Archive for February, 2010

Solar Hot Water at the White House?

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

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!

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It’s Time For A Solar Revolution

Friday, February 12th, 2010

138Senator 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.”

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GreenFinanceSF Approved By Mayor Newsom

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

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.

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Federal Solar Thermal Rebate Program in the Works

Friday, February 5th, 2010

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.

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Solar Water Heating For Universities

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

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.

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