If you are looking to take advantage of the 30% tax credits to cut your energy bills, there's a simple retrofit that attaches to your water heater, costs about $500 and can reduce your heating bill by 50% to 70%. If you have in-floor radiant heat, rather than forced air, it could save you be up to 70%, because radiant heating uses hot water to heat your house.
Made by Texas-based AirGenerate, their AirTap device was demonstrated at the Solar Decathlon, and helped the University of Illinois earn their perfect score for hot water energy efficiency.
This product claims to turn any conventional gas or electric water heater into an affordable, effective, heat-pump water heater, more than doubling the energy performance compared with a standard electric water heater.
The unit is 18″ wide by 14″ deep by 14″ high, and weighs 48 pounds. It saves energy by drawing heat from the surrounding air and transfers the heat into fluid within a sealed copper coil that is inserted into the hot water tank, heating up the water, so the gas does not have to work as hard.
The $500 cost can be reduced not just by the 30% tax credit, but may qualify for additional rebates, subsidies or tax credits.
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