How Solar Thermal works:

Solar thermal uses solar collectors made from highly conductive materials to trap heat. The collectors are mounted to your roof and heat a non-toxic solar fluid similar to antifreeze, which transfers its energy to create hot water. The hot water is stored in a pre-heated tank, which feeds into your home's current hot water tank. The average system uses 2-3 collectors and provides up to 80% of a home's annual hot water needs.