What's good in solar HWS?

What's hot in solar HWS these days?

I'm in (occasionally) sunny Melbourne and I would like to install a solar boosted hot water system when my current HWS fails. At the moment I have a 12 year old gas, mains pressure, AquaMax storage system. I understand, from talking with a plumber, that these systems usually last about 12 to 14 years.

Rather than wait until the current system fails and the "There's no hot water!" mayhem starts :rolleyes: . I thought I should do some homework now to try and work out what's good in solar.

So my question is to anyone who has been down this path, what do you recommend in the way of solar boosted hot water systems? I'd prefer to retain a "mains pressure", rather than gravity feed, system. I'd also prefer to have a gas powered booster rather than electric. Any suggestions? Any systems or setups to avoid? Is it possible to stage a solar system by, say, installing a panel now and fitting a new water heater later? Or can I do it the other way, say, install a "solar compatible" heater and install a solar panel later?

Chris


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