03-19-2023, 05:58 PM
Leilanidude:
Do you also have a solar PV system? I do and am so heavily invested it changes the calculus of which way I should go in terms of the cost to go from where I am to where I can have solar hot water. Also, I am in EdenRoc not Leilani Estates so there are more clouds. This may at first seem like I should be even more likely to chose solar thermal for its efficiency but the other consideration is that buying more solar PV is worth it for me just to supply my electrical needs on bad days. This leaves me with excess electrical capacity a lot of the time.
This almost seems like I am criticizing your input. Please do not take offense. I am just thinking out loud.
Another observation is that if a new solar thermal system costs $5,000, a new solar PV system to heat water costs $10,000, but I, having already spent more than that, can add more panels and get where I need to go for an incremental cost of $3,000 then someone starting from scratch should buy a new solar thermal system while someone like me should buy more panels and do everything with solar PV, even with a resistance electric heater. If you use a heat pump water heater that could sway things even more in favor of solar PV. I am very much intrigued by heat pumps but it is really hard to beat the cost of the water heater I already have, the almost insignificant maintenance it requires, and the extremely high dependability. Every time I think "For only $1,000 more I could get a heat pump" I stop and think that $1,000 of panels would sure be nice in the depth of winter in Eden Roc.
Do you also have a solar PV system? I do and am so heavily invested it changes the calculus of which way I should go in terms of the cost to go from where I am to where I can have solar hot water. Also, I am in EdenRoc not Leilani Estates so there are more clouds. This may at first seem like I should be even more likely to chose solar thermal for its efficiency but the other consideration is that buying more solar PV is worth it for me just to supply my electrical needs on bad days. This leaves me with excess electrical capacity a lot of the time.
This almost seems like I am criticizing your input. Please do not take offense. I am just thinking out loud.
Another observation is that if a new solar thermal system costs $5,000, a new solar PV system to heat water costs $10,000, but I, having already spent more than that, can add more panels and get where I need to go for an incremental cost of $3,000 then someone starting from scratch should buy a new solar thermal system while someone like me should buy more panels and do everything with solar PV, even with a resistance electric heater. If you use a heat pump water heater that could sway things even more in favor of solar PV. I am very much intrigued by heat pumps but it is really hard to beat the cost of the water heater I already have, the almost insignificant maintenance it requires, and the extremely high dependability. Every time I think "For only $1,000 more I could get a heat pump" I stop and think that $1,000 of panels would sure be nice in the depth of winter in Eden Roc.