In these times of climate crisis, renewable energy rebates are being offered by various levels of government. The Apricus system is built to Australian standards and qualifies for rebates.
In all cases you will have to apply for and recover the rebate only after purchase and installation, so you will need adequate finance to cover the purchase costs.
At present the following rebates are available in Tasmania:
In most cases, within a few years.
Your actual savings will depend very much on your lifestyle and household hot water consumption pattern.
A thumbnail estimate can be made by noting down your annual hot water bill and expect this to be at least halved. Then calculate the pay-back period by dividing this annual saving into the all-up cost of the solar system — taking into account renewable energy rebates you can apply for.
For a typical home, expect a recovery within 5 years at current prices. Some homes opt to turn off the booster during warmer months and this measure can dramatically shorten your payback period.
However, keep in mind too that grid power prices are mooted to escalate sharply in coming years, and this will further shorten your payback period.
Going solar is an ethical choice, as much as a financial one. But there has never been a better time to go solar even for your hip pocket!
Yes.
You can markedly reduce electric boosting by installing a timer or by manually switching it off in fine weather. This way you can prevent the electric booster kicking in at times when it is not appropriate (such as just before sunrise).
There are many other ways you can improve the perfomance of any hot water system, by building an insulated box around the cylinder, dropping the booster thermostat to 60 degrees (so that it does not cut in unnecessarily), by making sure your hot water pipes are insulated.
Go to Sustainable Living Tasmania’s website ( ) to see the many and varied ways you can save energy in your home.
There are several reasons for this.
Ideally, as close to the solar panel as possible — to limit heat losses.
You will need to identify a route for the hot water pipes to get from the solar system down to your household plumbing. Your plumber may advise on the best way to do this.
If the distance between solar panel and hot water cylinder is greater than 12 metres, then it may be necessary to purchase an optional larger (3 speed) pump.
Think of the circulating pump like your heart. It is very small and operates on very low power (14 watts). And it is inaudible.
The pump will only switch on intermittently when there is hot water to deliver to the cylinder. It does not operate at other times, including at night. You can forget it is there.
This partly depends on the size of the hot water cylinder/solar combination that you choose.
In any event, the Apricus solar system is designed to automatically shut down once the hot water cylinder gets up to 80 degrees. This is a safety feature to prevent scalding water coming out of your hot water taps. As soon as you draw hot water, the system will automatically restart.
(There is also a legal requirement that all hot water systems must be fitted with a temperature-limiting valve for safety purposes).
If your system is electrically or gas boosted then any shortfall in temperature will be ‘topped up’ by the booster, if you don’t like the thought of fluctuating hot water temperature.
Care must be taken in transit and during installation, because a severe impact (dropping) can shatter them. However, once installed they are as durable as your house windows are.
The evacuated glass tubes are constructed from a special, tough borosilicate glass and will withstand all normal day-to-day environmental hazards such as hailstones and animals.
In the event that a tube is broken it can simply be removed and replaced with a new one. The tubes are inexpensive and the system will carry on working (at slightly lower efficiency) if any tubes are removed.
Are spares available?
Yes, spares are always available at short notice, should you need them.
The system will be delivered in good working condition to your delivery site.
Thence forward, most components are guaranteed for 10 years*. This includes the tubes, manifold, heat tubes and the stainless steel (Everlast) hot water cylinders.
The lower cost (non-stainless steel cylinders) will also give you a long service life, but only of the sacrificial anode is replaced every 6 or 7 years. For this reason, these cylinders carry a lesser 5 year guarantee.
The pump and controller are of high quality and carry the manufacturers guarantee.
* Note that guarantees apply in relation to manufacturing faults — not if the system is maltreated or mishandled or accidentally broken.
Yes, you can significantly reduce installation costs by fixing the solar system toyour roof yourself, or a handyperson who can assist.
The system is very easy to fit, comes with a comprehensive installation manual (or download) and anyone with basic building skills can carry out a DIY installation, Follow the instructions carefully and you can’t go wrong.
You may require a registered plumber to connect the pipes or to qualify for solar rebates.
Warning: do not take risks. If you are not competent with heights then it would be unwise to self install.