Along with fifty-eight other residents of his community, Tom recently installed solar hot water in his home in Arlington, MA, through HeatSmart Arlington/Winchester. He has been very pleased with the system so far.

“Financially I think it’s a winner. Partly because the lifetime warranty of the tank pays for itself, and partly because of the free energy,” Tom stated.

One thing he thinks is great about solar hot water panels is that they get a lot of energy from the sun on bright cloudy days or when the sun is not shining directly on the panels, even in the winter. Tom advises homeowners considering installing solar hot water to plan where they want the tank to go ahead of time. He also suggests that if homeowners are considering adding solar photovoltaic panels as well, the installations should be coordinated for efficiency.