{"id":3897,"date":"2014-08-13T14:18:57","date_gmt":"2014-08-13T04:48:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=3897"},"modified":"2024-10-02T11:03:25","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T01:33:25","slug":"how-to-find-the-most-efficient-solar-water-heater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/how-to-find-the-most-efficient-solar-water-heater\/","title":{"rendered":"How to find the most efficient solar water heater"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"an<\/a>

Is the evac tube system really more efficient than the flat plate system you have been quoted? Here’s how to find out…<\/p><\/div>\n

When you are looking to buy a solar hot water system for for home, one of the most important things to check (apart from the price) is the efficiency of your Solar Hot Water System. The more efficient your system is, the better it will be at converting the sun’s heat to piping hot water, which means you will use your gas or electric boost less.<\/p>\n

But with thousands of models of solar water heaters on the Aussie market, from flat plate or evacuated tube, to heat pumps<\/a> it can be difficult to know how to find the most efficient solar water heater. Especially when each sales person says their technology \/ model is the most efficient! They can’t all be right…<\/p>\n

Well as luck might have it, before a solar water heater can go on the Australian market, the government has to test it for efficiency.<\/p>\n

They publish a nice Excel spreadsheet of all the results here<\/a>. (Click on the link that says “Solar water heater models with a capacity of less than 700L” to get the spreadsheet.)<\/p>\n

Here’s how to use the Excel spreadsheets to find the most efficient water heater for your home.<\/p>\n

1. Decide\u00a0how big your solar hot water system should be.<\/strong> \u00a0Let’s say you’ve decided that you need a system of approx 300 litres.<\/p>\n

2. Open up the spreadsheet I just mentioned\u00a0in Excel.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a03. You’ll see a huge table like this:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"list<\/a>

A huge list of solar hot water heaters sorted by efficiency<\/p><\/div>\n

This table lists every hot water heater in Australia. The last 4 columns are the number of STCs you can get for installing that hot water heater in each of the four “STC postcode zones” in Australia. Without going into detail about STCs, you just need to know that the higher\u00a0that number, the more efficient the water heater will be, and the bigger your solar hot water rebate will be.<\/p>\n

\u00a04. Use this picture to find your STC postcode zone:<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>

Find your STC postcode zone<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

5. Use the “Filter” function in MS Excel to “sort by descending” for the column that matches your postcode zone:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"excel<\/a>

Using Excel to sort systems by efficiency<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now you’ve got a list of solar hot water systems in order of their efficiency for your local climate zone.<\/p>\n

If you are comparing specific models you can search for their model numbers, and find the most efficient.<\/p>\n

If you are doing a more general search, you can use the Excel filter to only show model numbers that have the system size in their model number.<\/p>\n

For example a quick browse of the list will show that 315 litres is a common size close to the 300 litres we decided we needed earlier. If we click on the header of the “model number column” and specify to only show model numbers that “contain 315” we get a list of 315 litre solar hot water systems in order of efficiency. Interestingly we learn that the most efficient 315 litre system is the:<\/p>\n

Endless Solar ES-G-315ss-32L-60T3 with 54 STCs<\/strong> in Zone 1<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Which is a 315l tank with 32 evacuated tubes and a gas boost.<\/p>\n

Compare this to a similar system towards the bottom of the list:<\/p>\n

Zen Home Energy\u00a0ZEN315-30SS-G26N\u00a0with only 24 STCs <\/strong>in Zone 1<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Which I believe is also a 315l tank with 32 evacuated tubes and a gas boost.<\/p>\n

The government’s’ figures are telling us that the Endless Solar system performs much better than\u00a0the Zen – even though their specs look almost identical to the layman!<\/p>\n

In real terms this means that you can expect this particular Zen model\u00a0to provide\u00a0about 67% of your water heating energy in Zone 1, and the Endless Solar, closer to 90% in Zone 1.<\/p>\n

(To be fair, there are other Zen models available with better STC scores – up to 37 in Zone 1 – so those may be a better choice, but it seems they still can’t touch the top rated Endless solar systems.)<\/p>\n

The moral of the story – if you are looking to buy an evacuated tube hot water system because efficiency is important to you, then it really matters which brand and model you buy!<\/p>\n

So now you know how to\u00a0find the most efficient solar water heater, \u00a0have a look through the list, search for sizes or search for model numbers that you have been quoted and find out what the efficiency of those systems really are. Basically the more STCs you get the less you are going to be spending on gas or electricity to boost the water heater.<\/p>\n

It is also a good way to double check salesmen’s claims that their \u00a0heater is the most efficient. When I bought my flat plate system\u00a0I discovered\u00a0that\u00a0it was at least as efficient as many of the big brand evac tube tube models that cost thousands of dollars more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you are looking to buy a solar hot water system for for home, one of the most important things to check (apart from the price) is the efficiency of your Solar Hot Water System. The more efficient your system is, the better it will be at converting the sun’s heat to piping hot water, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[112,64,42],"class_list":["post-3897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-solar-hot-water","tag-buyers-guide","tag-efficiency","tag-energy-efficiency","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDiscover how to find the most efficient solar water heater,<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Which solar hot water heater is best? 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I started SolarQuotes in 2009 and the SolarQuotes blog in 2013 with the belief that it\u2019s more important to be truthful and objective than popular. My last \"real job\" was working for the CSIRO in their renewable energy division. Since 2009, I\u2019ve helped over 800,000 Aussies get quotes for solar from installers I trust. Read my full bio.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/","https:\/\/x.com\/FinnPeacock"],"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2FF2s-10R","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":37723,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-hot-water-mb1421\/","url_meta":{"origin":3897,"position":0},"title":"The Best Way To Heat Your Water – Solar PV Or Solar Thermal?","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"February 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"From flat plate thermal systems to heat pumps and solar PV diverters,\u00a0 in this video Finn takes a look at your solar hot water options. Video transcript: Did you know that there are two fundamentally different ways to generate solar energy and therefore two fundamentally different types of solar panel?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"solar hot water","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/solar-hot-water.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/solar-hot-water.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/solar-hot-water.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/solar-hot-water.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/solar-hot-water.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":93332,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/heat-pumps-win-the-hot-water-efficiency-war\/","url_meta":{"origin":3897,"position":1},"title":"Heat Pumps Win The Hot Water Efficiency War","author":"Max Opray","date":"August 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"When it comes to efficiency, hot water heat pumps have long had the definitive edge over alternative technologies anywhere south of Brisbane. Our latest analysis further upgrades this advice: heat pumps today are the most efficient way to heat your hot water, no matter what area of Australia you live.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hot Water Heat Pumps"","block_context":{"text":"Hot Water Heat Pumps","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/hot-water-heat-pumps\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A hot water heat pump","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hot-water-heat-pump.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hot-water-heat-pump.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hot-water-heat-pump.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hot-water-heat-pump.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hot-water-heat-pump.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14709,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/efficient-hot-water-system-solar-pv-powered-heat-pump\/","url_meta":{"origin":3897,"position":2},"title":"Is The Most Efficient Hot Water System A Solar PV Powered Heat Pump?","author":"Ronald Brakels","date":"September 7, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"If you are looking for the most efficient solar hot water system then\u00a0solar PV panels powering a heat pump are hard to beat. While both the panels and heat pump will need to be proficient performers, it is possible for the combination to beat solar thermal hot water which is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Hot Water"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Hot Water","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-hot-water\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/pv-powered-heatpump.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/pv-powered-heatpump.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/pv-powered-heatpump.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/pv-powered-heatpump.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1959,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/what-should-you-buy-first-solar-hot-water-or-solar-pv\/","url_meta":{"origin":3897,"position":3},"title":"What Should You Buy First? Solar Hot Water or Solar PV?","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"September 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Solar Hot Water is fast becoming the poor cousin of Solar PV (AKA Solar Electricity). Consumers just seem to prefer solar PV to solar hot water these days. In fact solar hot water has gone from almost zero to 1,000,000 roofs in about 30 years, whereas PV has gone from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Hot Water"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Hot Water","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-hot-water\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/jNyKnheMm5g\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3863,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-hot-water-vs-solar-panels\/","url_meta":{"origin":3897,"position":4},"title":"Solar Hot Water vs Solar Panels. Which should you buy?","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"August 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Poor old Solar Hot Water. The concept of heating water directly from the Aussie sun with a solar hot water system like this... ...really seems to have gone from hero to zero over the past 3 years. Both homeowners and solar companies have been seduced by the siren call of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Hot Water"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Hot Water","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-hot-water\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"a solahart hot water heater","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/shw.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/shw.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/shw.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":91205,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/fact-check-actually-we-can-heat-homes-just-fine-without-efficient-gas\/","url_meta":{"origin":3897,"position":5},"title":"Fact Check: Actually, We Can Heat Homes Just Fine Without ‘Efficient’ Gas","author":"Ronald Brakels","date":"April 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The \"Australians for Natural Gas\" group has today been reported to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for allegedly misleading claims. I've looked into this group and found it is spreading a number of false messages on social media, including that gas is an \"efficient\" source of power and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Getting Off Gas"","block_context":{"text":"Getting Off Gas","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/getting-off-gas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A dial pointing to the right above the word 'false'","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Fact-Check-false.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Fact-Check-false.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Fact-Check-false.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Fact-Check-false.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Fact-Check-false.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3897"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87180,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3897\/revisions\/87180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}