In how many years does it pay back itself?
This is an answer that says: it depends. It depends on how many hours of sun per year your collector will receive and some other factors like air temperature, dust on the glass and similar.
On average a solar water heating systems pays itself in about 4-5 years (less in bigger plants, for example hotels or swimming pools), after which it is all net gain apart from the minor yearly maintenance costs. Please ask your local dealer for info about your area.