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Is a Solar Water Heater Worth It in the UAE?

Hot water is an easy job for the sun. We cover who a solar water heater suits, which tank and collector to pick, and how it differs from solar panels (PV).

By Mujtaba Ali, Co-Founder & Director

3 min readLast reviewed

Solar water heaters on a flat roof: flat-plate collectors in front of a row of white storage tanks
Flat-plate collectors and their storage tanks on a flat roof.Stock photo: Stacey Zinoveva, Unsplash

The short answer

Yes, where a property uses a lot of hot water. A solar water heater uses the sun to heat water directly, and UAE sunshine keeps it working year-round. For most homes a thermosiphon collector with a tank sized to the household is enough. It heats water only: rooftop solar PV is what lowers the rest of the electricity bill.

On this page5 sections

How does a solar water heater work?

A collector on the roof absorbs the sun's heat and passes it to water stored in an insulated tank. Two designs are common:

Thermosiphon

How water moves
Warm water rises into the tank on its own
Where the tank sits
Above the collector
Moving parts
None

Suits: Villas and smaller homes

Forced circulation

How water moves
A small pump moves it
Where the tank sits
Anywhere
Moving parts
A pump and its controller

Suits: Larger buildings and staff accommodation

Collector
The panel of tubes or plates on the roof that absorbs the sun's heat. It makes hot water, not electricity.

Who gains from one?

The saving follows the hot water you use. It is largest where demand is high and steady:

  • Large villas and family homes
  • Staff accommodation and labour camps
  • Hotels, guest houses and hostels
  • Farms and remote properties without a gas supply

A solar water heater saves on one load, hot water. Rooftop solar PV saves on all of them.

A street of homes, each with its own hot-water demand. Illustration

What should you check before buying?

  • Capacity: the tank sized by the number of bathrooms and occupants.
  • Collector type: thermosiphon for most homes, forced circulation for larger buildings.
  • Tank and frame: rust-resistant, rated for UAE heat and, near the coast, salt air.
  • Insulation: keeps the water hot overnight.
  • Installation and service: a supplier who installs and maintains the system.
  • Running costs: a higher price up front, against lower water-heating costs every month after.
Two technicians clipped to a roof lifeline: the roof is checked before anything goes up. Illustration

Where do you buy one?

Solar water heaters are sold and installed by water-heater and plumbing suppliers, and spare parts and replacement tanks are stocked by hardware stores. Before you choose, ask the supplier for:

  • the tank capacity and collector type for your household,
  • the frame and tank materials, and their corrosion rating near the coast,
  • who installs it, and who services it afterwards,
  • the warranty on the tank and on the collector.
Two warranties
Ask for the tank warranty and the collector warranty separately: they are often different.

Water heater or solar panels?

A water heater addresses one load; rooftop solar PV addresses all of them.

A solar water heater

What it makes
Hot water, directly
What it lowers
The water-heating part of the bill
On the roof
A collector and a tank
Who installs it
Water-heater and plumbing suppliers

Suits: Buildings with heavy, steady hot-water use

Rooftop solar PV

What it makes
Electricity for the whole building
What it lowers
The electricity bill, including an electric water heater
On the roof
Panels across the roof
Who installs it
Solar Oasis, in all seven emirates

Suits: Most homes and businesses

If you run a building with heavy hot-water demand, the two can work side by side.

Solar Oasis designs and installs rooftop solar PV for homes and businesses in all seven emirates. For what that costs, see our Dubai villa cost guide or costs by emirate; for panel choice, the solar panel brands guide.

Rooftop solar powering the home, the air-conditioning and the car. Illustration

FAQs

All 47 questions →

Yes. Strong sun all year and warm mains water mean the collector does most of the work in every month.

No. A thermosiphon heater needs a roof position facing the sun, a frame and the plumbing connections; water-heater suppliers usually install it.

A small electric element in the tank covers the rare cloudy spell or a day of heavy use. In the UAE it seldom switches on.

It depends on how much hot water you use and on the heater you replace. Ask the supplier to work it out from your household's use.

No. A solar water heater heats water directly. Solar PV panels make electricity for the whole home, including an electric water heater, and are what Solar Oasis designs and installs.

Keep reading

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