Melbourne Solar Water Heating Placement

Some may think that Melbourne is too far south in Australia to really benefit from solar installations such as solar water heaters and solar power panels.  Wrong!  Solar energy is used successfully in the south of New Zealand, so Melbourne has more than enough sunshine for residents to be able to take advantage of solar power.

About Solar Water Heating

Solar water heaters are some of the easiest ways to take advantage of the massive amount of energy pumped out by the sun for free every day of the year (yes, even when it’s cloudy, although a lesser amount is available on cloudy days).  Heating water is one of the largest parts of any domestic energy bill, making up about 25% of the total energy consumption, whether you use gas or electricity to heat the water.  This means that the installation of a solar hot water system can save you up to 25% of your current energy bill.

Solar Hot Water Placement in Melbourne

Solar water heaters are fairly simple, really.  The installations involve a series of pipes that have been arranged to absorb and trap the heat from the sun.  Usually, these are black and glassy – black to absorb and glass to insulate.  The best place to install these is on a north-facing roof as close as possible to your hot water tank.  If you are building a new home in Melbourne from scratch and plan on installing solar hot water, be careful if you are using a house plan from another part of the world.  You will have to reverse north and south if you use a plan developed in the USA or Europe, and you will have to make sure that the installation of your solar hot water system is at the correct angle for Melbourne’s latitude.

Melbourne Solar Hot Water Rebates

Right now is a very good time for the installation of solar hot water systems in Melbourne, as the Victorian Government is offering the Metropolitan Melbourne Solar Hot Water Rebate Program and also the Australian Government Solar Hot Water Rebate, with a maximum of $1500 being available, depending on exactly what sort of solar hot water installation is planned and whether or not your home is in the right zone for the Metropolitan Melbourne Solar Hot Water Rebate.  This link has more details about eligibility and conditions of the Metropolitan Melbourne Solar Hot Water Rebate.

Government Approved Melbourne Solar Installation

Whether you’re interested in retrofitting your home with solar hot water or you are building a new home with a solar hot water system in Melbourne, finding good suppliers and installers is important.  Here are a few suppliers of solar hot water systems in the Melbourne area that are registered participants in the rebate scheme:

• Golden Plains Plumbing
• Celsius Heating and Cooling Systems
• Solahart
• Better H20
• MEGALS
• Solar Sunwerx P/L