Q: What is a solar water heater?

A solar water heater uses the sun's energy as the primary energy source.  A conventional fossil fuel water heater acts as an auxiliary heater to provide the energy required during cloudy periods. When installed properly, solar water heaters are more economical over the life of the system than heating water with electricity, dedicated heat pumps, heat recovery units or propane.

Q: How does an indirect pumped or closed loop solar water heating system work?

This system design is common where freezing weather occurs more frequently. An antifreeze solution circulates through the collector and a heat exchanger transfers the heat from the antifreeze solution to the tank water.

The system illustrated below is an example of this system type. Here a heat transfer solution is pumped through the collector in a closed loop. The loop includes the collector, connecting piping, the pump, an expansion tank and a heat exchanger. A heat exchanger in the solar energy pack located on the storage tank transfers heat from the heat transfer solution to the potable water in the solar storage tank.

The brain of the system is a differential controller. In conjunction with collector and tank temperature sensors, the controller determines when the pump should be activated to direct the heat transfer fluid through the collector.

The fluid used in this system is a mixture of distilled water and a non-toxic, food grade antifreeze (propylene glycol). This type of fluid freezes only at extremely low temperatures so the system is protected from damage caused by severe cold.

Q: Is water heating a large part of my electric bill?

Yes. For the typical residence, heating water is the second highest use of energy behind your heating and cooling system.

Q: How much savings can I expect with a solar water heater?

Savings vary with systems and households. A typical family could save 40–45% of annual water heating costs with a solar water heater. The dollar savings could be in the range of $120–160 per year.

Q: My solar water heater is already installed, can I get a discount?

Only installations that have gone through the Jackson EMC review process, and have been installed and inspected according to program guidelines, are eligible for the rebate.

Q: If my system qualifies for Jackson EMC’s program, will it also qualify for State and Federal tax credits?

The technical standards for the two programs are similar, but you are responsible for consulting your tax advisor for the relevant information before installing the system.

Q: Is a solar water heater on a new home eligible?

Absolutely. New and existing homes qualify, but the home must be receiving power from Jackson EMC and must pass the review process.

Q: The Right Choice Sun Power Rebate Program sounds great. How do I sign up?

To get started, complete this form or contact your local Jackson EMC office.

Q: What is the proper orientation of the solar collector?

Collectors should be mounted on an unshaded area of a south-facing roof. They can face up to 60 degrees east or west of south without a significant decrease in performance.

Q: What size solar water heating system do I need?

For Georgia residences with a dishwasher and an automatic clothes washer, a rough rule of thumb is 10-15 square feet of collector area per person, and 20 gallons of water storage per person. So, for a family of four, 40-square-feet of collector and a total tank storage of 80 gallons are typical.

Note that systems may be a two-tank preheat configuration or single tank solar/electric space-saver design.  The preheat configuration will include two tanks, the solar system tank as well as the auxiliary tank. The auxiliary tank can be powered by electricity, natural gas, propane or heating oil.  The single tank space-saver has an electric element to ensure there is always standby hot water.

Q: How much money will solar water heating save?

Monthly savings will depend on the amount of hot water used, storage tank size and type and price of fuel used for backup water heating. After heating and cooling your home, water heating uses the most energy.

For a family of four, the typical hot water usage is 70-gallons per day, so using 3990-kilowatt-hours per year to heat the water electrically, or $319 per year worth of electricity at 8¢ per kilowatt hour.

A solar water heater should save 50%-80% of the hot water portion of the monthly utility bill, or $160 to $255 per year for a family of four, if the backup element is kept at 122° F.

A solar water heater can save even more if a homeowner turns off the backup and relies solely on the sun for hot water. During summer months, when hot water demands are lower and the sun shines longer, some solar owners turn off the backup element circuit breaker, or switch. As electricity and other fuel prices go up, solar savings will increase accordingly.

Q: What happens on a cloudy day?

Since solar energy systems require sunlight, the bulk of production will take place under sunny conditions. Output is directly proportional to the amount of infrared sunlight available at any given moment. A system can generate 50-70% of its typical output under bright overcast conditions, but production will continue to diminish as less infrared light reaches the system. When sunlight conditions won’t generate hot water, the auxiliary backup will use conventional energy to heat water.

Q: Does a homeowner have to change their habits to use a solar water heater?

No. Solar water heaters are always installed with a backup heating system to ensure that hot water is available at all times. However, to maximize solar utilization and savings, homeowners should attempt to use the most hot water in the late morning and early afternoon when the solar system is operating at its peak due to the available sunshine. Also, the solar system will be more effective if hot water use is spread more evenly over the week. For example, if hot water is used for laundry, instead of washing seven loads of clothes in a single day, wash one load each day. This will reduce the amount of backup energy required for the solar system.

Q: Are solar water heating systems reliable?

Properly designed and installed systems with glass-covered collectors should perform well for more than 20 years. Controllers, like other electronic devices, may require servicing during the life of the system, and the pump and hot water tank may have to be replaced after 10 years. Since conventional water heaters have the same expected lifetime, water tank replacement costs are not regarded as unique to solar energy systems.

Normal maintenance consists of checking pipe insulation, roof penetrations and collector mounting, pump operation and tank flushing. The latter is also recommended for conventional water heating systems, as is periodic replacement of the water heater sacrificial anode rod.

Many installation firms provide annual or biannual maintenance checkups of their solar systems similar to annual air-conditioning system maintenance programs. These can be beneficial in extending the life of the system and ensuring optimum performance.

Q: How can you be sure your system is properly installed?

As a safeguard for our customers, Jackson EMC requires solar water heating systems that qualify for the Sun Power program rebates to be installed either by a contractor who is trained and certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, or by a contractor who has been trained through approved manufacturer’s training programs.

Jackson EMC has sponsored manufacturer training of contractors in its service area to ensure that customers who are interested in solar water heating systems have a reliable installation resource.  To date, 27 contractors from 17 companies have completed the manufacturer’s training.  For a complete list of contractors, click here.

Q: How does a solar hot water system help the environment?

Solar water heating harnesses the sun’s energy.  There are no pollutants or greenhouse gasses emitted when harvesting solar energy.  A family of four can expect to reduce greenhouse gas emission by about 2.5 tons per year.

Q: How does a solar water heater system help to reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign energy?

A solar water heating system for a family of four will produce approximately enough energy to replace 91 gallons of gasoline, 119 gallons of propane or 114 therms of natural gas.

Q: How much does a solar water heater cost?

Through the Jackson EMC Right Choice Sun Power program, an installed solar water heating system can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000. Why the large range? System cost depends upon certain variables, such as the following:

• Size of family to be served
• Size and type of solar system
• Type of financing available
• Type of roof on which the collector is to be installed
• Building code requirements

Solar water heating is economically competitive with electrical and propane heating. It is also competitive with dedicated heat pumps and heat recovery units, depending upon the individual situation.

Q: How can homeowners finance a solar water heating system?

The best way to finance a solar energy system is to include it as part of the home’s mortgage. In long-term loans of 20 years or more, the monthly solar savings will normally be greater than the monthly mortgage payments for the solar system.

If a homeowner is buying a system for an existing home, Associated Credit Union, a Jackson EMC partner, has established a special Right Choice Sun Power Solar Energy Loan.  For more information, click here or call 770-448-8200.

 Q: Does government offer any financial incentives?

In 2008, the Georgia Legislature passed a state tax credit for solar systems. Federal tax credits are also available. You can visit www.dsireusa.org for a listing of available incentives. Homeowners should consult their tax advisor for the relevant information before installing a system.

Q: What other ways are there to save on water heating bills?

Besides simply using less hot water, and timing solar-heated water use to peak when the solar exposure is at its peak, the following strategies are recommended:

• Wash clothes in cold or warm rather than hot water.
• Wrap extra insulation around the tank and insulate a few feet of the hot water line near
  the tank.
• Set the hot water tank thermostat to 125 degrees.
• Install an automatic timer so that the heating element comes on only during certain hours of the day. This may be cost effective if hot water is needed only for a few hours per day.