Solar Thermal systems (sometimes referred to as Solar Hot Water systems or Domestic Solar Hot Water Heating systems) might be the most cost-effective way to save money - the only way to know for sure is by getting a personalized recommendation.

If solar hot water panels are indeed the best solution for you to lower your energy bills, here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions in the field.

What are my panel options?
There are three types of collectors.

Flat-plate collectors, which are insulated, weatherproofed boxes that contain a dark absorber plate under glass or plastic covers.

Integral collector-storage systems (ICS or batch systems), which are black tubes in an insulated, glazed box. (Usually installed in hot climates, since the pipes can freeze in severe, cold weather.)

Evacuated-tubes, which are parallel rows of transparent glass tubes.

How much roof space do they take up?
Again it depends on which collector you and your provider decide to install, but a rule of thumb is 2 flat-plate collectors are needed for every 2-4 people living in your home.  They take up much less space than a solar electric (PV) system, but that is not to say that they are a better investment than PV, you’ll have to find out for yourself.

How long does it take to install?
The panels can take anywhere from a half day to 2 days to install depending on the type of collector and if you’re replacing your hot water tank or not.

How do they differ from solar pool heating systems?
Solar pool heating systems are flat-plate collectors that don’t have a glass or plastic covering.  Solar pool heating systems only heat your pool’s water - even though they can be installed on your roof - but they do not supply hot water for your domestic needs such as hot water for space heating, showering or doing laundry.

If you have other questions about solar hot water, leave them in the comments and we’ll answer them.

We compared 4 homes in the US using Wattbot.com and found that no two homes are alike when it comes to saving money on their energy bill. 

We recommended installing a solar hot water system to the family of three living in a 1972 single-family home in Orinda, California and it would only cost them $1,837 upfront. 

However, even though the solar hot water incentives in New York were bigger, the most cost-effective energy saving recommendation for the Scarsdale home built in 1900 was to install solar electric (Solar PV) panels. Then again it would cost them $25,000 upfront, but the next logical choice to reduce their bill would be to install insulation for less than $1000 upfront and they would still make money on that investment assuming they stayed in their home for another 15 years.

The homes in Randolph, New Jersey and Bethany, Connecticut both got the same recommendation - to install insulation - however, the insulation incentives in New Jersey came out to $300 more than Connecticut’s, although the upfront costs of installing insulation in both states is just under $2,000.

What was surprising was that replacing a refrigerator, while there are rebates available, never came up as the most cost-effective choice, although compared to the other recommendations - it is one of the cheaper upfront cost improvements you can make to lower your energy bill.

Now it’s your turn, type your address into www.wattbot.com and see what the most cost effective way is for you to save money on your energy bill.  Send us an email with your top recommendation and you’ll have a chance to be in our next video.