Rhode Island and Massachusetts Solar Hot Water
Posted by Damien Cabral on Mon, Apr 19, 2010
Blog Author: Rebecca Langley
On April 1, 2010, the Department of Energy tightened the energy efficiency guidelines for water heaters that are 55 gallons or larger. This change will go into 
effect in 2015 and affect all new water heaters of this size. To demonstrate the strictness of the new standards- an electric water heater would have to operate on 47% less energy and a gas water heater at 30% less energy than the current standards.
One of the biggest benefits to the new guidelines is that it will boost the national energy savings, adding up to a total of $10 billion over 3 decades. The savings in carbon dioxide emissions are equivalent to the following:
- Eliminating 46 million cars from the road for a period of 1 year
- Powering 15 million American homes for a period of 1 year
The price of water heaters will also go up, adding up to a total of $120, to compensate for the new guideline.
With the current tax credits, utility rebate programs and your state’s cash for appliances program, if applicable, the cost of a solar hot water heater is greatly reduced. Solar water heaters have collectors which are mounted to your roof and heat a non-toxic solar fluid — similar to antifreeze. This fluid transfers its energy to create hot water. The hot water is stored in a pre-heated tank, which feeds into your home’s current hot water tank. The average system uses 2-3 collectors and provides up to 80% of a home’s annual hot water needs.
In 2013, the energy efficiency standards will also get stricter for gas fireplaces and other direct heating equipment in addition to pool heating.
Now is the best time to go solar! Repower offers solar hot water systems and solar pool heating. Call us at 1-877-975-0222 for a no obligation, FREE estimate!