from Dana in Milwaukee, WI:
#395
I'd like to get heat my hot tub with solar energy. How do I get started?
A solar water heating system can really help!
Hot tubs need water temperatures of 99-104 degrees F, and a solar water heating system can really help! Consider a year-round system that first targets the domestic hot water load in the house (120 degrees F for basic household needs such as laundry, bathing, dishwashing and cooking), and then sends remaining heat off to the hot tub (or your less glamorous , but also hot water needy, boiler or furnace). Focus on Energy can offer an incentive for the energy you save on your domestic hot water bill from this type of system (and you can also receive a 30% federal tax credit for this portion of the system cost), but no other pool, hot tub or space heating incentives are available for homes from Focus on Energy. Even without Focus incentives or federal tax incentives, a solar water heating system will cut your hot tub heating costs and help you enjoy your spa even more. Please visit focusonenergy.com/incentives for the latest incentives and requirements, as Focus offers are subject to change.
If you know you have enough solar access for 3-5 panels and have a pipe run in mind, get started by collecting at least 3 bids from our full service installer list. If you're not sure if you have an optimal site, or if you want to know more about what you need and how much it will cost from an unbiased party, you should hire a site assessor to provide an analysis of your site. Focus will help with 50% of the cost to obtain your site assessment.
Published Tuesday, August 18, 2009