Using Solar Heating Tubes to Lower Energy Costs

May 24, 2010
By Craig Axelrod

How much do you know about solar hot water heating? You might know that it is used very often to make heated water for swimming pools, and you may even know someone who has a system on their home or office building. Did you also know that there are a few different ways that this technology can work?

For instance, the systems relying on solar heating tubes can be put to work in even cold climates and be used to dramatically lower energy costs for homes, offices, industrial complexes, and even multi-unit apartment buildings. Many people wonder why they only "lower costs" and do not eliminate them, and the simplest answer is that the sun isn't always glowing brilliantly throughout each day, and of course it always sets at night.

This could mean that a system using solar heating tubes could provide around forty gallons of hot water each day, but only under optimal conditions. This would generally indicate that some form of "backup" would be required to ensure that the building always has access to a ready supply of hot water.

How much many can be saved? It is really impossible to set an "average" financial savings for the landlord or building owner who looks to alternative energy to supplement use of traditional supplies. A good way to understand the financial impact of a system using solar heating tubes to lower energy costs is to simply review the amount of energy (either propane consumption or electrical usage) that is required for your current system for making hot water. You may have to make a good estimate of this, but generally you will end up with a relatively accurate kWh count for a single year.

You can then take this figure and determine what sixty to seventy percent of that would be. This is the actual amount that most people save on domestic or commercial hot water heating through the use of a solar heater system. You can then apply the math and figure out, roughly, how much standard energy you will need once the system is installed.

Remember, the long-term benefits of the system are consistently lower energy costs, and low maintenance. The short-term benefits include immediate rebates from most utility providers, and a large menu of tax incentives from a range of government agencies. For instance, most people can automatically take the maximum tax break for alternative energy usage after opting to install a solar heating array. They will also probably find that their state and even local tax agencies give them a break as well. Lastly, the equipment is going to be able to be "depreciated" just like all other investments, but it will enjoy an accelerated depreciation as yet another short-term benefit.

The total costs of installing a hot water system in any kind of building can usually be recouped in as little as five years. This means that after the proverbial "payback" period is reached, the building owner or landlord is going to be able to enjoy dramatically lower energy expenses, and the comfort that they are using "greener" methods too.