A Consumer’s Guide
Heat YourWaterwith the Sun
Bringing you a prosperous future where energy is clean, abundant, reliable, and affordable
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Background
What is solar heating? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
What are the basic components of a solar thermal system? . . . . . 2
How have solar systems improved? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Investing in solar thermal technologies
Why should I invest in a solar thermal system? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
How much will your solar heating system help the
environment? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Is my home a good place for a solar heating system? . . . . . . . . . . 6
How big should my solar thermal system be, and which
features should I look for? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
How much money will my solar thermal system save, and
how much will it cost? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
How can I finance the cost of my solar thermal system?
Are there incentives? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
What are the maintenance issues and repair costs for a solar
thermal system? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Selecting a solar heating contractor
Who sells and installs solar thermal systems? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
How do I choose among solar thermal system providers? . . . . . 13
How do I choose among bids? Is the least expensive the
best deal? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Before you put solar heating to work
Do I need a conventional system as a backup? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Will I need any permits or inspections? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
What about insurance? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Will I need warranties? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Will I nee