Solar Water Heaters

Solar Hot Water Heaters for Las Vegas

Did you know that using a standard electric or natural gas hot water heater can cost you from $35 to $120 per month for the average family of 4 in Las Vegas? If your business runs on hot water, like a restaurant or laundry mat, those costs can be much higher. You can slash that expense by installing a solar hot water heater that will provide all the hot water you need, even when the sun goes down.

Solar hot water heating systems are designed to perform in exactly the same way as a traditional water heater. You turn on the faucet and hot water comes out. There is no change to your lifestyle — except that you will never have to feel guilty about using too much again. You can do all the things you use hot water for now —dishes, laundry, cleaning, washing, bathing — using the renewable power of the sun.

How Solar Hot Water Heaters Work

There are several different types of solar hot water heater systems. The simplest is a type of drain back solar hot water heater system (DHW for short), which adds a solar hot water collector panel on your roof.

The solar hot water collector panel consists of a thin, flat, rectangular box with a transparent cover. Small tubes run through the box, carrying fluids (water or antifreeze), which are super heated by the power of the sun. As the heat builds up in the fluids, the system transfers the heat to warm the water in your tank until it reaches the maximum temperature.

In Las Vegas, these systems heat water so well that all units have to have a special temperature gauge that shuts the system down once it reaches the temperature you set. Any time the pump shuts down, the water drains into a special hot water storage tank.

When you turn on the tap, cold water from your home is pumped back into the storage tank and the copper heat exchange will draw off the heat already stored in the solar heated fluid tank. It does not mix with your household water.

The benefit of this hot water heating system is that it requires very little maintenance and is completely automatic.

Choosing a Solar Hot Water Heater

We offer several different types of solar hot water heater systems that can provide the hot water you need for your Las Vegas home or business that costs a fraction of the rate to operate of your natural gas hot water heater. Any one of our energy efficiency technicians can recommend the right kind of solar DHW for your needs.

Reduce your energy consumption AND lower your utilities bill. Contact Service First Energy Solutions today at (702) 463-0244 or submit the form to the left to schedule your FREE Energy Evaluation and we will assist you in determining which solar hot water heater is best for you.

Investing in a Solar Hot Water Heater

Depending on capacity, the average solar hot water heater costs $1,500 to $3,500 installed and then costs $35 to $120 per month to operate. The most commonly purchased solar DHW is approximately $6,900 but carries virtually NO monthly utility cost. In other words, the system can pay for itself in 2-5 years, depending on your hot water usage.

Generating Income with Your New Solar Hot Water Heater

Most solar DHW systems produce about 142 therms of energy or 4248 kilowatt hours of energy. This qualifies for 4.2 Renewable Energy Credits/Production Energy Credits every year. Once you earn energy credits, you can sell them or put them in a special Energy Credit bank for future use.

About 30% of your total Las Vegas home energy consumption is used to heat water. For example, if it costs the average homeowner about $560 to heat water every year, then we can divide the cost of production for one year ($560) and add Renewable Energy Credits (REC for short) (4.2 per year @$30 each = $120) that you will earn.

In addition to utility savings and energy credits, these systems qualify for the 30% federal tax credit for renewable energy improvements and there are rebate programs from both NV Energy and Southwest Gas that are offering up to $2,780 per system, virtually eliminating any cost difference between traditional and solar systems.

But that isn’t the best part. Once you have recouped the cost of your solar DHW in savings and credits, you will begin to earn money because of your investment as you sell your RECs.

Count on a return

For the typical home or business, heating hot water accounts for about 60% of your gas bill. Solar hot water makes sense for any business or home that uses large quantities of hot water.