Why use Solar Power Water Heaters?

We believe this is an inevitable question most home owners face when buying a landed property. However, it does not take much convincing after analyzing the pros and cons of installing a solar panel system in your home. There are many reasons solar power is becoming more popular. In fact, there are almost as many reasons to start using solar power water heaters in your home as there are people in the world.

Solar power as defined by Wikipedia; is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP). Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam.

                                                       * Power of the sun *

Let's ask ourselves now " are solar power panels realistic for generating useful heat and electricity? The answers to this question are simple because there is no other source of energy on the planet more reliable and powerful than the sun. Have you ever stopped and think that your energy source could be free? No utility bills? No cold water when there is a black out * assuming you installed an instant/storage water heater *? No ups and downs with the economy causing a surge in electricity costs? All these are made possible with the installation of a solar power water heater system.

               * Our exact expression when faced with a no - hot - water situation*
                                                     


There are however, many ways of getting heated water apart from a solar power water heater and we would like to share it with you. First, you can boil 2-4 liters maximum capacity of water in your kettle, lug it to your bathroom on a daily basis, mix the heated water with a tub of cold water and shower. Continue following this pattern and you will develop some serious muscles  serious exhaustion just to shower.

Second, install an instant water heater with or without pumps. This does the job too and is recommended for condominiums. Thirdly, you could have a storage water heater. The storage water heater could be a good alternative to a solar power water heater. However, the downsides of a storage water heater is that you will have to turn on the electricity switch, wait a minimum of 10-15 minutes for the water to heat up before you can shower. One should also bear in mind that the hot water can suddenly turn cold if another person were to use hot water at the same time in another bathroom. Storage tank too is recommended only for condominiums if you do not favor units of instant water heaters on your wall.


Here are some pictures of the different water heaters :

                                                     * Instant water heater*

                                                   * Storage Water Heater *

                                                 * Solar Power Water Heater *

Storage heater and instant heater uses electricity to generate hot water. Any electrical appliances per say consumes electricity. Solar heater on the other hand uses the heat of the sun to generate hot water, so it does not consume electricity at all. Cost and budget is always an issue when it comes to selecting the appropriate system for your home so we worked out a rough calculation to help you realize how much you could save by installing a solar power for your landed property.

Cost Comparison
Assuming you have 6 toilets and 5 family members. ( do not forget family members can increase, hence increasing the cost of electricity and additional instant/storage heaters )

Instant Heater
1) 6 units of Water Heater = RM 1,800 (Rm 300 each)
2) Installation Charges = RM 480 (RM 80 each)
3) Electricity Bill = RM 1,095 per year (60 cents per person per day)
4) Water Pump = RM 1,300
Total Cost over 5 years = RM 9,055 (Provided that none of the heater spoils)
Storage Heater
1) 4 units of storage heater = RM 2,000 (RM 500 each)
2) Installation Charges = RM 720 (RM 120 each)
3) Hot Water Piping = RM 3,000
4) Mixers & Rain Showers = RM 1,980 (RM 330 per bathroom)
5) Water Pump = RM 1,300
6) Electricity Bill = RM 1,278 per year (70cents per person)
Total Cost over 5 years = RM 15,390 (Provided that none of the heater spoils)

Solar Water Heater
1) Solar + pump package = RM 5,299
2) Installation Charges = FREE
3) Hot Water Piping = RM 3,000
4) Mixers & Rain Showers = RM 1,980 (RM 330 per bathroom)
5) Electricity Bill = Zero
Total Cost over 5 years = RM 9,960 (Solar comes with a 10 years warranty and is often problem free up to 20 years)

To use solar power heater, you will need to install hot water piping and copper pipes are the best. With this system you can have hot water EVERYWHERE and coupled with a powerful water pump, you get excellent water pressure + consistent hot water EVERYWHERE in your home! for example: your shower, basin, kitchen, garden and even your washing machine. 

       * An instant water heater without water pump VS solar power heater with pump *

                                   * Sample bathroom using solar power heater *



In a nutshell, please do not be discouraged with the initial high start up cost of using a solar power water heater. In fact, using solar power can save you money over the long term. It’s an excellent investment in the future actually, and it can be an effective hedge against rising electricity costs by TNB. Plus, it feels great knowing you have done something good for the environment.