Published by Hubert Den Draak under Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Products

Some folks see the world in terms of ‘guy things’ and ‘chick things’. You know—men like rugged, practical stuff, and women prefer sensitive, impractical stuff.

I wasn’t so convinced of this notion until my wife and I built the Nolalu Eco Centre, and I now must admit to seeing strong evidence in support of la différence. Case in point: our male visitors usually make a bee line for the high-tech solar and wind power stuff, whereas most women are more interested in our considerably lower-tech solar domestic hot water system. So which is the more practical sex here?

Sorry guys: it’s the ladies. Sure, those big, shiny solar panels and all the paraphernalia are pretty cool, not to mention the more Freudian implications of men’s obsession with all things tall and erect (we’re talking wind towers here). But as far as common sense is concerned: nothing beats the efficiency and reliability of a solar hot water system.

About 14% of the average North American home’s energy bill goes to heating water for showers, baths, doing dishes, laundry, etc. Only heating the house takes more energy.

So what can the sun do to meet our hot water needs? As it turns out, a lot. A good solar thermal hot water system can take care of 40-70% of your hot water energy needs, depending on the system and amount of sun hours you get. Solar thermal is a proven technology that has been around for a long time, is very low maintenance, affordable, and retrograde-friendly to nearly any home with good southern exposure.

Let’s zero in on affordability. The average solar hot water system costs about $6,000 to $8,000 fully installed, and with the immediate savings will pay for itself in about seven years. That is not including any government incentives making it even more affordable. With a life expectancy 15-20 years, the system will allow you to enjoy many years of free hot water.

On top of that, each system is the equivalent of one less car on the road in terms of carbon emissions. That’s what being green is all about: good for your wallet and the planet.

When you start shopping for systems, you’ll notice there are two types available: the conventional flat plate systems that have been around for decades and the more recent technology of evacuated tubes. Both have their pros and cons, but as a rule of thumb: if you live in a climate with cold winters, consider investing in the slightly more expensive tubes. They’ll even produce hot water when it’s cloudy or cold, whereas flat plate panels need direct sunshine and above-freezing temperatures. The tube systems can also be used for in-floor heating.

After two northern Ontario winters with high-efficiency solar hot water tubes, we now know they produce about 70% of all our hot water needs, year round. In the summer months we even turn our propane heater off!

And every time energy prices go up, our modest investment pays for itself even faster. And, guys: those evacuated tubes look really high-tech cool—which make solar hot water both a ‘guy thing’ and a ‘chick thing’.