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Advantages and disadvantages of solar water heater

Solar energy provides many benefits such as solar water heating through devices created with technology that allows water to be heated using solar energy.

You can save a lot of energy with a solar water heater. Very good for the environment and also for your wallet. Of course, there are also negative qualities attached to it. 

Advantages and disadvantages of solar water heater

Currently the heat needs in homes are covered with the use of LP Gas or Natural Gas.
The price of these fuels in the country is high and increases more over time, but several companies have dedicated themselves to the research and development of technology to take advantage of renewable energies to produce resources that make our homes sustainable.

What are the advantages of solar water heaters?

Modern solar water heaters have many positive qualities that you as a consumer can benefit from. Due to the growing scarcity of oil, it is advisable to focus on green energy.

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Use the free energy of the sun to heat your domestic water, your home or your swimming pool. In addition, solar water heaters also have a number of practical benefits that will benefit you and your family financially.

1) Save on energy costs

With a solar water heater, you can save an average of 50-65% on hot water costs. For a family of four, this means a saving of €110 – €150 per year. After five years, you have already saved €550 – €750 on energy with a solar water heater.

When energy prices (oil and gas) start to rise, you will be able to save even more, but it is difficult to make an exact prediction because the price of oil and gas is subject to many external factors.

2) a solar water heater is good for the environment

By using a solar water heater, you quickly reduce annual CO2 emissions by 300 to 400 kg per year (average installation). CO2 is also called a greenhouse gas because it contributes to global warming.

This warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels and leads to major changes in the climate. In Belgium, that means warmer summers and milder winters with lots of precipitation. By using energy saving measures, such as a solar water heater, you help stop global warming.

3) Increases home value

When you take energy saving measures, such as installing a solar boiler, this is included in the calculation of the energy performance of the house. If you want to sell or rent the property later, you can ask for a higher price.

4) Attractive subsidy options

If you have a solar water heater installed by a contractor, you are eligible for a premium of a maximum of €2,750 (protected buyers maximum €4,125). For the installation of a solar water heater, you will receive 50% from the network administrator!

 

What are the disadvantages of solar water heater?

Everything has advantages and disadvantages. This is also the case with solar boilers. Whether the disadvantages outweigh the benefits depends from person to person. The negative aspects of solar water heaters are mainly of a practical nature.

Disadvantage 1: A solar water heater takes up space

There are different types of solar boilers, from small to large, and it is mainly the somewhat larger installations that are also used as heating support that require quite a bit of space. 200 to 500 liter storage bins are no exception and you should have space for this (in the attic, basement or garage)

. Naturally, the ceiling must also be suitable for placing collectors and it must be taken into account that the appearance of the ceiling will change.

Disadvantage 2: wrong orientation

If you want to make effective use of a solar water heater, the solar collectors must face south. A southwest or southeast orientation is ideal. Other orientations are possible but lead to losses. It is also important that there are not too many shadows (trees, surrounding houses, dormer windows).

Solar collectors simply need a lot of light to work efficiently, and not every home is suited for it.

Disadvantage 3: other heat sources are still necessary

In the summer, solar collectors work better and you can heat almost all of your domestic water with free energy from the sun. In periods when the sun hardly shines or hardly ever, post-heating is always needed to have enough hot water.

That certainly applies to home heating. A central heating boiler or a heat pump is needed to heat the house sufficiently. More information on how to heat the house with a solar water heater can be found here (article heating solar water heater).

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