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1. Why is it so easy to profit from solar water heating?

Your savings comes in three directions:

(a) Same year tax CREDITs,
(b) Drastically reduced energy costs
(c) Contribution to saving the environment.

The N.C. state tax credit is 35% and the new federal tax credit is 30%. The amount of energy cost savings should range from 60% to 80% of your current cost. Wouldn't it be nice to tell your grandchildren that you participated in a movement to finally take responsibility for conserving valuable natural resources that were being consumed much faster than they were being produced?

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2. Can I cancel the Utility Co.?

No. There will most likely be a need, but it will be greatly reduced. Most days your solar system should produce most, if not all of the hot water you will use. You will need to maintain a backup system; however, the portion of your energy bill related to hot water may be only about 30% of the cost prior to going solar.

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3. What is a tax CREDIT?

This aspect is so important to the rationale of purchasing a solar system that you will see us write this word in all capital letters to help get the point across to you. Many get confused in defining a tax deduction versus a tax CREDIT. A tax deduction (for example, a charitable gift) allows you to deduct it from your income (earnings) before you calculate you tax liability. A tax CREDIT allows you to deduct 100% of the amount from your tax liability.

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4. Is this area good for solar?

Very good. Rating geographic areas from 1 (poor) to 10(best), this area rates as a 7.

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5. Do I have to change my usage habits?

No. Solar water heaters are always installed with a backup heating system to ensure that hot water is available at all times.

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6. Are there Commercial Applications?

If solar works for your home, just think what it could do in your business environment. Every business is different; therefore, your solar needs and applications will also be varied.

We would enjoy the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how solar could become a meaningful part of you company. The best part about commercial solar applications, is that the tax incentives are even better than for residential in that the caps (maximum allowable levels) are much, much higher.

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7. What if it is a cloudy day?

The solar system still functions in cloudy weather, just not as well. And as mentioned above, your backup system would kick in, so you would not be without hot water. Actually you would not know any difference.

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8. Can the system freeze?

Freeze protection is an absolute must for any solar system because a single freeze could ruin your system. In most cases, a non-toxic glycol solution is circulated through the collector. A heat exchanger between the collector and storage tank transfers heat from the glycol to the potable water.

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9. How long will my solar system last?

The average life span of our solar systems is 25 years. Some systems may require occasional maintenance that we can provide.

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10. Do you offer a warranty?

Most of our systems components are under factory warranty for 5 to 10 years.

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11. Is solar technology new?

No, but it continues to evolve to become more efficient. People have been using this basic concept for many years. The newer tube technology is 20 years old, and was developed in Germany by Daimler-Benz Aerospace in cooperation with Sunda, a Chinese solar research company.

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12. Should I consider the solar system an investment?

Prior to the increase in purchased energy and the passage of tax CREDITS, the lifetime rate of return was approximately 60% more than the initial cost. Today, the average system has a lifetime rate of return of over 500%, an average of over 20% per year. Where can you get that kind of return on your money?

Go to the Bottom Line page >

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13. Why should I get one now?

We think there are several reasons that suggest that there is no reason you should delay. With the significant return of investment, the longer you delay the purchase, the longer you delay the savings process. The tax CREDITS are approved for a short period of time. With the expected demand for the systems, the prices could increase. With the demand and the limited number of qualified installers, your wait time could be much greater later on as installations could be backlogged.

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14. How much does a solar hot water system cost?

The brand, size, and whether to replace the backup system are the primary influences on the cost of the system best suited for your home. Our fully installed hot water solar systems begin at $4,500. The average system for a family of 4 is between $5,500 and $6,500.

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15. How would this work on a new house construction?

It works exactly the same; however, there may be additional benefits that are inherent to new construction. You may consider integrating your back-up system into your solar system. Another advantage to some may be to create a significant first-year cash flow advantage by incorporating the price of the solar system in with your mortgage financing of the new home. You will still get the tax credit benefit just as if you had paid cash for the solar system.

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16. Could I use a solar system to heat my pool?

You definitely should. Using solar systems to heat a swimming pool offer great savings versus electric or gas systems. Pool solar systems even qualify for the NC state tax CREDITS. Because they are less expensive and are so efficient, they typically have a return on investment as great as that of a domestic hot water system.

If you do not already have a heat system for your pool, naturally a reason to do so is to extend the usable period of time for the pool. These systems can increase your pool season by as much as 3 months. The average pool system will cost around $4,200. Once installed you save 100% of the cost that electric or gas would cost for another type system.

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17. Which style of solar collectors should I use?

We purposely chose to represent two companies that we feel are the best in their technology groups. One is a flat panel design and the other is of round vacuum tubes. There are a variety of reasons that could influence your choice.

These would include such things as:
(a) your consumption usage
(b) the site placement area for your collectors
(c) the budget you have set for the purchase
(d) the collector space you can accommodate on your roof
(e) your personal preference to the looks of the various systems available (after all it will become a part of your house)

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18. How do the collectors look when they’re installed?

The flat plate collectors look very similar to skylights. To get a good angle to true south for some homes, the flat panel in some cases may have to be raised slightly on one end. This can be more easily accomplished with the vacuum tube technology simply by tilting the flat metal strips inside the tubes.

Many people do not put the solar collectors on the house at all. Solar collectors can be mounted upon the garage, or a storage shed, or pool cabana. If you do place the solar collectors on the house, there will be a small efficiency gain due to shorter pipe spans.

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19. What size system is best?

For a family of two, one 4’ by 8’ panel or one row of 8 tubes would need to be added to the southern facing roof. A family of 4 would generally need twice that amount of collector space. The storage tank(s) should house approximate 30 gallons per person.

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20. What about installation?

A typical installation can usually be completed in two days or less.

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21. Should I replace my current back-up system?

You may decide to replace (or even incorporate) your existing back-up system into your solar system for a variety of reasons that could include any or a combination of the following: space, age of you current system, or better efficiency / higher overall return.

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The Decision to Go Solar is really a “No-Brainer”