Solar Hot Water FAQs
Q. What is the Green Project?
The Green Project is a service for people like you who want to beat rising energy costs and make their home more sustainable. In addition to the EAGA SES Solar Hot Water Program, we offer free advice and a range of products including solar hot water, solar power, free home sustainability assessments, and free installation of eco lightbulbs to make it easier to make your home more energy efficient.
Q. Why switch to solar hot water?
By switching to solar, you can make big financial and environmental savings. By upgrading your old system to a new, more energy efficient system you can reduce your water heating bill by up to 70%, plus you’ll reduce your carbon emissions.
Q. Can I get an evacuated tube system?
We are not offering evacuated systems via the Sustainable Eastern Suburbs Solar Hot Water Program. We are offering residents flat panel systems and heat pumps.
Evacuated tubes are a product which Rheem and Associated companies developed and sold in the past, however issues with vacuum loss, fragility, maintenance and ultimate performance led to the discontinuation of the range. Although their performance is similar to flat plate systems we found that by offering flat plate systems we’re providing a robust long life product.
Q. What products and services are being offered?
Vulcan VS160: which would be used for small houses with 1-2 bedrooms. It consists of a one panel collector, a 160 litre storage tank and a 18litre per minute instantaneous booster. This would only be installed in houses which already have natural gas. It comes with a 5 year cylinder, collectors and electronic instantaneous heat exchanger warranty. 3 year labour on cylinder, collectors and electronic instantaneous heat exchanger warranty. I year parts including labour. It is manufactured by Rheem in Australia and has a 5 star energy efficiency rating. Also has a patented circulation of warm water to avoid panel failure in frost conditions.
Rheem Loline 270: for a 3-4 bedroom house we would recommend this system. It consists of 2 solar panels and a 270 litre storage tank with a gas boost. This would be installed in houses which are already connected to natural gas. This system also has a 5 year cylinder, collectors warranty. 3 year labour on cylinder, collectors warranty. I year parts including labour. It is manufactured by Rheem in Australia. The system has some frost tolerance. In areas where it is deemed to have significant frost, other systems and costs will be discussed with the household at time of assessment.
Rheem Loline 340: for a house with 5-6 bedrooms we would recommend this system which is the same as the one above but with a bigger storage tank of 325 litre capacity. For a 7+ bedroom house it would depend on the amount of people who are living there but our onsite assessors may choose this system or the larger
Rheem Loline 430 which has a storage tank of 410 litre capacity and also has an extra collector making 3 in total.
Rheem 325 Heat Pump: This product can be used for the houses with up to 4 bedrooms. It is the simple to install as there is no requirement for panels on the roof. The system comes with a 325 litre storage tank and has whisper technology which makes it the quietest heat pump on the market. This system also has a built in booster element that unlike other heat pumps means you can keep it on an off-peak tariff to be assured you never run out of hot water. This is important in cold climates. It comes with a 5 year cylinder, 3 years labour on cylinder, 2 years on sealed system including labour and 1 year all other parts and labour.
Rheem 310 Heat Pump: This product can be used for the houses with 5+ bedrooms. It is the simple to install as there is no requirement for panels on the roof. The system comes with a 310 litre storage tank and has a larger 1200 watt heat pump which provides a quicker recovery than the 325 heat pump which is important for the larger families.. This system also has a built in booster element that unlike other heat pumps means you can keep it on an off-peak tariff to be assured you never run out of hot water. This is important in cold climates. It comes with a 5 year cylinder, 3 years labour on cylinder, 2 years on sealed system including labour and 1 year all other parts and labour.
Q. What type of roof do I need to install Solar Hot Water?
To install solar collectors and gain the optimal efficiency from your system, you will require a sunny north facing roof with 20 – 30 degree pitch. If you do not have this, perhaps consider a heat pump.
Q. Does the roof construction matter?
Yes, roof construction matters. In particular, slate roofs are very difficult to work with. Slate tiles are troublesome to replace and pose issues with water proofing. As such we do not recommend the installation of solar systems on slate roofs.
Q. When will the Australian Government phase out electric hot water systems?
The Australian government is phasing out electric hot water systems by 2012. This means that if your electric hot water system breaks down beyond 2012, you won’t be able to replace it with another electric model. Don’t wait for it to fail, by upgrading now, you can take advantage of excellent rebates and the exclusive Green Project discount of up to $500 which may not be available then.
Q. What is the installation process?
Step 1: Apply via the website or by phoning 1800 899 330
Step 2: Your Green Project Energy Advisor will recommend a system and provide a pre-quote over the phone
Step 3: Green Project sends details to plumber to arrange an in-home measure and quote
Step 4: If quote is accepted, plumber will send the Green Project your signed quote to indicate to you wish to proceed
Step 5: The Green Project will order your system and will contact you to arrange install date within 10 business days
Step 6: System is installed on agreed date
Step 7: Full payment is required
Step 8: Rebate paperwork submitted.
Q. Are there any Statutory Planning conditions?
Residents whose property is located in a Heritage Overlay will need to apply for a Planning Permit if the system is visible from a street (other than a laneway) or a public park. To check if your property is located in a Heritage Overlay visit services.land.vic.gov.au/maps/pmo.jsp or call your Statutory Planning Department.
Q. Can I use solar hot water in a frost-prone area?
Yes. All Rheem and Vulcan solar hot water systems have frost protection built in as standard which are designed to resist frost up to minus 5 degrees. There is also a range of system available where Rheem will guarantee the frost protection. A Green Project energy advisor will recommend a system which best suits your needs
Q. What rebates are available?
Rebates will depend on the system chosen but can include discounts in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), Victorian Energy Efficiency Credits (VEECs) and Federal or State Government rebates. Speak to one of our energy advisors for advice on the rebates you are entitled to.
If you are a resident of Whitehorse City Council an additional rebate is offered for those who install a solar hot water units. You can download the Solar Rebate Claim Form from
www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/Form-Sustainability.html
Q. What are Victorian Energy Efficiency Credits (VEECs)
The Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) program awards renewable energy carbon credits to households that make energy efficency improvements. Like the REC, a VECC has a monetary value that can be traded on the market.
By replacing your conventional hot water system you will be awarded credits based upon the energy saving of the new system. One 1 tonne of carbon equals one credit. Similar to a REC the total value of the VECC will be taken off the total cost of your system at the point of sale.
Q. What is a Renewable Energy Certificate (REC)?
A REC is a commodity in the REC market. A REC represents 1 MWh (mega watt hour) of renewable electrical energy or 1 MWh of electricity displaced by a renewable technology such as replacing a convential hot water system with a solar hot water unit.
RECs are created by eligible parties and sold to liable parties via the REC Registry to meet their liability under the Renewable Energy Target (RET)
A REC is awarded to a solar or heat pump hot water system for every MWh of electricity it saves as compared to an electric storage hot water system. Through the Green Project one REC is equivalent to $40.
The Green Project can advise you on the number of RECs assigned to your solar water heater system. The total value of the RECs will be taken off the total cost of your system at the point of sale which will help make the system more affordable
For more information visit: www.orer.gov.au/swh/
Q. What are the extras that I may need?
Extras depend on individual requirements, These may include outdoor power points, crane hire, scaffolding or flat roof kits
Q. Do I have to clean it?
Your panels do not require cleaning, but keeping them free from debris will enable them to perform more effectively.
Q. Will my solar panels withstand a hail storm?
Rheem solar collectors are made using a toughened safety glass and will withstand a sizeable impact and have passed the hail test as set out in AS2712.
During the recent hail storm in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne less than 5% of collectors in the area required replacement due to hail damage out of an estimated 2500 plus collectors in the affected region.
Q. What’s the best tariff to go on to reduce my bills?
This will depend on the type of system you install, the booster you choose and your hot water consumption habits. Speak to one of our energy advisors for some initial advice. and then your energy retailer to work out what is best for your hot water needs and usage patterns.
Q. How can I get the best performance from my new solar hot water system?
Ensure you use hot water efficiently. Where possible, do jobs that require hot water early in the day. This allows the remaining water in your tank to be reheated by the sun which will reduce the need to use gas or electricity to boost for your hot water later in the day.
Speak to your energy retailer to ensure you are on the best tariff for you consumption habits.
Q. Will the water pressure be the same as a storage/instantaneous system?
Yes. There will be no change to your water pressure or supply after you install your solar hot water system.
Q. What is the difference between a solar hot water collector and a solar electricity panel?
Solar hot water collectors use heat from the sun and/or air to directly heat water.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity panels use sunlight to generate direct current which can then be converted to alternating current and used within the home or to feed power back to the electricity grid.
Solar hot water collectors can’t be connected to the electricity grid and solar PV panels can’t be used to heat water - they are different forms of technology and are not linked.
Q. How do heat pumps work?
A heat pump is solar hot water system without the roof mounted collectors. Heat pumps are the reverse of a refrigerator - they extract heat from the surrounding air and use a heat exchanger to heat the water in the hot water system. The beauty of a heat pump is that they can work day or night, in sunshine and rain and in cold conditions up to minus 5 degrees Celsius.
Q. Can my heat pump be installed indoors?
No. Heat pumps are designed to be installed outside so that it can draw in the surrounding air and capture the heat energy for water heating.
Q. Why should I choose a heat pump instead of a solar hot water system?
• If you do not have a north facing roof
• If your roof is shaded between 10.00 am and 3.00 pm
• If you are contemplating installing a photo-voltaic (PV) system on your roof to generate electricity. A heat pump can reduce your electricity consumption and therefore the electricity draw on your PV system meaning you can send more electricity back to the grid. It also does not compete for roof space with the PV collectors as a heat pump does not require collectors but rather draws heat energy from the surrounding air.
Q. What are the warranties for the solar hot water and heat pump systems?
5 years cylinder warranty, 3 years labour on cylinder, 2 years on sealed system including labour, 1 year on all other parts and labour. Applies to domestic installations only.