During times of brutal energy crisis globally, many households have adopted solar water heating systems to save money and conserve the environment. However, before purchasing and installing solar water heating systems, certain aspects should come into mind. Below are four major areas to look at before installing a solar water heater.
Solar water heaters’ popularity is arguably directly proportional to the steadily rising fuel prices, which is to say that the more fuel prices go up, the more people turn to solar alternatives. As with any other system, a few things should always come to mind before you decide to install solar systems. These factors are outlined below:
1. The availability of consistent solar radiation
Many might argue that the factor above is a non-factor since human beings have no control over phenomena such as the sun. However, owing to the fact that solar systems run on solar radiation, it is undoubtedly imperative that solar systems be set up in areas with enough sunlight to ensure that they work optimally and satisfactorily. Setting up solar heaters in areas with intermittent sunshine is more likely to lead to under-performance by the heating systems.
2. The total cost of installation of the solar heater
The client should ensure that the solar water heater price and the accompanying installation charges are within their budget. One of the most important reasons for installing a solar water heater is to economize, and therefore, the household installing the heater should make sure they do it at the lowest cost possible.
3. The availability of quality material for setting up the system
It is in the client’s best interests to ensure that the material used to set up the solar heaters is of good quality and from a trustworthy dealer. We want the system to have longevity and durability even in harsh weather conditions. A reliable dealer comes to play when the materials being supplied are of low quality and do not meet the standards set by the client and therefore need to be returned. A durable solar heating system also saves you from premature replacement, which attracts other costs.
4. Consider energy storage systems.
The client should decide whether they want to have a solar battery installed in the same system as the solar heater. This factor is dependent on other factors such as finance because a solar energy storage system will surely attract an additional material and installation charge and whether or not the households need a secondary energy storage option since the heating system may be sufficient on its own.
Summary
Before buying and installing a solar water system, some vital factors should be put in place, for example, how well endowed the vicinity is with solar rays, the price of installing the system, the availability of good quality material for installing the systems, and the option of adding energy store to the system.
