Many people consider a Solar Water System. So are they saving you money ? Most of these systems have a 300ltr tank, often outside on the roof. And they don’t come cheap, they can cost €2000 to even €4000.
We would think the Sun will heat the water and its free. But there can be a catch: the Hot Water Solar systems need the Heat of the sun, unlike our PV panels which only need the Light !
To heat 300ltr, you can expect a consumption of 3,5kw per hour. You could end up paying 3-4 months per year extra to EDP because the sun cannot get the water hot enough in the morning, since the tank cooled down over night.
Some systems, especially the cheaper systems, only have the ugly tank on the roof, cooling off over night in winter so the winter showers can still cost you up to €1000 per year. Some people had the system running on EDP even without knowing.
Your return on these systems is still 8-10 years, so why bother ?!
So here some tips...
Solar Boilers
If you already have such a system, check if it is equipped with an EDP circuit breaker, it should be. To test if it is only running on solar, switch the breaker off.
You can put a timer on the EDP plug, then in case it needs to kick back you can run it at night rates.
Electrical Boilers
These are cheap, a 200ltr boiler will cost about €250 and uses about 2-2½kw per hour. Maintenance is also cheap, €75 for the heating element maybe every 5-8 years.
With our SHS Solar Solutions we can cover the electric boiler, run it on a timer and it will be 100% free. Your return with SHS is only 4-5 years !
So you have saved the €2000 - €4000 which you can invest in a self-consumption Solar Solution, and run even more appliances on it.
So not only do you have 100% free hot water, you are saving more on EDP which will only go up. And you miss out on paying the always inevitable 23% VAT on top of everything !!
Visit our website for more information, and to read regular news updates to keep you informed about the latest renewable developments.
W: http://www.shs-pt.com
T: 932 650 496
E: info@shs-pt.com
