Cost of a Solar Hot Water System

The cost of a solar hot water system on the other hand will depend on the demand, and the number of people living in the house. We usually characterize 1 solar panel per 1.5 people in the house. In this case, 3 panels may fit the needs of about 4 people in a home. The cost of such a system will range anywhere between $8,000.00 - $10,000.00 before incentives. After incentives, the cost can be reduced between $6,000.00 - $7,000.00.

• Incentives 

Installing a Solar Hot water System in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been made easy and affordable thanks to a Solar Hot Water Pilot Program that started on the 7th of February 2011. This program provides rebates through a non-competitive application process for solar hot water installations. Your project will qualify for this rebate if managed by a professional installer, and at a residential and multi-family home of 1 to 4 units. This pilot program which will run only for a year or until the funds run dry is supported by a $1 million reserve fund by the MassCEC’s Renewable Energy Trust Fund.

The below information has been extracted from MassCEC website. The Rebate is $25/per collector x the SRCC thermal performance rating of the collectors. You may be eligible for an additional $200 if your system includes Massachusetts Manufactured components (click here for more details). These rebates are capped at $3,500 (including the $200 MA manufacturer adder) or 25 percent of system costs.