I've had solar water heating for about 4 years and have seen the industry change so much over that period.

Go back 4 years, global warming was just being discussed, recycling was a fringe activity and solar energy was for space ships and eco warriors. SUV's were the car to aspire to and oil was about $40 a barrel!

when I applied to have solar panels, my local council (MBC) planning office refused, but they have a culture of refusal. This was overturned by the director of development, so I didn't have the opportunity of going to appeal and winning.

Grants were freely available, not that many people were taking them and there was a limited choice in which solar panels to go for. Basically, if you wanted solar water heating, you chose the installer.

Who should Consider Solar Water Heating

The simple answer is everybody, but that isn't really that helpful.

My experience is that solar water heating means I save the cost of heating 70% of my annual hot water. I've had a system for 4 years and this is a realistic seat of pants calculation!

I use oil fired heating, the cost of oil has doubled since my system went in and will continue to increase, my initial plan was for a 10 year payback, it is more likely to be a 6 or 7 year payback.

My system cost £4,000 and incorporated 3 panels (6 square metres), a 200 litre hot water cylinder, all fitting. The fitting and all the bits are shown elsewhere on the website.

Gas is still relatively cheap, even after the recent rises and a gas fired central heating system might still be financially cheaper than installing solar. Solar will always work out cheaper in terms of carbon emissions.

What About a Commercial User.

There is a guest house up the road that fitted solar hot water just after I installed mine, he is also a farmer and takes a careful business eye on the cost benefit, he is now installing more panels on a new accommodation unit. If it didn't make business sense, he wouldn't be expanding his solar water heating system. See Palace Farm

It amazes me that all hairdressers don't have solar water heating!

How much to pay and who to buy it from

How much to pay... The simple answer is about £3,000 to £4,000 possibly less for an installed system. I don't think the price will come down but equally it is unlikely to go up by that much.

When you buy a system this is what will most likely happen: You have been thinking about solar water heating and a promotional letter arrives, most likely offering special discounts, we need a demo system in your area, Govt subsidy etc .. This is what recycle bins were made for! Try giving them a call and state that you have a typical 3 bed two story semi with a south facing roof, what is a ball park figure for installing - they will not tell you! They will insist on sending a salesman. Don't go there!

For recognised installers try: Solartwin or Genersys. Both have been in the industry for many years and both will give pricing estimates. Also, both work with flat panels. Alternatively have a look at the Low Carbon Buildings Programme and their list of installers. This doesn't mean they are the best or cheapest, just that they are registered. (sorry for the cynicism). My installer was Vietec, Chris Flaherty who did an excellent job and I would certainly recommend! I have also had contact with Dawsetway who are based in Woolwich and would also recommend them.

Why not go and look round the neighbourhood, find somebody with solar panels and ask about their experience!

Thinking of using a supplier? - Google them! Use a search such as: "installer name" along with search terms including solar, and scam, bad, problem, forum.

What about my local plumber

The solar industry has changed a great deal and increasingly the solar panels and associated kit is available through plumbing distributors and usually well represented at plumbing shows. So yes, your local plumber will be able to supply the relevant equipment but there is a lot more to it than running pipe!

A specialist solar installer will almost certainly have installed many systems by the time they get to you and will know how to deal with slate or tile roofs, working at height, running long lengths of super insulated pipe and then working with combined water / electric systems (though a professional plumber will also be able to tackle the latter).

Installing onto a tiled roof

If you do have a local plumber that you want to use, ask how they plan to fix the panels to the roof and duct the pipe work in. My installer had to effectively write the book on installing panel supports on a jablite insulated roof with a slate covering. We worked together on this as I had assisted in the roof installation. Jablite roof panels don't use joists, so there is no obvious place to screw the main support bolts onto. We had to develop our own threaded rod and nut system.

installing onto a jablite panel and slate roof

Can I DIY

In the same sense as the local plumber can buy the equipment, so can the private customer. There is a comment on my forum that describes a very inexpensive DIY installation, but the same concerns apply to the self installer as the local plumber.

Where to buy it

to come