solar

2. TWO TYPES OF SOLAR
THERMAL SOLAR
Heats Water
PHOTOVOLTAIC
Generates Electricity

3. Using the sun to heat
water is nothing new…
• Back in the early
1900’s solar water
heaters were
common in
California and
Florida. As
electricity became
available and cheap,
people started using
it to heat their hot
water. The solar
collector is basically
the same as it was
back then.

4. Where does your
electricity come from?
In the 1980’s, 86% of the energy consumed in
Florida was with oil from the Middle East.
When the price of oil spiked, so did your
electric bill. In the 1990’s, many Florida power
plants changed to natural gas to generate
electricity. With the deregulation of natural gas,
prices have increased dramatically. In fact,
natural gas prices have increased 174% since
2000. That’s not to say a significant portion of
electricity generated today still comes from
Middle Eastern oil.
Today there is more than enough sunshine falling on your roof to provide hot water for
even the largest families. A solar water heater is a practical way to get your hot water
versus all the effort it takes to extract crude oil from a well in the Middle East, load and
ship it on a tanker across the globe to be burned in an electric power plant to create
electricity that is then sent to your home via electric lines to ultimately be used to
generate hot water for your household.

6. The chart illustrates electric rates in Florida over the past 35
years. There is a noticeable jump in the mid 70’s and in
1980 with the first and second Arab oil embargos. 1970
was the year US oil production peaked, and today we
produce 5% less than we did back then. During that same
time frame, foreign oil imports have increased a whopping
270% while our fossil fuel consumption has increased 35%.
During the late 1980’s and 1990’s, the United States
enjoyed a period of relatively cheap oil imports, however
the rising worldwide demand for fossil fuel has caused the
price of oil and natural gas to increase dramatically. In
1970, the price of a barrel of oil was $4. In 1980, that same
barrel of oil was $30 and it peaked in 2005 at $70. Natural
gas prices have increased 174% since 2000.
Electric rates have increased over 40% since 2000. Florida
Power and Light was just approved to increase rates another
19% at the beginning of 2006. Hopefully, rates will
stabilize soon, however even with a modest increase of 3%
a year, by 2010 you will be paying 17% more for electricity
than you are today.
Historical Electric
Rates in Florida

7. Note the energy guide which
shows a typical electric water
heater uses $438 worth of
electricity annually. That is
based on 7.6¢ per kilowatt
hour. Currently, we are paying
12¢ per kilowatt hour, which
would be $688.

8. SOLAR WATER HEATERS
The World’s
Most Efficient
Appliance
In most cases a solar
water heater can provide
90%-95% of your
annual hot water
consumption.

9. How a Solar Water
Heater Works
In the morning, the sun rises and shines on the solar collector
and the photovoltaic panel mounted on your roof. The
photovoltaic panel generates electricity to a small DC current
pump that circulates water from the bottom of your hot water
storage tank through the solar collector on the roof. As the
water is pumped through the solar collector, it absorbs the sun’s
heat and then flows back to the tank. The more intense the sun,
the faster the pump circulates the water through the solar
collector. On average, a good day of sun will provide a two day
supply of hot water. During periods of extended cloudy
weather, a back-up electric element automatically comes on so
you never run out of hot water. This type of system is designed
for south and central Florida, where freezing weather is limited
to less than 10 days per year. If you live in northern Florida,
your Aquatherm solar contractor will show you which system
best suits your needs.