would be greatly mistaken.  Solar, as the name describes, runs from light.  Although some equipment does not work as well in very cold weather, once you have light, you will be able to find a solar heater that suits your environment.  The light your solar power “collectors” get does affect the amount of power you will receive.  On a sunny, clear day, your solar water heater will draw enough light to make power to heat your water.  However, on a cloudy day, the level of light is reduced, and the potential power for your solar hot water heater will be reduced too.  If you have a succession of cloudy days, your solar hot water heater will not work to its full capacity.  Snow will also affect how much your heater will work as it will stick to the “connector,” thus stopping the light from getting through to make power.

It is good to know that you can harness some of the extra power made with your solar power at home, which can be transferred to batteries and used when the weather is not to your advantage.

What To Consider Before Buying A Solar Hot Water Heater

If you are considering purchasing a solar hot water heater, you should first look at your living space.  Do you have somewhere on your roof or in your yard for these “collectors”?  Will there be sufficient light available in that space?  If these will be placed on the roof of your home, then at what angle will they be facing, and will this angle be the best to get as much light as possible?  Before deciding on the type of solar power equipment you purchase, you should ask if you want to use this energy to do more than heat water – perhaps to heat your home.  There are quite a number of products on the market now that are made for different aspects of solar energy.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_hot_water is one website that gives you some answers to questions you will have. 

As with anything that you purchase, there is good quality and bad quality.  A popular site to go to is http://www.solardirect.com/swh/swh.  On this website you will be shown different types of heaters available and will be given information on them.  However, one should take the time and research what is available around your area as well as over the Internet.  More and more companies are aware of the growing popularity of ecologically friendly equipment, so there will be plenty of choice.

How Much Will This Help The Environment?

The most important thing we need to remember is how much we are helping the environment when we buy such things as a solar hot water heater.  Your average family of four using an electric water heater will use 6,400-kilowatt hours per year of electricity.  This alone contributes to a huge amount of carbon dioxide – around 8 tons per year.  If you get a solar power hot water heater alone, without any other forms of environmentally friendly energy generators, you are still helping reduce your home’s carbon footprint.  You should also inquire if you are entitled to a grant, or if there are any tax incentives available, as there are a number of tax breaks to entice people to be more eco-friendly.

We are living in a time when money must be closely watched, and we must make efforts to improve how we treat the world we live in.  It is good to know that there are now more choices for us when we want to make our homes more energy efficient and more environmentally friendly.  It is also good to know that you may be saving money too.