Skyline Innovations, one of the nation’s fastest growing commercial solar heating companies, and WGL Holdings, Inc., announced on May 15th, the completion of solar water heating systems for three multifamily buildings in southern California, owned by Williams Holdings, Inc.

Skyline provided the solar water heating systems at no upfront cost, and Williams Holdings will receive solar hot water at a 25 percent fixed discount to their utility rate for water heating. The Golden State projects mark Skyline’s 31st project for multifamily housing and the expanded availability of its innovative financing solution to businesses and multifamily buildings in California.

Skyline Innovations’ industry leading $30 million solar heating project financing arrangement with WGL Holdings, Inc. will be used to address the growing market opportunity for solar hot water and customer demand for savings. Based in Washington, D.C., Skyline recently expanded its operations to serve the California market with the opening of an office in Los Angeles.

“We are excited to expand availability of our offering to the West Coast,” said Zach Axelrod, CEO of Skyline Innovations. “It serves as yet another proof point to the viability of providing customers a fixed, discounted utility rate for commercial-scale solar thermal.”

Unlike traditional water heating systems that use traditional fuels like electricity to heat water, Skyline Innovations uses solar collectors. The use of this clean, free energy source allows Skyline to provide a fixed discount off of its customers’ current and future utility rate. This is a key differentiator from other solar financing offerings that lock customers into a price per unit of energy provided or escalating monthly fee. By structuring its customer agreements in this way, and unlike conventional solar financing, Skyline eliminates all financial risk to the customer from utility rate fluctuation. In addition to all of these benefits, Skyline provides its systems at no upfront cost.

“Skyline Innovations’ business model and technology platform make it a leader in the solar heating and cooling space,” explains Rick Moore, Division Head of Strategy and Business Development at Washington Gas, a subsidiary of WGL Holdings, Inc. “Skyline’s continued expansion aligns with our strategic position and vision of supporting clean and efficient energy solutions in high growth segments of the energy market.”

Williams Holdings’ systems will be eligible for the California Solar Initiative’s Thermal Program. This program offers rebates of up to $500,000 for affordable multifamily housing units that install solar thermal units to displace natural gas water heating. The systems were installed by California Solar Thermal and SunUp Energy of San Diego.

“This agreement makes sense for our residents, our buildings and the environment,” said Kameron Segal, founder and CEO of Williams Holdings. “Skyline’s strong business model gave us the confidence to green our properties, in turn reducing our operating expenses.”

Sharing Success – Emerging Approaches to Efficient Rooftop Solar Permitting

As demand grows for the installation of solar thermal and solar PV systems, municipalities have begun to develop written and electronic resources targeted towards solar customers and installers to provide them the information they need to submit applications for local permits. These resources include: permitting checklists, guidebooks, and websites and other electronic resources … download full report

Do retailer’s customers appreciate the installation solar hot water in their facilities? And if so, how can a retail establishment quantify the PR benefits of installing earth-friendly systems?

As part of a larger research project, Eneref Institute interviewed numerous retail businesses owners who had recently installed solar hot water systems to offset fossil fuel costs. What we found, was that although the businesses traded in completely different products and services, the positive value and good will each business owner reported as a result of installing solar hot water systems was overwhelmingly positive and surprisingly similar.

Park City Resort

Utah’s popular Park City Mountain Ski Resort installed 10 Caleffi solar hot water panels on the roof of their mountaintop restaurant lodge. Brent Giles, who has been a facility manager with the resort for over three decades, has witnessed the growth of his customer’s interest in sustainable development. And in 2009 with Giles’ new position as Chief Sustainability Officer, the resort “started to focus specifically on the reduction of carbon”, says Giles. Cleverly, Park City began their environmental retrofit projects under a branded public relations campaign ‘Save Our Snow.’

What’s especially unique about this solar heating installation is that because the resort operates only during the Utah’s ski season, rather than all year, a financial payback was nearly impossible. Rather, according to Giles, the Caleffi system was installed primarily to demonstrate the resort’s sincere commitment to the environment.

“The payback is far out there… it doesn’t make sense financially alone” said Giles.

In fact, the consciousness-raising impact ran in both directions. The resort hoped customers would see the installation as an opportunity for their own home or business. “As an energy user as big as we are … it’s mostly for outreach and education” explained Giles.

The resort received support from the local community, and a website dedicated to their efforts has received a fair amount of local web traffic.  How does the resort assess the worth of the installation?

“I wouldn’t know how to put a dollar value on that … but people notice” said Giles. “So … if we’re getting good PR out of it and more people are coming here that’s fine and dandy. But if folks are thinking about being more sustainable … that’s even a little better.”

RJ Rockers Brewing

RJ Rockers Brewing Company in Spartanburg South Carolina installed 10 AET solar flat plate collectors to preheat water used for brewing beer. The AET drain-back system was used as a pre-heat designed to raise water temperature to about 140 degrees F saving about 400,000 BTUs per day.

But according to Nick Wildrick, part owner of RJ Rockers, saving energy alone does not paint the full picture. The value of customers seeing the AET solar thermal panels on the roof was “far more valuable than the actual money from the energy savings” said Wildrick.

Although it was a “monetary decision” to preheat water using the sun’s energy, Wildrick added that it “made me feel good … from the marketing side of it.”

Could Wildrick quantify the monetary value? “It’s massive” he said. “This is not the first magazine article that has been done on us because of the solar panels.”

In other words, to make the economics work, Wildrick looks not just at the cost of offsetting fossil fuel, but rather, he includes expenses involved in promoting his beer – especially advertising, marketing and public relations.

When compared to the overall cost of running a brewery, “it’s not this huge cost” Wildrick said,   “and people like to see the effort.”

Pfister’s Family Laundromat

In West Chester, PA, Pfister’s Family Laundromat, a coin operated commercial Laundromat, had the benefit of 3^rd party financing when they installed solar hot water panels on their roof. In this case, Skyline Innovations, a Washington DC based solar finance company that operates nationwide, covered the cost of installation and choose the installer – Rushforth Solar, specialists in large solar water heating and well-known through Mid-Atlantic.

Skyline offers just the kind of no-brainer financing the solar heating industry needs now in order to grow the market. Skyline delivers immediate and guaranteed energy savings to businesses, yet with zero capital outlay. Skyline manages the installation and paperwork, maintains ownership of the installed system and simply sells the thermal energy at price guaranteed less than the laundry would pay in fossil fuel.

For Mike Pfister, owner of the Laundromat, the financial benefit was his primary motivation. But still, he said the panels are good for business.

“I think everybody really likes the image that we kind of present” he said.

It helps too that Pfister maintains a clean, well run service – probably somewhat nicer than average, including digital, state of the art equipment. So, certainly, Pfister appreciates the value that a positive image for his business, and that the panels can be been seen by passing auto traffic on a major road.

“It’s a good image thing… which is nice. Every business could use that” said Pfister.

Fossil Fuel

No doubt, some business may never see the value of renewable energy beyond the payback. But customers see it differently. According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, over 90 percent of Americans would like to see more solar energy.

And the reasons are clear. With the price of gas climbing, the fossil fuel industry enjoys multiple tax benefits and government land subsidies, while oil companies continue to be enormously profitable. Fossil fuels dump CO2 into the atmosphere and acidify the oceans and natural gas fracking endangers our water supply. Even nuclear energy enjoys legislation that limits their liability.

Many people understand that alternative energy simply does not have a fair playing field on which to compete economically because the enormous costs of fossil and nuclear fuel remain hidden. American retail customers seem to understand and appreciate the efforts of their local business who installs solar hot water panels on the roof.

Website of Seth Warren Rose

The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) is pleased to announce the release of a new Solar Heating Installer Resource Guide.

This new resource guide is aligned with the NABCEP Solar Heating Installer Job Task Analysis and it makes an excellent study companion for the NABCEP Solar Heating Installer Certification or Entry Level Exam. The new guide follows upon the successful introduction last year of the PV Installer Resource Guide; a document that has been accessed over 200,000 times since October 2011. Both resource guides are available for free download from the resources page on the NABCEP website.

The Solar Heating Resource Guide is co-authored by Chuck Marken and Vaughan Woodruff, two respected educators in the Solar Heating field. Marken is a licensed New Mexico plumber, electrician and heating and air conditioning contractor. He has been installing and servicing solar thermal systems, and teaching installers, for over thirty years. Marken is also a technical editor for Home Power and SolarPro magazines. Vaughan Woodruff is a NABCEP Certified Solar Heating Installer and served as lead solar heating instructor for the Northeast Solar Heating and Cooling Instructor Training Program, which was part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Instructor Training Network. In addition, he authored the Field Inspection Guidelines for Solar Heating Systems for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

NABCEP’s Executive Director, Ezra Auerbach, says, “The new Solar Heating Installer Resource Guide is a valuable addition to the reference material available to anyone wishing to learn about solar heating systems.” He continues, “This resource would not have been possible without the guiding efforts of the Technical Editor, and longtime NABCEP supporter, Les Nelson.”

Les Nelson’s involvement in the solar industry dates to 1972, and includes solar heating manufacturing and contracting, solar regulatory and policy development, and solar energy advocacy at the state and federal levels. Nelson sits on the Board of Directors and is acting Treasurer of NABCEP. He serves as a Director of the Solar Energy Industries Association and Chair of its Solar Heating & Cooling Division. Additionally, he is the Director of Solar Heating & Cooling Programs for the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials in Ontario, California.

Chairperson of NABCEP Board of Directors, Don Warfield, says, “I am proud that NABCEP is able to bring together such distinguished people who, working collaboratively, developed this outstanding resource for Solar Heating Installer Certification candidates.” He continues, “The development of the Solar Heating Installer Resource Guide was supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). On behalf of the entire NABCEP Board I wish to express our gratitude to NYSERDA for its continued support.”

Markets and Contribution to the Energy Supply 2010 – Edition 2012

By the end of 2010, an installed capacity of 195.8 GWth corresponding to a total of 279.7 million square meters of collector area was in operation in the 55 countries recorded in the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme 2012 report. These 55 countries represent 4.2 billion people, which is 61% of the world’s population. The installed capacity in these countries represents more than 90% of the solar thermal market worldwide … download full report

Apricus, a designer and manufacturer of solar hot water and hydronic heating products, has received Uniform Solar Energy Code Certification (USEC) for 14 new residential solar hot water system packages from the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO).

These systems feature the Apricus evacuated tube solar collector with a number of storage tank options and include all major components for residential drainback solar thermal systems.

Nigel Ruddell, VP at Apricus Inc. commented, “Receiving USEC Certification for our drainback systems in addition to our other certified direct flow and closed loop solar hot water packages allows us to offer a wide variety of solutions for residential installations.  Since these (drainback) systems drain automatically when not in use they provide a unique advantage which helps us to meet the needs of an ever growing solar thermal market.”

Apricus Certified Systems are available through Apricus’ nationwide network of representatives.

Cogenra Solar, a provider of distributed solar cogeneration systems and renewable energy service solutions, announced on May 1st, a solar cogeneration project at Tucson Medical Center (TMC),  Southern Arizona’s largest community hospital.

The installation will be the first healthcare solar cogeneration application and will produce renewable electricity and hot water for TMC’s campus power plant.

The 46 SunDeck® module system, constructed on the roof of the TMC power plant, will provide the building with solar electricity and solar hot water.  Cogenra’s solar cogeneration array is TMC’s first renewable energy project and was chosen for the technology’s ability to provide large amounts of hot water, in addition to electricity, and for its quick payback.

“We use thousands of gallons of hot water every day. As a community hospital, decreasing our natural gas consumption and energy bills is very important, and solar cogeneration offers a way to address those needs,” says Richard Prevallet, Vice President, Facilities and Construction at Tucson Medical Center.  “This is our first renewable energy project and it’s encouraging to see that the economics of solar cogeneration allowed us to implement a renewable energy solution that helps us save money, while also helping the environment.”

Working with Technicians for Sustainability, Cogenra Solar is constructing a 115kW solar thermal system which will pre-heat an average of 5,300 gallons of water daily for the reverse osmosis (RO) boiler. The system will go online in May, and is expected to produce 31,600 kWh of electricity, reducing consumption by 7,000 therms of gas annually and saving over $8,500 per year in energy costs.

“Healthcare is an ideal industry for solar cogeneration implementation,” says Gilad Almogy, CEO of Cogenra Solar.  “Due to factors that include high hot water demand, increased focus on building functionality and efficiency, and a number of environmental industry mandates, hospitals stand to gain enormously from this technology.”

Tucson Medical Center represents Cogenra’s first healthcare installation as it joins a list of other environmental leaders who’ve implemented solar cogeneration, including Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, Facebook, the University of Arizona, and the Navy, Army and Marine branches of the U.S. Military.  Cogenra’s hybrid solar cogeneration technology is modular, scalable and simple, and offers returns in less than five years for a large majority of customers.

Apricus is pleased to announce the signing of a manufacturer representative agreement with Mustakbal Clean Tech of Jordan.

“We have been working closely with Mustakbal on a number of large commercial solar thermal projects in the Middle East, and found a great synergy between the companies. It was a natural step to establish a formal partnership with Mustakbal for the MENA region,” said Apricus CEO, Mick Humphreys.

This agreement established Mustakbal as a branch office for Apricus in the MENA region, handling all inquiries for Apricus products.

Mustakbal will be able to offer companies in the MENA region factory direct products at competitive pricing, plus the benefit of localized support and engineering.  Stock will also be held in the Jordan warehouse, allowing fast shipment of smaller quantity orders.

CEO of Mustakbal, Mr. Ala Qubain, was excited to form a strategic relationship with Apricus commenting, “The level of energy and enthusiasm displayed by the Apricus team, combined with strong technical knowledge and support really sold us on using Apricus for our commercial solar thermal offering.  I feel there is enormous potential in the MENA region for solar thermal and this tight cooperation between Apricus and Mustakbal enables a really attractive product and service offering for customers looking to save on energy costs. With Apricus as our partner, our customers are not only getting excellent products but also world class engineering.”

Homeowners seeking lower utility bills in the Triangle have an intriguing new option: solar powered electricity and hot water, along with efficient thermostat controls, are all being wrapped into a single package, thanks to a new partnership between three companies.

Meritage Homes is now building houses that offer the Echo® solar system installed by Morrisville-based Southern Energy Management (SEM). Echo, from EchoFirst®, is sold across the Southwestern U.S. and Texas; this is the first time Echo technology has been deployed in the Eastern U.S.

Echo delivers twice the energy of a basic solar electric photovoltaic (PV) system by supplementing conventional panels with a unique solar thermal technology that captures the heat from the PV panels. Echo systems generate not only electricity, but also hot water for washing and bathing. This enables Meritage to offer homes that use 70%-80% less energy than a standard code-built home in the US. Additionally, the systems include Energy Star-qualified thermostat controls designed to automatically reduce heating and cooling bills by at least another 10 percent, along with mobile phone-enabled remote thermostat control.

“Meritage Homes understands that homeowners are looking for ways to save money on utility bills without sacrificing features, amenities or lifestyle,” said Meritage Homes vice president of marketing Eric Rosson. “By building new homes with solar PV and water heating in one, we’re offering homes the way they can, and should, be built.”

For Southern Energy Management, the largest solar power installation company in the Southeast, this partnership is yet another avenue to fulfill its mission of helping reduce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. SEM is providing the third party verification services for the Energy Star Certified homes Meritage builds in the Carolinas, and installing solar to offset a portion of the remaining energy needs. The combination reduces energy consumption by 50% or more over the same house built in 2006.

“We love the fact that by joining forces with Meritage and EchoFirst, SEM can introduce more people to the benefits of solar power and energy efficiency,” said SEM residential sales director Tom Fitzpatrick. “Providing homeowners an affordable way to integrate solar in the construction process has gone over well, with close to a dozen systems constructed or in process, confirming it has been extremely well received by homeowners. This makes the entire process easier and more affordable, and people get to enjoy energy savings in their new home starting with the very first utility bill.”

The Echo First system first started getting attention on the West Coast for its technology which is much more powerful than a basic solar system and takes up far less roof space. “Meritage is visionary in its deployment of Echo solar systems.  Echo delivers more than twice as much energy as a basic solar system; it enables homeowners to generate more of their own energy — cutting electric bills dramatically,” said EchoFirst CEO Vikas Desai. “We’re pleased that Meritage is leveraging the benefits that Echo delivers to help drive higher homebuyer traffic and accelerated home sales.  We’re proud to see that the Echo solar system has become the standard among builders that want to deliver the best clean energy solution available.”

The first homes constructed in collaboration with Meritage, Echo and SEM have already been built, and the homeowners have moved in and are already enjoying their high performance homes. Meritage is building in four Triangle area neighborhoods where the Echo solar systems are being deployed.

SunMaxx Solar, a verically integrated manufacturer of solar thermal systems and components, is pleased to announce that the SRCC (Solar Rating Certification Corporation) has completed testing of the company’s ThermoPower UDF10, UDF20 and UDF30 collectors, which are now fully SRCC certified.

The SRCC certification for SunMaxx Solar UDF collectors ensures that solar thermal systems using these collectors now qualify for incentives and rebates that can help the customer pay the initial cost of a solar hot water system. SRCC Certification also provides a way of measuring the performance and cost-value of SunMaxx ThermoPower collectors against the same size collectors from leading competitors, proving that SunMaxx delivers a highly efficient solar solution suitable for diverse weather conditions and offering superior performance over the leading competitors.

Adam Farrell, SunMaxx Solar CEO comments, “Our customers can rest assured that SunMaxx products set the industry standard for quality, performance, durability and value. Our SRCC certified solar thermal collectors are engineered for durability and reliable performance, and for that reason we have outpaced the competition.”