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Whenever people hear news about green or clean energy they picture rows of solar panels positioned on the roof area, or the gently spinning wind power systems generating electric power from simple air flow. While these are correct depictions of energy sources create clean energy, it leaves out one of the leading, cost-effective, and practicable of all systems — solar heating tubes. This solar technology is used to supply heated water.

The applied science behind this form of clean energy are already so far advanced as to be able to produce a number of applications, not only for industrial or commercial applications but for household applications as well. Millions of individual homes and apartment  buildings that depend on such clean energy systems for their hot water supply are able to dramatically reduce their energy costs. In fact, China is leading the way with this particular energy, and it has been reported that a whopping 30 million households (which covers apartments or homes) are able to get their supply of hot water from their solar heating tubes, at least 60% of the time (or achieve 60% efficiency).

Why just 60-70% and not their total heated water supply? This is really the only “glitch” with clean energy that depend on solar energy, and the imperfect efficiency level is due to the sun’s nature. Keep in mind that, the sun rises and sets each day. This means that the solar heating tubes are only able to operate during peak hours of sunlight, which is generally from 9 to 5PM. But once the sun sets, it’s as if somebody turned-off the water heater. And yet, solar heating tubes still attain around sixty percent efficiency because the large storage tanks it uses can stay hot for many hours after the sun has gone down. This is the reason why most alternative energy professionals specify maximum energy savings at the sixty percent level.

So what does itactually mean for the building owner or landlord? Chiefly, it means that, they would still have to avail electricity from their utility company or gas, oil, eletric supplier, in order to maintain a constant supply of heated water. What does it mean from a financial point of view? Let’s examine this topic more carefully.

Bear in mind that you will have to buy the solar heating system and spend money for its installation. This can be significant cash outlay, and most commercial or residential building owners will use the equity in their property to put their equipment purchase on a kind of payment schedule, like a business loan or second mortgage to cover costs. But the solar power system is going to start working quickly after it is set-up, which means that electric costs are going to drop steeply immediately. This drop in electric power bills generates financial savings that can be applied to the loan repayment. The good thing is, most solar power systems can be paid back in a period of two to five years;but after that the money savings will go straight into the owner’s pocket. From then on, hot water can be enjoyed at a significantly lower cost.

In addition to the reduction in costs and short “payback” period for the equipment, there is also a great array of tax rebates to be enjoyed through such an investment. These too can help the property owner to pay off any loan made to purchase the solar technology quickly.

Craig Axelrod is VP of Business Development for Emmy Energy, a NY <A href=http://www.emmyenergy.com/index.cfm”>solar energy</a> business offering <A href=”http://www.emmyenergy.com/green-energy-products/solar-heating-tubes.cfm”>solar heating tubes</a> & solar panel systems in the Northeast.