What are the benefits and drawbacks of solar hot water?

Question

apart from cost

Answer 1

I assume you are talking about DHW (domestic hot water)... the benefits are that you are preheating the water before it gets to the hot water heater... this saves wear and tear on the water heater as it fires up less.  It also saves gas because it has to run less.  The drawback is the cost of setup. and maintenance of the panels and tank.  When properly maintained, they run a long time before they need major service.  The more units in the building, the quicker the system will pay for itself.