What if the Future of Energy Isn’t Flashy, It’s Quiet Brilliance? 
 

There’s irony in the clean energy conversation today. 

 We chase innovation with smart thermostats, AI grids, and high-tech electrification. Meanwhile, a time-tested technology, solar water heating, quietly performs its job with zero emissions, minimal maintenance, and decades of reliability. It doesn’t demand attention. It just works. 

 Yet now, as Energy Star sunsets and the ITC and IRA incentives fade, solar water heating faces an existential threat. Not because it’s ineffective, but because it doesn’t market itself like a shiny new app. 

 

A Legacy That Predates the Grid 

Solar thermal technology isn’t just old, it’s historic. It’s been in use since the 1800s, long before the first flicker of electric light. 

“We must use the sun’s energy directly... and the sooner we do, the better.” 
— Frank Shuman, solar energy pioneer, 1914 

At SunEarth, we’ve spent decades refining this legacy into cutting-edge solar thermal systems. We hold more ICC-SRCC certified models than anyone else in the industry. That’s not nostalgia. That’s leadership. 

 

When Policy Abandons What Works 

With key federal support ending, solar thermal is being left out of most state and local clean energy policies. 

“The cleanest energy is the energy we don’t use. Solar thermal is a champion of that principle.” 
— Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute 

Technologies reliant on lithium, electronics, and rare earth elements continue to dominate the conversation, despite their greater environmental and supply chain risks. 

Solar water heating, by contrast, is simple, recyclable, and deeply effective. But without policy recognition, it risks falling through the cracks. 

 

 Low-Tech, Low-Risk, High Reward 

Solar water heating is the definition of do-no-harm technology: 

• No toxic batteries 

• No fire risk 

• No mining impacts 

• No catastrophic failure modes 

 

If it leaks, it’s water. If it breaks, it’s copper and aluminum, recyclable, repairable, and reliable. 

It also outlasts most modern systems. SunEarth collectors are still running strong after 20-plus years.  

 

Proving Ground, Global Impact 

• 210 MW of installed capacity since 2009 

• Deployed in iconic projects like The Red Sea Project, DSCC Ohio, and NEOM Trojena 

• Used by the military, hospitals, schools, and residential communities worldwide 

 

This isn’t niche. This is infrastructure. 

 

 Title 24 and the Electrification Clash 

California’s Title 24 building code was created to promote energy efficiency. But in a rush to electrify everything, the state is now pushing municipalities to abandon even the cleanest non-electric options, such as solar water heating. 

 In Chino, CA, city council members recently revealed they were under legal pressure to mandate full electrification in new construction, despite knowing that solar thermal systems offer greater efficiency, lower grid impact, and a more resilient solution in the face of climate extremes. 

This is the unintended consequence of one-size-fits-all mandates. We lose tools that already work. 

What Needs to Change? 

It’s time to reframe solar thermal as what it is, an essential climate solution. 

We call on policymakers and industry leaders to: 

• Restore and extend solar water heating incentives 

• Include solar thermal in clean heat standards and decarbonization plans 

• Fund contractor training programs 

• Allow cities the freedom to use solar thermal under Title 24 

• Launch public campaigns to promote thermal technology alongside electric 

 

The Quiet Brilliance 

Not all clean energy solutions have to be loud. 

Sometimes it’s a quiet system on a roof, converting sunlight into hot water for decades without complaint. That’s not outdated. That’s brilliance, just without the noise. 

It works. Let’s make it be seen.