A solar hot water system supplements your hot water heating; A collector on your roof absorbs the heat from the sun and preheats the water that goes into your existing hot water tank, saving on energy costs. A solar hot water system can provide between 40 -60 percent of an average household’s annual hot water demand.
With nearly 10% of household GHG emissions coming from water heating, a solar hot water system will reduce your heating bills and your environmental footprint.
An elegant, mature technology, a solar hot water system can be expected to last 25 years or more. Systems that are over 25 years old are still used regularly here in Vancouver.
VREC provides equipment, installation and consulting services for solar hot water. Please Contact Us if you have any questions or would like further information.
INCENTIVES
The City of Vancouver is currently offering a $3000 grant for residential Solar Hot Water installation within the city of Vancouver. For more information please see the City of Vancouver Solar Homes website. Please note that the number of grants available is limited and is awarded on a first-come first-serve basis.
Your next step is to Book an Assessment, which costs between $150-400, depending on options. The cost of this assessment will be credited against the cost of installing your system if you choose VREC as your supplier and installer. Please visit our assessments page to select the type of assessment you are interested in and book and appointment.
TYPICAL TYPES OF SOLAR DOMESTIC HOT WATER SYSTEMS
Solar domestic hot water systems can be classified in term of their means of protecting against freezing:
- Use an anti-freeze within the solar loop:
A very common system deployed within Canada, anti-freeze based solar hot water systems work well against freezing. The anti-freeze solution is a mix of food-grade propylene glycol and water. The anti-freeze solution usually requires changing every 3 years but the actual frequency depends on the system design.
- Empty the solar loop when freezing conditions occur:
Other common solar hot water system deployed in Canada are the drainback and seasonal systems. These solar hot water systems empty solar loop when freezing conditions occur. Both types use only water within the solar loop. The drainback system functions throughout the year and automatically empties the solar loop when freezing conditions occur. The typical annual maintenance consists of adding a cup of water to the solar loop to offset evaporative water loss. This type of system requires a very carefully install and is best suited when the solar panels and the mechanical room are vertically aligned. Seasonal systems are typical deployed in off-the-grid sites and are meant to be used only during the off-winter seasons. The system has to be manually emptied before the temperatures of the season reach freezing.
Vancouver Renewable Energy can install either anti-freeze or drainback solar domestic hot water systems.
