This section will help you make the most important decision about solar heating you need to make – whether solar is the best water heating solution for the way you live, the kind of house you live in and where you live. We’ll take you through a set of factors and questions you’ll need to think through to arrive at a decision.

It’s important to bear in mind that even if solar’s not right for you, there are other energy efficient ways to heat your water while reducing your environmental impact such as Rinnai Efficiency Continuous Flow Water Heating Systems, a great alternative to solar.

Solar and your lifestyle
Solar and where you live
Solar and your house
Solar and your environmental impact
What can I do if solar isn’t right for me?

Solar and your lifestyle

Is it OK if you run out of hot water sometimes?
If not you’ll need to either manage your use of hot water carefully or choose an Infinity boosted solar system, which ensures you always have hot water on tap.

How important is making a financial difference?
If correctly installed a solar system will reduce your energy costs. However, unless you’re a large family using a lot of hot water, it is unlikely to offer considerable savings and offset the cost of installation.

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Solar and where you live

How much sun do you get?
The more sunshine there is, the more benefit you’ll get out of a solar system. This is affected by your climate but also things like trees and neighbouring buildings that may block sunlight.

How prevalent is frost in your area?
Different systems are designed with differing levels of frost tolerance. It’s important to make sure you install a system that offers you the right level of protection.

Find out more about frost protection

What is your water quality like?
Most open systems, like Rinnai’s, are susceptible to damage from water that is either acidic or high in calcium. A simple water test can identify if these will be a problem for you.

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Solar and your house

How would you feel about a tank on your roof?
Putting the tank on your roof next to the panels will give slightly better energy saving results than having the tank and panels separate. However, you may need your roof reinforced to support the weight of a full tank.

Installation
It’s important that your system is installed correctly. This can be a complicated process as it may require a number of different trades persons as well as building consents. You’ll need to check with your local council to find out what their requirements for consents are and talk to local installers to understand how much of the project they will manage for you.

Rinnai have prepared a downloadable consenting guide to help with your consent application.

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Solar and your environmental impact

Using energy wisely
Our climate means you will need to boost your solar system. The way you do this will have the greatest effect on your environmental impact.

You can reduce your impact on the environment the most by ensuring your system is installed correctly and by using a Rinnai Infinity Solar gas boost. Because the Infinity remains dormant unless you run out of hot water it maximizes solar gain and it is also kinder to the environment than other options because it uses gas as a direct energy source, reducing greenhouse gases.

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What can I do if Solar isn’t right for me?

Do you want to have the environmental and economic benefits of solar heating but you’ve found that solar may not be right for you?

If solar water heating doesn’t suit you or isn’t a viable option then Rinnai Efficiency is the perfect alternative.

Tell me more about Rinnai Efficiency

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