Renewables

Solar Hot Water

Meet 50% of your annual hot water needs using the power of the sun.

Solar Hot Water panels, or ‘Solar Thermal’, transfer the heat of the sun into the water that you use at home, so you don’t have to use as much gas or electricity to heat it up. In summer, these systems can provide up to 100% of your hot water needs, although in winter this is will be much less.

Solar Hot Water at a glance

How does it work?

  • Water is heated by the panels of the roof and stored in a hot water cylinder in your home.
  • Your boiler or immersion heater can then be used to heat up the water further, or in winter to supplement the system.

There are two types of solar water heating panels:

  • Evacuated tubes - a bank of glass tubes mounted on the roof tiles
  • Flat plate collectors, which can be fixed onto roof tiles or integrated into the roof

What to consider

  • You will need to have at least 5m-square of unshaded roof, preferably not North facing.
  • You will need space in your home for a larger hot water cylinder.
  • Your boiler will need to be compatible with a Solar Hot Water system (combi-boilers with no hot water tank are often not compatible).

Costs and savings*

Cost: A typical system costs around £3,000 - £5,000 to install
Fuel bill savings per year: Between £95 - £200
Carbon dioxide savings (kgCO2/year): Between 170 - 660kg

Maintenance & Guarantees

Solar Hot Water systems are typically low maintenance. When installed by an MCS Certified installer, they will come with a 10-year warranty on the panels, and a 5-year workmanship warranty.

Some installers offer an annual service check, and the system should have a thorough check every 5 years.

Financial Incentives

Sometimes, solar hot water systems are covered by goverment grants. Visit our Financial Support page to see if any current grants are running.

For more information contact Action Surrey on 0800 783 2503 or email [email protected]. 

Alternatively, fill out our enquiry form online and one of the team will get in touch with you.

Enquire now

*All figures are taken from the Energy Saving Trust April 2022 figures.