Welcome to the SunEarth Newsletter–bringing you the best in solar thermal, industry news, and the latest SunEarth updates each month.
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How is pipe sizing figured for Solar Stations?
Tune in with Amir and be sure to hit the subscibe button.
Solar water heating systems should be designed to minimize life-cycle cost. It is not cost effective to design a system that provides 100% of the load with solar because of the excessive investment in collector area and storage volume to meet demand on cloudy winter days. The life-cycle cost can be minimized by designing a system that meets 100% of the load on the sunniest day of the year. Such a system will usually produce about 70% of the annual load. Other design considerations include maintenance, freeze protection, overheating protection, aesthetics of the collector mounting, and orientation. Looking for more, click here.
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A POOL STORY: THE BACKYARD OASIS
The National Association of Realtors says that pools bring on average a 50 percent return on investment when a home is resold. At the end of the day, each homeowner who’s considering a swimming pool needs to balance the benefits and enjoyment a pool will bring to their life compared to the costs and time commitment.
Heating a pool with solar energy is green, plus extends the season for the pool’s use. Pool owners can install a solar collector that will heat pool water as part of the filtering process, and the same collector can be used to cool water in extremely warm climates. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that solar pool heating typically costs between $3,000 and $4,000 to buy and install, but it will pay for itself in energy savings in one and a half to seven years. Besides saving money on energy costs, solar heating systems usually last longer than gas pool heaters.
SunEarth offers versatile solutions including flat plate, polyproylene, and all copper pool panels. Different solutions for different customers, and perfect for all pools!
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The City Of Palo Alto Solar Water Heating Program (CPAU)
Solar Water Heating Rebates
The Center of Sustainable Energy administers the City of Palo Alto's solar water heating program (SWHP). Rebates are available for residential, commercial, and industrial customers of CPAU. To be eligible, applicants must purchase a new qualifying SWH system and be able to provide a copy of a CPAU bill. Solar pool heating systems are not eligible for this program.
Incentives available through the City of Palo Alto's SWHP
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Single Family
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Multifamily - Commercial
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Multifamily - Low income
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Natural Gas Displacing Systems
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$18.59/therm
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$14.53/therm
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$19.23/therm
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Electric/Propane Displacing Systems
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$0.54/kWh
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$0.42/kWh
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$0.56/kWh
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In addition to the incentive provided by CPAU, you may be eligible for a federal income tax credit. A business can take a 26% credit for a qualifying solar water heating system through the end of 20. The tax credit then reduces every year until it is reduced to 10% in 2022.
Maximum Rebates:
For larger business and multifamily systems, the maximum incentive is $100,000. To estimate your incentive, use the online calculator tool.
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