SunWater Solar

Most people have spent some stretch of time living in an apartment building. If you’ve ever rented an apartment, you know that noisy neighbors, shared laundry machines and crowded conditions can be downsides to apartment life. But having the freedom to move out as soon as a lease ends helps make such inconveniences worthwhile. And as a tenant, you also don’t have to worry about the large amounts of money required to keep an apartment building operational.

Unlike tenants, apartment building owners see their buildings as long-term investments, with long-term costs. Building owners, for example, must frequently pay the entire building’s monthly water-heating bill. Every time a tenant cooks a meal, does laundry or uses the bathroom, that’s money out of the building owner’s pocket! And the more people there are living in the building, the higher the owner’s costs.

Water-heating can account for a large percentage of an apartment building owner’s monthly energy bills. Solar thermal systems reduce energy bills, insulate owners from rising natural gas prices and help owners go green by using the sun’s energy, rather than electricity or fossil fuels, to heat the water used by tenants. A solar thermal system can produce 60% to 80% of an apartment building’s hot water load, and also help differentiate the property among environmentally conscious tenants.

For apartment building owners and tenants, solar thermal is a win-win!

Say the words “Solar Thermal” and readers of the SunWater blog may envision rows of Solar Thermal collectors providing low-cost hot water to homes and businesses. But what many people don’t know is that besides heating water and other fluids, Solar Thermal technology can also reduce air-conditioning and industrial cooling costs.

Solar cooling systems use concentrating solar collectors and absorption chillers to drive the cooling process for air conditioners and industrial cooling. So how exactly does such a system save money for building owners?

Electricity rates are often tiered, meaning that the more electricity a building uses during peak hours, the higher the rate charged for that electricity. Peak hours often occur on hot sunny days when the air conditioning load is highest. Installing a solar cooling system can result in big savings since the system reduces electricity use during peak hours. What’s more, the same concentrating solar collectors used for cooling can also be used to heat water for the facility.

Summer is coming, and if you’re looking to cut your cooling bills this year, give SunWater a call today to learn more about how you can cool it down with Solar Thermal!

President Jimmy Carter set a great example in the 1970’s when he installed a solar hot water system at the White House. When President Reagan took over he removed the panels from the White House just seven years after they were put into service.

Now there is a new call for President Obama to follow Carter’s example and install solar hot water and solar PV systems at the White House. This would help set an example for the rest of the country and the world and allow the White House to use renewable energy to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.  SunWater Solar would certainly like to see a solar water heating project at the White House and of course we would be happy to participate!

Senator Bernie Sanders, co-sponsor of the Ten Million Solar Roofs Act, has written an op-ed piece advocating solar in the US and he calls for 200,000 new solar water heating systems to be installed in the next 10 years.

He writes “If we are serious about moving toward energy independence in a cost-effective way, we should invest in solar energy.  If we are serious about cutting air and water pollution and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we should invest in solar energy. If we are serious about creating a significant number of good paying jobs and making the United States a world leader in the production of sustainable energy, we should invest in solar energy. And, as we move forward in the solar revolution, a very good step forward would be the passage of the Ten Million Solar Roofs Act.”

The GreenFinanceSF program was signed into law yesterday by Mayor Gavin Newsom.   The program, once known as SF2, is a PACE  (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program that allows residential and commercial building owners to finance solar water heating systems through their property taxes.   SunWater Solar applauds the city of San Francisco for taking a big step forward in helping people finance solar water heating systems.

Coming on the heels of the recently approved California Solar Initiative (CSI) solar thermal rebate program, SunWater Solar is pleased to learn that the federal government is now considering a bill that would institute a similar program for all 50 states. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) introduced the bill, entitled the 10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Water Heating Act of 2010.  Supported by the solar industry,  this bill would “increase the quantity of solar photovoltaic electricity by providing rebates for the purchase and installation of an additional 10,000,000 solar roofs and additional solar water heating systems with a cumulative capacity of 10,000,000 gallons by 2019.”

Once enshrined into law, this legislation would provide further incentives for American business and home owners to adopt solar thermal for their water heating needs. The law would help the economy by creating more green jobs and keep Americans on the path toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as our dependence on fossil fuels.

Universities across America and around the world are adopting solar water heating in their efforts to go green, reduce their carbon footprint, and save money.  Solar hot water can be used to supply hot water to dorms, food service facilities, laundries, and sports facilities, all of which use significant quantities of hot water.

Appalachian State recently installed a system to supply hot water to its student union and Yale University is using solar hot water in a LEED Platinum building on campus.  SunWater Solar is excited to see solar water heating on campuses and expects that more and more universities will follow the lead of these two schools.

California Solar Initiative Thermal Program Authorizes $350 Million in Incentives

Rebate Program Expected to Ignite Solar Thermal Market in California, where SunWater Solar is an Established Leader

SAN FRANCISCO and RICHMOND, Calif. – January 25, 2010 – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) last week approved the California Solar Initiative (CSI) Thermal Program, which authorizes $350 million in rebates for businesses and individuals that install solar thermal systems. The program will energize the state’s solar thermal market by making it cheaper and easier for businesses and property owners to purchase solar thermal systems.

“These systems can be cost-effective for ratepayers, while helping to displace both electricity and natural gas usage in new and existing homes and businesses,” said Commissioner Dian M. Grueneich of the CPUC. “Thus a focused, cost-effective program to improve the market for this technology can serve as a key step in our path to zero net energy.”

Solar thermal systems use the sun’s energy, rather than fossil fuels, to heat water and other fluids. Professionally installed systems can significantly reduce site-generated greenhouse gas emissions and enable long-term ROI through decreased utility bills. Solar thermal systems are ideal investments for businesses and facilities that require large quantities of hot water or other fluids, such as multifamily dwellings, industrial facilities and swimming pools.

“The solar thermal rebate program is fantastic news for businesses that want to heat water cheaply and go green at the same time,” said Justin Weil, a nationally known expert on solar thermal and president of leading U.S. solar thermal company SunWater Solar. “To maximize a system’s ROI though, businesses need a knowledgeable partner with the experience to know what type of solar thermal system will best meet their requirements.”

With a certified, experienced staff and a solid record of improving the bottom line for commercial clients, SunWater Solar can manage every phase of a solar thermal implementation, from value analysis, to system design, to system installation and maintenance. Because SunWater Solar focuses exclusively on solar thermal technology, the company can provide comprehensive support to businesses implementing solar thermal technology for a wide variety of applications, including domestic hot water, process heating and pool heating.

In addition to the $350 million in rebates authorized by the CSI Thermal Program, there are a variety of other financial incentives and structures in place that encourage solar thermal adoption, both within California and throughout the United States. These rebates, tax benefits and financing options include:

• Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), in which a third party funds the installation of a solar thermal system and the client pays a reduced rate for utilities

• The Investment Tax Credit (ITC), a 30% federal tax credit

• Under the federal Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System (MACRS), qualified businesses may recover investments in solar thermal through depreciation deductions

• Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs, which allow municipalities to offer financing for solar thermal systems through property taxes

• Financing is available from lenders who offer solar loans with no money down and low interest rates

• Rebates offered by many state and local governments

About SunWater Solar

SunWater Solar designs, installs and services solar thermal systems that lower utility bills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help clients meet sustainability requirements. From system design to project management, SunWater Solar has implemented solar thermal technology for a variety of applications, including domestic hot water heating, process heating and pool heating. Founded in 2006 and based in Richmond, California, SunWater Solar serves a wide variety of customers and focuses exclusively on solar thermal technology.

The California Public Utility Commission approved the California Solar Initiative (CSI)  Thermal Program today in San Francisco.   The CSI Thermal Program will provide $350 million in rebates for both residential and commercial solar water heating projects across the state in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.   “The solar thermal rebate is fantastic news for businesses that want to heat water cheaply and and go green at the same time,” says Justin Weil, president of SunWater Solar.

The California Building Standards Commission has voted unanimously to implement the most stringent green building codes in the U.S. The Code, dubbed Calgreen, will take effect in January of 2011.  Solar water heating will play a part in Calgreen as it specifies that “Solar water heating may be used to assist in meeting the energy efficiency requirements” of the code.

SunWater Solar is pleased to see that Solar water heating is recognized as a key part in continuing California’s push toward a greener future.