To get the full benefits of a solar heater in your home,  you must have an area for the solar collectors that is large enough and has the proper exposure to the sun. A flat roof on your Brainerd home is ideal because the collectors can usually be oriented to face the sun directly very easily. If you install the collectors on a pitched roof, the ideal direction the roof should face is south.

The collector area required will depend on the daily amount of hot water use, the type of collectors used, the orientation of the collectors and your geographic location. If you consider a standard "package", you should be sure it is sized appropriately for your specific installation.

An "Active" solar water heater uses a small pump for solar collector circulation.  A "Passive" solar heater depends on thermosyphon action, so does not use a pump, but tank / tanks must be on the roof.