SOLAR TODAY - November/December 2008

Find available Incentives and get Some Bids

barry L. bUtLer, PH.d.

Once you decide you should not live without solar water heating, access the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, dsireusa.org, to find out what incentives are available in your location. The average installed system cost is $6,600 to $9,000 before any federal, state or local incentives. But depending on where you live, these incentives can offset a large fraction of the installation cost.

To get an idea of what size system you’ll need, what it might cost and what installers serve your area, visit FindSolar.com. This site, sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society, includes size and cost calculators, FAQs and a full listing of installers, searchable by zip code or company name. Many contractors work with select manufacturers and sell and install their products.

To learn who manufactures solar water-heating systems, go to seia.org, the site of the Solar Energy Industries Association. It lists all of the SEIA member companies, including the manufacturers of solar water-heating products.

Next go to the SRCC website, solar-rating.org, and look up the OG-300- rated systems. Manufacturers of these systems are also listed on the site.

With a little research, you should have a list of reputable contractors and offers to install systems well suited to your climate and needs. Listen carefully to what the contractor tells you about systems used in your region. Good installers will know what systems satisfy local customers.

Most systems will last well over 40 years with routine maintenance, and many have built-in indicators that tell when maintenance is needed. Once you’ve made your selection, sit back and enjoy sun-warmed water, knowing that you’ve locked in a fixed water-heating bill while reducing your carbon footprint and creating local jobs. r

Barry Butler, Ph.D., owns Butler Sun Solutions Inc., a solar water-heating system manufacturer in San Diego. He is a past president of SEIA and an active member supporting the Solar Thermal Division of SEIA. A recognized expert in solar thermal systems, he also chairs the ASES Solar Thermal Division. Contact Butler at barry@ butlersunsolutions.com.

Liberty eXcaVatOrs OF camP HiLL, Pa.

Solar water-heating systems use evacuated tubes or flat-plate thermal collectors, and the type you choose depends on where you live. above, this San Diego, Calif., system uses a Sunearth flat-plate collector. Below, a system using SUNDa evacuated-tube collectors installed in york, Pa.