Heat water with the sun using a solar water heater
A solar water heater covers about half of a household's hot water most cost-effectively and roughly halves the cost of heating water.
Do it yourself
Sources checked on .
Collectors on the roof absorb heat from daylight, and a pump carries it to an insulated tank that warms your tap water. It also works on cloudy days and in winter, but in Belgium it always needs a backup heater, such as a boiler or heat pump.
Sizing it to cover 50 to 60% of your hot water gives the best return; in summer it can cover nearly all of it. The yearly cost of heating water then drops to about half.
It works best facing between south-east and south-west, at a tilt of 30° to 50°, without shade. In Flanders, the Zonnekaart also scores roofs for a solar water heater, and a certified installer can check yours.
Details
| Impact | Large · It roughly halves the yearly cost of heating water. An average Flemish house uses about 2,000 kWh of gas a year for hot water, so the saving is about 1,000 kWh. How we rate impact |
|---|---|
| CO₂ saved | About 200 kg of CO₂ a year, roughly the yearly uptake of 20 forest trees. How we count CO₂ |
| Estimated saving | The Flemish government says the yearly cost of heating water drops to about half; covering 50 to 60% of hot-water use is the most cost-effective. (confidence: medium) |
| Who acts | You (owner) |
| Needs landlord's agreement | No |
| Type | Action |
| Constant or subject to change | Constant · Good practice that barely changes with new laws, prices or services. |
Do this together with
Sources
- Zonneboiler (in Dutch) · Vlaamse overheid (vlaanderen.be) (official source) · checked on
- Zonnekaart: is uw dak geschikt voor zonneboiler of zonnepanelen? (in Dutch) · Vlaamse overheid (vlaanderen.be) (official source) · checked on