I recently purchased a house that came with hot water solar panels that have been unused for about ten years. The plumber just finished installing my heating system and suggested that hooking up these solar panels isn't worth it since he noticed condensation on them, which he claims could lead to inefficiency. He recommended removing the panels entirely and switching to PV panels, but my budget doesn't allow for such a major change right now. I'm curious if there's any chance the panels could still perform decently if I choose to connect them, or if there are budget-friendly options to make the most of what I have. Any insights would be appreciated!
3 Answers
Condensation under the glass on solar panels isn't always a deal-breaker! I mean, you've already invested in the plumbing setup. If there are no leaks, why not just see how they perform? In my experience, there are days when my electric back-up doesn't kick in at all, which means my solar panels are doing their job just fine.
These are solar water heaters, right? You really need to consider what that condensation means. If it’s just on the glass and not leaking, you could either tolerate the efficiency drop or try to minimize the condensation. Maybe even reconsider if you need that glass at all. It’s worth a thought!
If it sounds like you're throwing money after something that might not work out, maybe consider getting a heat pump water heater instead for now. Honestly, unless you have a huge storage tank setup, those solar panels might not give you a good return on investment.