Solar Services & Products:
- Solar water with electric back-up
- Solar water with gas back-up
- Solar circulating pumps
- Solar pool & spa heating
- Annual solar system servicing
- Collector cleaning & flush
- Open and closed loop systems
Solar Services Q & A:
A: First on the list, going solar is the "green" thing to do when considering more earth friendly options by using the sun instead of utilities to create hot water. This especially makes great sense in a hot desert climate like ours, so energy savings is also way up on the list of reasons. Also, in recent years, solar collector materials and designs have advanced significantly and are therefore more effective than in the past. And let's not forget the incentives! At almost any given time, multiple utility company rebates and/or tax credits are available to help offset the cost of initial installation.
Q: Will I still have hot water on a cloudy day?
A: Yes. Although hot water is being stored during sunny daylight hours, it is possible to use it up after hours or first thing in the morning. To solve this problem, your hot water storage tank is equipped with an auxiliary heating element which is energized when your solar collector cannot keep up with demand.
Q: Why consider heating my pool or spa with solar?
A: Because a pool and/or spa is typically outdoors, heat is lost to the cooler winter air at a rapid rate. If you already have an electric or gas fired heater, you know that the utility consumption is extremely high. Why not regain the heat you're losing from the same source you're losing to: the great outdoors.
Q: Can a typical single family homeowner really afford the cost of solar water heating?
A: Solar water heating is more affordable than ever before due to utility company incentives as well as sizeable tax credits. Often times, once these are taken into consideration, the actual cost does not exceed the cost of a standard water heater replacement.
Q: Does it matter where my solar panels are located?
A: For maximum solar gain, the collectors should be oriented south or west facing. If this happens to be on an undesirable part of the roof, they can often be located on a north or east roof, but angled to actually face the optimum direction.
"Collector": The actual roof mounted portion of the solar system typically referred to as the "Solar Panel".
"Auxiliary Heater": A secondary heat source which comes on when the solar collector cannot keep up with the present hot water use, typically at night or during overcast weather conditions.
"Controller": A master keypad type control located near the storage tank that displays tank temperature, collector temperature, controls system pump operation, and puts system into unoccupied modes for vacations or other times of unneeded water heating.
"Glycol": The antifreeze type solution added to distilled water in closed loop applications that offers freeze protection to prevent solar collector damage.
