Gulf Coast Solar, Inc. Logo

Economical Solar Energy Solutions
For Home, Pool, & Business

Serving Lower Alabama and Mississippi 
phone:  251-751-8723
email:  gulfcoastsolar@bellsouth.net 
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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What do we do with the solar panels when we replace a roof?

A:  Give us a call ahead of time and we will come out to remove the panels, seal the openings, work with the roofers to flash in new "top hats", and reinstall the panels after the roofing work is done.  We will do this work for you at cost.  Your conventional water heater will supply your needs until the solar system is back on line.

Q: Are the rooftop solar collectors vulnerable to hurricane winds?

A:  The rooftop solar water heating collectors and their mounting systems are rated at 181 MPH wind load by the Florida Solar Energy Center.  They are ruggedly built with a heavy aluminum frame and tempered glass on the top.  We prefer to install the collectors in a flush-mount configuration (with 4 inches of open space between the collector and the roof to keep them from damming up water).  This doesn’t expose them or your roof to any unusual loading.  If tilting is required we add extra supports and braces.

Q: Will a solar hot water system replace my current water heater?

A:  We install the 80- or 120-gallon solar storage tank in addition to your existing conventional water heater.  This gives you a likely total of 120 to 170 gallons of hot water storage on hand to provide for heavy usage periods.  Solar systems can work with conventional tanks or with 'instant' water heaters.  In the case of 'instant' gas heaters we prefer the Rinnai models with variable fire so they only come on as much as is needed.  We don't recommend electic 'instant' heaters for whole-house applications.  

Q: How does a solar water heating system work?

A:  A residential solar water heating system has two major parts; a storage tank with built in heat exchanger and a rooftop solar collector.  The 80- or 120-gallon storage tank is installed in the cold water supply line to your existing water heater.  A pump circulates a loop of water from a reservoir tank up to the solar collector to be heated by the sun.  The heated water then returns to the pump through the heat exchanger where it gives up it’s heat to the water in the storage tank.  A controller tells the pump when there is enough solar radiation to turn the pump on and turns the pump off when the storage tank reaches the desired temperature or the collector cools off in the evening.

Q: How much space does a solar water heating system take?

A:  A residential solar water heating system uses one or two solar collectors on the roof.  They are typically 4'x8' or 4'x10' each.  The storage tank and resevoir tank fit inside a 30 inch pan under an 8 foot ceiling.  We can work creatively with other locations and configurations.  The collectors are best placed on a south-facing roof.  The storage tank is best located near and under the collectors since circulating water gravity flows back to the tank.  8x12 roof pitch is the optimum for this latitude, but anything from 3x12 to 12x12 will work. 

Q: Solar water heating seemed to have a big moment in the 1970s and 1980s.  Why didn’t it catch on or stay popular?

A:  The post oil embargo push toward solar and other non-fossil fuel energy sources in the 1970s was followed by two decades of record low fossil fuel prices.  The government’s efforts to get everybody in the United States to use less energy were undercut by the market realities.  And the market is always right!  This time around it is different.  The market, in the form of energy prices - not the government, is the reality that makes solar energy economical.  Solar can stand on it’s own economic merits for residential and commercial use.  The new EPAct 2005 tax credits will kick-start the market in the direction that public policy wants it to go.  If you go outside of the United States you will find that solar applications are very widely used.  Saudi Arabia even has a very aggressive solar program (so that they can free up more oil to sell).

Q: Why doesn't Alabama have any solar tax incentives?

A:  We don't pay enough taxes to get any money back.  The legislature seems to do a good job of spending what they can get hold of without introducing new things.