Is it good to get a solar water heater in Philadelphia?
And what kinds are the best? This is my mission to find out.
There is a good website at
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=13030
It tells you some pretty good information about water heating. I am not renowned for my practicality, so I thought hearing about all this stuff was fabulous. It turns out that, if you want a cold-weather solar water heater, you can't have only water in there, or else the water could freeze. So you have to include a part of the solar water heater with some kind of antifreeze, most of which are pretty nasty chemicals. Also, the website points out that it makes more sense to buy a solar water heater when you were planning to update your old one, not just buy it separately. And if your roof is shady or doesn't face south, it might not make sense to put one on anyway On the website, there's a great solar water heater economics practicality calculation tool.
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=12910
So, if you realize a solar water heater doesn't make sense for you, there still are methods of being more energy efficient, and that is just as good as putting up a solar water heater but then wasting the extra hot water you have. These are the Department of Energy's Consumer Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recommendations for saving money (and energy) on hot water heating
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=13030
I all of those are pretty practical it seems, except maybe the last bit, which they say is only good when you're building the house or doing some kind of plumbing revamping anyway.
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