The largest solar thermal hot water project in Hartford makes a big splash.

Hartford apartment complex manager, Vera Mladen, wants to help the environment. And, she does her part. In the nine buildings she has managed since 1997, Vera implements recycling programs and replaced incandescent bulbs with energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). So when Harry Ranney, Sales Executive at C-TEC Solar, told her she could save a lot of energy (up to 65 percent!) and lower hot-water energy costs by replacing the current hot water heating system with a solar thermal hot water system, she was all in.

C-TEC Solar is one of the most experienced solar contractors in the Northeast. The C-TEC Solar team provided a detailed site-and-needs assessment for the 78-unit apartment building, then recommended and designed a solar thermal system to suit the location — and Mladen’s budget. C-TEC did the legwork to secure all available State and Federal rebates, and provided a lease-to-own option that made the system affordable. A portion of the funding came from the American Reinvestment & Recovery Act (ARRA) and was allocated by the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA), formerly the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.

Michael Toro, owner of C-TEC Solar said, “This 60-panel commercial system at Laurel Place is one of the largest single-system installations in Connecticut and certainly the largest in Hartford. These large commercial hot-water systems are good for the economy because they create jobs.”

Solar thermal hot water is the less-glamorous stepchild of the solar industry. But, people are starting to see its benefits. It costs, on average, one-third less than a Photovoltaic (PV) electric system, making it a cost-saving alternative energy option. This is especially advantageous for residential and commercial sites that heat with oil.

“The installation went very smoothly,” explained Mladen. “C-TEC workers were professional and pleasant, and kept the work area neat. And, they did an amazing job of converting a storage room into the pump room.”

Mladen went on to say, “We are always looking for ways to improve our properties. This solar thermal system is cost-effective, especially with the rebates that C-TEC Solar was able to get for us. At Laurel Place, hot water is included in the rent. So, the savings from this solar thermal project will help keep rent affordable for our tenants. We are involved with helping our community and are committed to helping the environment. This project is a natural fit for us.”

Marie is a 40-year resident of Laurel Place and one of the original tenants. She added, “They [the building management] work hard to make this place nice and to keep the rent affordable. This new solar hot water system is a wonderful example of that.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for early March where local community leaders as well as State and Federal representatives will be invited to take a tour of the project .

The Green Leaf Inn in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin will be installing SunTrac panels as a compliment to its extensive renewable energy portfolio.

SunTrac’s tracking solar thermal concentrators are just one element in an array of green technologies, sustainable practices and wise-use approaches the Inn will be using. Renewable energy technologies will include wind, solar thermal and solar PV.

Currently under development, the Green Leaf Inn is the first net zero energy hotel to be built in North America; a sustainable luxury 19-suite retreat featuring a full-scale renewable portfolio. Founder and co-owner Fritz Kreiss was enthusiastic about the opportunity to add SunTrac panels to the Green Leaf Inn. “We had been aware of solar thermal for a while, but hadn’t seen a product that we really thought would work for us – until SunTrac. We were excited about a concentrator that could give us higher water temperatures, especially in a location like ours with limited solar insolation. The SunTrac panels will be integrated with a 1,250 gallon underground thermal storage tank insulated to R80 which allows us to shift the load of when the thermal energy is made and when our guests want to jump into their two-person hot tubs in every room.”

SunTrac panels are highly efficient at processing temperatures, from 140 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Solar hot water is far more efficient than its famous cousin, solar electric (aka “photo- voltaic”) and is useful in a variety of commercial applications, including space heating, hospitals, hotels, agriculture, food processing and power generation. SunTrac Solar hot water panels are manufactured in Golden, Colorado. All parts are sourced in the USA.

Sure, sometimes economics can stand in the way of solar heating and cooling projects, but nowadays customers have several new financing options, and more and more are using them to finance SHC projects.

Funding & Financing Sources
“Third-party financing,” as it’s called, is attractive because it allows for the property owner to pay little or nothing up front. Usually a “third party” invests in the solar water heating equipment, pays for the installation, and then sells the energy back to the property owner at a discount. You can think of it like a utility company operating from your rooftop.

The third-party financing is well-known in the photovoltaic world and is now attracting solar hot water projects as well. With innovative financing providers like Skyline Innovations of Washington DC, Renewable Technology Developments of San Jose and Holocene of Raleigh, NC, expect to see ever more solar heating projects funded with third-party financing.

Skyline Innovations’ CEO Zachary Axelrod is optimistic about the third-party financing structures Skyline offers: “We provide price-indexed energy. Every unit of heat we deliver will be a fixed percentage cheaper than utility-supplied fossil fuel for the property owner if we deliver it,” explains Axelrod. Skyline sells its solar energy for between 15- and 35 percent less than the utility, and targets businesses that use a lot of hot water, like multifamily buildings, hotels, car washes and laundromats.”

Holocene, who designs, builds, installs systems, provides “customized financing options” according to Stan Allison, President of Holocene Development.

The way most arrangements work is the third-party owns the system and also assumes the costs, maintenance, and risk associated with installation, performance and utility rate fluctuation. In many cases, the third party can take advantage of available tax or grant incentives. For the property owner it’s a way to go solar without capital expenditure.

Power Purchase Agreements
The most common third-party finance structure is the power purchase agreement. It is commonly used for photovoltaic projects.

The property owner pays the third party for the energy it consumes, usually at a lower rate than fossil fuels. The PPA offers property owners a constant and predictable energy cost-thereby preventing the unpredictable fossil fuel prices increases. The third party owns, operates, and maintains the system at a fixed price for the life of the contract-usually up to 20 years.

Another financing mechanism is known as a Property-Assessed Clean Energy Program. Here, a municipality finances the up-front costs for an energy improvement, which the property owner repays over an extended period through a special property tax assessment. Typically, PACE financing is secured by a lien on the property.

An energy savings performance contract is a partnership between a property owner and an energy service company. The ESCO conducts an energy audit to identify where energy can be saved, then designs and installs the system and arranges for funding.

While ESCOs shoot for a better than 50 percent energy savings, the ESCO needs to be astute enough to guarantee the energy improvements will generate sufficient savings to pay for the project over the term of the contract, typically from 10 to 25 years.

In a utility energy service contract, a utility arranges funding and is repaid from the savings generated by the energy efficiency.

SRECS and other Acronyms
Some states have Renewable Portfolio Standards, which require utility companies to obtain a certain amount of energy from various renewable sources. A few states mandate utilities specifically procure solar energy. Utilities can do so by buying something called Renewable Energy Certificates from someone who has generated renewable energy, for example with solar.

If a utility does not meet its RPS requirement-that is, if it doesn’t obtain the necessary RECs it needs to offer its customers the required amount of energy from renewable resources-the utility instead pays a fee, called an alternative compliance payment.

That ACP fee is essentially what drives the REC market. To avoid the ACP fee utilities look to purchase lower-costing RECs from, for example, a solar energy producer. So, in states with an RPS mandate for utilities, someone who installs solar on their rooftop may be able to sell their RECs to the utility-usually through a broker.

The type of REC a utility buys to meet their state’s specific “solar carve-out” is called a SREC – Solar Renewable Energy Certificate. The value of SRECs are based on supply and demand and vary from state-to state and from month-to-month. While SRECs today are mostly generated by photovoltaic systems, solar heating counts towards the solar RPS requirement in several states, including AZ, DC, MD, NC, NV, and NY. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is working to have more states allow for solar heating to qualify as part of their RPS.

Understanding the financial language is one more tool to help us sell solar water heating systems, while sounding like a pro.

Website of Seth Warren Rose

Solar Skies Mfg. has added flexible solar storage tanks to their extensive solar thermal product line.

These light- weight, flexible aluminum tanks are available with a pliable, no-seam liner. The durable and cost-effective EPDM liners are perfect for low temperature applications. The flexible standard tanks and those equipped with double-insulation kits can be used in either a closed or open loop solar thermal system.

Installation is very simple; the flexible tank will fit through an opening as small as 36”, same as a standard doorway. Once in the desired location, the tank can be easily expanded, the top and bottom are fitted into place and the tank is ready to be filled and put into service.

The flexible solar storage tanks can accommodate more solar collectors and store more heat over a longer period of time than smaller pressurized tanks. The Solar Skies flexible tanks are durable, do not rust and come with a 5 year warranty.  The flexible tanks are available in 42 different sizes ranging from 100 gallons to 5,000 gallons with 9 different sizes of heat exchangers.

California Solar Thermal, a San Diego-based solar company has announced their commissioning of a solar hot water heating system for the Parker-Kier Apartments in downtown San Diego.

This 33-unit affordable housing project is being renovated through the use of Community Development Block Grant Funds. The building is owned and managed by the San Diego Housing Commission and will be operated by the Catholic Charities.

“Our team is extremely happy to have been involved in this project, developing solar hot water projects for low-income properties is a huge focus for our company,” says Matt Traficonte, California Solar Thermal’s operations manager.

SunUp Energy Systems served as the solar contractor and installation team; California Solar Thermal provided the design, equipment selection and delivery for the system and its components.

The system includes a SunReports remote performance monitoring system. “This will allow for California Solar Thermal and our customers to track system performance and access real-time energy data,” explains Matt from CST.

Parker Kier Apartments will qualify for a solar rebate, provided by the California Solar Initiative- Thermal Program which offers cash rebates of up to 500,000 for Multifamily and Commercial properties. Funding for the CSI-Thermal program comes from public utility ratepayers and exceeds $250 million.

Many commercial and residential solar installers use Armaflex and Rubatex foam insulation on solar thermal systems.

There are several grades, including one for outdoor use. This material typically won’t last long on a solar water heating system out in the sun with high pipe temperatures. Some contractors have used latex paint to protect the rubber surface. As far as I’ve seen, that may add a year to the life of the rubber. Eventually it will deteriorate and need replacing.

The best way to protect the external piping of a solar hot water system is to use an aluminum jacketing over either fiberglass or iso foam insulation.  The jacket must be carefully installed to prevent moisture penetration.  This is done by “shingling” or lapping the joints downhill.  Seams should be on the bottom.  As an added layer of protection, I always recommend caulking the seams and joints.

The butt joint between the aluminum jacket and the collectors – and the small lines between collectors – are the hardest to seal.  A big bead of silicone caulk at the joint is required.  This spot is the most prone to shrinking and pulling apart, so it should be checked periodically.

Doing things right the first time may take a little more time and cost a little more money. But installing a solar thermal system that will pass the tests of time and exposure are well worth it to the owner.

Website of Dr. Benjamin Gravely

On February 8th, SunWater Solar, a Richmond, Calif-based installer of solar heating and cooling systems, unveiled construction of a solar and natural gas powered air-conditioning project at Crow Canyon Medical Center in Danville.

The new system exploits low gas prices and the performance of Chromasun’s MCT solar panels to significantly offset the current operating costs of the building’s existing electric chiller system.

Customized lease financing was arranged for the project. The leasing package eliminated upfront costs and deferred payments to match or beat the anticipated energy savings.

Absorption chiller systems, the most common solar cooling systems, use solar thermal collectors and a thermal-chemical sorption process to produce air-conditioning, without using electricity. The process is nearly identical to that of a refrigerator, only no compressor is used. Instead, the absorption cycle is driven by a thermal transfer fluid- heated water or glycol mixture from a solar thermal collector.

Seventy-five MCT panels were installed on the roof of the five-story medical center building in one day. A 50-ton absorption chiller that is capable of being fired either by solar energy or natural gas will also be installed. Because this chiller can be supplemented with gas when the sun is not shining, it can provide heating and cooling on a 24/7 basis. The system will annually offset 145,000 kWh of electricity normally consumed by the existing chillers for building space cooling. The system will also offset 1,100 therms of natural gas normally burned for space heating and hot water supply.

“We have strived to incorporate the best energy efficiency and environmental performance technologies at Crow Canyon Medical Center,” said General Partner of Crow Canyon Medical Center, John Moore. “However, the existing electric chillers dominated our energy consumption and represented a challenge in the building upgrade. The solar and gas chiller installation is expected to significantly displace our future cooling and heating needs even with our limited roof area.”

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry is ready to start gathering data on Solar heating and cooling (SHC) installations for its U.S. Solar Market Insight 2011 Solar Heating & Cooling Year in Review report.

Stakeholders in the solar thermal industry are requested to take a moment and complete the installer survey found at http://www.greentechmedia.com/research/survey

SEIA will be reaching out to manufacturers directly and asking them to complete a separate manufacturing survey.

As the voice of the industry, SEIA is requesting SHC stakeholders to complete the survey for several important reasons. For one, the U.S. Energy Information Administration will not be collecting SHC data this year or in the near future. In April 2011, the EIA cut funding for solar thermal energy data analysis following a 14% funding cut in its fiscal year 2011 budget.

SHC data will help SEIA’s efforts with policy-makers as well as encourage the media to view SHC in a positive light.

SEIA works with its 1,100 member companies to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy.

SunTrac Solar has announced a new strategic alliance with GreenStone Partners to pursue international joint ventures and attract investment.

The 2 firms are working together to create joint ventures in China and Europe.  GreenStone assists US Cleantech companies to expand internationally.  SunTrac is pursuing licensed manufacturing partners for its solar thermal technologies throughout the US and international clean energy markets.

SunTrac founder Bill Lowstuter remarked on the synergies between the 2 companies.  “GreenStone really came to us at a perfect moment, as we had already begun to develop potential partners in China and Europe.   These are new processes for us so we’re happy to have boots on the ground in 2 key international markets.”  GreenStone Managing Director Jerry Myers also remarked on the synchronicity of the partnership.  “SunTrac’s technology is a real game-changer, and we have been interested in the company for a while.  SunTrac is ready now to capitalize on international markets in a big way, and we feel very fortunate to be working with them.”

SunTrac tracking solar thermal concentrators are highly efficient at process temperatures, from 140 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (60 to 120 degrees Centigrade).  They include on-board processors to provide panel intelligence and communications – making them an excellent alternative to existing evacuated tube collectors. Solar hot water is useful in a variety of commercial applications, including space heating, hospitals, hotels, agriculture, food processing and power generation. The global solar thermal market is currently valued at over $5 billion (USD).

Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Nancy Sutley, will visit Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on February 3, to inspect an air conditioning project that will be fueled by the sun.

In a collaborative RDT&E effort, ESTCP, the US Navy and NASA have partnered to build the solar air conditioning system on the Air Force Base.  They have selected Sopogy, a Hawaii-based clean tech, as technology provider.

Sopogy’s technology is called MicroCSP for micro-concentrated solar power. MicroCSP is a renewable source of energy delivered through modular, parabolic solar collectors. Sopogy’s collectors are twelve feet long, and weigh less than two-hundred pounds.

At Davis-Monthan AFB, the solar air conditioning system will provide sixty-six tons of chilled air to the Youth Center. Seventy-two MicroCSP collectors will concentrate the sun’s heat onto receiver tubes carrying heat transfer fluid to fuel the chiller. The dual-effect absorption chiller generates cold air with heat, not electricity, the hotter the sun, the more effective the chiller. In addition to the solar collectors, Sopogy is providing proprietary thermal storage to back-up the cooling system. MicroCSP thermal storage is low cost relative to batteries.  When clouds roll in, hot fluid will flow from storage to the chiller for continuous production.

Department of Defense studies have concluded that air conditioning accounts for 30-60% of its total facility energy expenditures. Switching from fossil fuels to solar heat will help the DOD to meet is aggressive renewable energy targets.  The demonstration project at Davis-Monthan AFB is scheduled for completion in March 2012.