Should we have solar panels fitted to help heat our water?

We have moved permanently to the area and are currently going through a learning curve regarding everyday living experiences getting a limited experience of the 'pros and cons' along the way.

One of the main cons we are finding at present is that running a bath takes all the hot water in the tank and that we get cold/warm water until the tank heats up again. If this is a problem when there is just the two of us here What is it going to be like when we have people to stay?

Should we consider having solar panels fitted to help with heating water or do we just need bigger tank fitted (don't know if we would have the room).

Any experience of 'solar power' ( how easy to get fitted and how costly), do you have it and how do you find it?

We cannot expect our future guests to share a bath so any advice would be welcome.

Hi if you are running an emersion on electric and can afford the outlay for solar and have the room for panel go for it once fitted it should cost you virtually nothing to run I would always recommend a slightly larger tank than normal as you will have a reservoir of water to help you through the odd cloudy day although I have not used them personally a chap at Enersol in los Monteseinos has been mentioned a couple of times to me. cost depends on type, flat plate or evacuated tube, size and also difficulty of installation, get a few quotes and see what they have to say if you want to run by me what they say I don't mind this used to be my business in the UK before retirement.

Hi...I would totally agree with Scubby...The cost of electric etc meant that last year we had solar fitted for our water...200 Ltr tank for 2 of us.. summertime when visitors are here means plenty of hot water..Initial outlay but when you compare that to the Electric prices has to be well worth it...again I would recommend Enersol in Los Montesinos..have used them for our log burner & would definetely have used them for our solar had we known about them..as you say its all a learning curve even when it comes to tradesman....Good luck

I think solar power is definitely the way to go - If we lived there full-time or stayed in Spain longer, it would be a 'no brainer' for me!
I often wonder why it can't be used for central heating too in Spain in Winter, to heat up radiators which can be turned off in warm weather, but maybe there are fundamental reasons (??)

Jan

Hi Jan
It can be used for hot water under floor heating if done in the correct way the problem is in the height of summer you need to dump excess heat so really needs to be combined with a pool as a heat dump! and the initial cost is more as you need a larger heat store and more Solar Collectors and a pool heat exchanger.

scubydoo wrote:Hi Jan
It can be used for hot water under floor heating if done in the correct way the problem is in the height of summer you need to dump excess heat so really needs to be combined with a pool as a heat dump! and the initial cost is more as you need a larger heat store and more Solar Collectors and a pool heat exchanger.

Oh I get it now - Always wondered why it doesn't seem to be used for central heating.

Jan