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When was the last time you heard someone say something was free, its pretty rare! But when we start to discuss hot water there is an option that gives you the ability to take advantage of free energy to create hot water for nearly 8 months of the year (depending on your geographical location and aspect of the house).
Solar that’s right using the energy from the sun today allows businesses and homes to create electricity for either credits into the grid or use around the home, but another option is using solar panels which have water pumped through them.
By using solar water panels mounted to a roof either directly or via a pitched frame it typically willsoalr energy from the sun its FREE allow a domestic water to affectively operate during summer (and those other months where we get hot weather) without any further contribution via another energy source such as gas or electricity.
Another bonus for businesses and large-scale set ups such as apartments, hotels and aged care facilities is that the solar energy will contribute significantly to pre-heating. Due to the large-scale volume of water properties such as these commercial and industrial properties consume its unrealistic to think the solar water heating will provide 100% of the buildings requirements but it certainly allows for a good portion of pre-heating meaning that natural gas or propane (in most cases) only will be then used to heat warm water which keeps gas consumption down and hence lowers the utilities bills.
Like most things today nothing last forever and infrastructure such as these also need maintaining during their life. The average expected life span of solar water panels is between 15 to 20 years (depending on manufacturer and environmental conditions). During this period, you can expect to have repairs performed on items such as the hot and cold-water pressure relief valves, seals which join the panels together, cleaning of the panels to ensure they are performing at their optimal efficiency and anti-frost valves replaced in frost prone areas of the Adelaide Hills such as Stirling, Crafers, Aldgate, Bridgewater and Hahndorf to list a few of the more common locations of South Australia.
One important aspect to remember about solar panels is successfully gaining and maintaining access to work on these or even replace when the time comes. When we look at commercial and industrial properties majority of the time there are tie down points for our workers to harness themselves onto and ladders installed via roof access hatches to safely get onto and off the work place where the panels are installed. In domestic set-ups it can be little more challenging, so we need to attend the site with a E.W.P. (elevated working platforms) or have a scaffold erected. Working safely at heights is never a short cut worth taking as everyone deserves to go home from work each day
without injury.
If you don’t currently have solar water heating panels installed at your business or home let us help you with technical solutions based upon your requirements. On larger projects we have had up to 20 panels banked/manifolded together for pre-heating purposes and on smaller scale domestic homes we have had just one panel installed. Each case is different and that’s where our experience will be to your benefit, let’s work together on decreasing your energy bills.
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