Economical Solar Energy Solutions
For Home, Pool, & Business

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

Home Water Heating

Using the sun for heating your water is an old idea that is timely again.

Since residences are charged the highest electricity and natural gas prices, solar hot water is one of the best energy investments you can make!

Why Solar HW?
The general efficiencies of common water heating devices are; (purchased energy vs. delivered heat):
  
Standard Gas Tank Water Heaters - 50-60%
Tankless Gas Heaters - 80-85%
Standard Electric Tank Water Heaters - 95% 
 
As you see, a tankless gas heater can be a big improvement over a standard gas tank, but it still isn't as efficient as a standard electric tank, costs a lot more, and can't even compare with free solar heat.  We offer systems that replace purchased energy and can greatly reduce or eliminate your water-heating bill for the next few decades (without any energy price increases!).

Our systems use 80- or 120-gallon solar pre-heating tank/exchangers to feed your existing water heater.  This provides extra storage for heavy usage periods.  Our preferred systems are of a ‘drain-back’ design in which the water flowing through the rooftop solar collectors returns to an indoor reservoir when the circulating pump cuts off, thus avoiding freeze issues.

The system will collect free solar heat every day, sunny or cloudy.  On stormy days when the cloud cover is extremely heavy your existing water heater may briefly kick in to bring the pre-heated water up to your set  temperature. The sun will normally supply all the required heat.

The typical system can pay for itself in around 3-5 years.  National real estate appraisal surveys show solar investments retain their full value in home sales.  The architectural bronze finish of the collectors looks like a high-end skylight and fits well with any roofline.

Solar systems allow you to not worry anymore if the teenagers are taking too many long showers or about wastefully washing clothes in hot water as we have been conditioned not to do since the 1970s.

The good old times of plenty are here!