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A lot of our energy comes from
non-renewable sources. Energy from the sun is free and
clean. Solar heating will reduce future energy demands
and will save you money in the long term. It will also
insulate you from network power cuts.
Solar Hot Water Heating
Energy from the sun is absorbed into panels located on your
roof. These panels need to be north facing with good year
round exposure to the sun and preferably near your hot water
cylinder. The energy is transferred from the panels to water
stored in your hot water cylinder.
Costs of installation are still high, although they are
reducing as technology improves. If you are building a new
house or need to replace your hot water cylinder, you should
seriously consider solar water heating as an option.
Installing solar water heating into an existing house is in
general more expensive because you may need to add pipes in
parts of the house that are hard to access, or you may need
to add structural framing to your roof if you decide to have
a cylinder on the roof.
Each installation is different, but would cost between $4000
and $8000 including the cylinder fully installed. It is
important to discuss your water requirements with the
supplier/installer to make sure you get the right system and
correct number or panels to match your needs.
Solar water heating can provide between 50 and 75 percent of
your annual hot water needs. With the cost of energy
increasing, the level of saving increases. It is effective
even on cloudy days, and will increase the resale value of
your home.
Most importantly it is a clean source of energy which will
reduce our reliance on greenhouse gas producing electricity
sources.
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Photovoltaics
Photovoltaic energy systems can be used either as a stand
alone power source, or as a supplement to mains power.
Before embarking on this route, make sure you have
considered all other areas of electricity efficiency to
reduce your electricity requirements.
Stand
alone systems are useful for rural areas, batches and
caravans, and may be used in conjunction with other power
sources such as a back up generator. They can be
scaled up depending on requirements. You will need to
consider all the different items that require energy in
order to determine solar panel and battery bank size.
Where
photovoltaic energy systems are used as a supplement to
mains power, you may want to ensure that you are able to
sell your excess power back to your electricity provider,
otherwise the payback period on installation could be
excessive. Even if selling your excess power is not an
option, photovoltaic systems are still an excellent way of
reducing non-renewable energy dependence.
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Passive solar
If you are
renovating or building a new home or workplace, smart
architecture can reduce your energy needs. You need to
consider both keeping warm in winter and cool in summer.
You can combine large window areas to let in the warmth of
the sun, concrete walls and or floors to store the heat for
release overnight, and efficient insulation to keep the
warmth in. Using reflective blinds can help keep areas
cool in summer
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Funding Options
Government
funding options may be
available.
Visit your local council web pages for initiatives in your
area. We recommend you use an industry accredited supplier
or installer and obtain quotes from several suppliers. Make
sure you also talk to your council to ensure you are
complying with the building code.
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Last page update: October 2010 |