- Cumulative solar energy production accounts for less than 0.01% of total Global Primary Energy demand
- Solar Energy demand has grown at about 30% each year over the past 15 years in the US
- Spain was the world’s largest solar market in 2008, Germany was second
- The sun which provides all of our Solar Energy is 93 million miles away
- The earth receives more energy from the sun in just one hour than the world uses in a whole year
- 1 in 3 people in the world have no access to electricity. For most of them, solar power would be their cheapest electricity source, but they cannot afford it
- 1 kilowatt equates to 1000 watts
- One kilowatt-hour (kWh) equals the amount of electricity needed to burn a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours
- Today less than 0.1% of our heating, transportation and power energy comes from direct sunlight although it is now possible to meet all our energy needs with this simple, renewable resource
- Most Solapac customers will be entitled to a $1000 rebate for installing a solar hot water system
- In Christchurch the laundry of the Men’s Prison is now using solar hot water, saving around $7,000 per annum and will have paid for itself in just 7.6 years. It is also one of the largest solar hot water systems in New Zealand
- Saves an average of 2,400 kWh per house per year in electricity
- Saves $550-600 per month at current electricity prices
- Over the life of a solar hot water system around 30 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be saved
- Christchurch receives about 2,000 hours of bright sunshine a year, the New Zealand average is around the same
- In summer, it may be possible to heat all the water you need with solar energy
- A Solapac Hot water System will save about 2200 kWh from annual electricity use
- Every residential solar water heating system installed is estimated to save, on average, about 1.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year
- A solar water heating system works by absorbing energy from the sun in collector panels located on your roof. This energy is then transferred to water stored in a hot water tank
- About 1.6% of New Zealand homes have solar hot water systems installed, this number is set to increase rapidly over the next few years
- Solar energy can provide around 75% of a households hot water needs every year
