Question

I’ve been looking at buying a Solar Water Heater.  Are there any simple guidelines on how big a system I should buy?

Answer 1

Solar Water Heater  is not cheap, that’s for sure but they can be a very worthwhile investment. I wont go into details of specific models as technology moves so fast in this business; the advice I will give you is this when you buy a solar water heater be sure it is the correct one for your needs, be sure not to buy one that is to powerful and expensive in less you expect you demand for hot water to rise buy the same token don’t buy one that is to weak as you will only be wasting your money.

Answer 2

A small (50- to 60-gallon) storage tank is good enough if there are one or two people living in the house. A medium (80-gallon) storage tank is recommended for three to four people. Get a large tank if there are more than four people.  Go to www.joolze for more detailed estimates.

Answer 3

According to EnergyStar, you should follow a guideline of around 20 square feet of collector area for each of the first two family members. For every additional person, add 8 square feet if you live in the Sun Belt or 12–14 square feet if you live in the north.  You can go to www.joolze.com to get a quick estimate of the savings and the size of system you need.

Answer 4

There are 2 factors to consider - total collector area and the tank storage volume.  The storage tank should be no larger than the hot water required for 90%–100% of your home's hot water needs during the summer.