Monday, May 17, 2010

Client Raves

Sheboygan Press Solar Article

The sky's the limit on this water heating system

By Deanne Schultz • Press correspondent • April 24, 2010

With the arrival of spring, you might be heaving a big sigh of relief, glad to be rid of the burden of monthly heating bills.

Not so fast.

There's still another energy hog lurking in your house, draining you of money you could be keeping in your wallet.

Take another look at your water heater.

Richard Larson, president of GreenSky Energetics Inc. of Manitowoc, said that next to the furnace, the water heater is the largest energy consumer of any appliance we have.

"We're sensitive to the few big bills we get in winter," Larson said. "But add 12 months (of water heating bills) and that gets to be a big figure, but we're not as concerned because we only pay a little bit each month."

GreenSky Energetics offers two options of solar domestic water heater to supplement your current water heater — both use the sun's energy to preheat water so the primary water heater doesn't have to run as often, providing both environmentally-friendly and lower-cost results.

Larson said there are two reasons to consider installing a solar water heater.

"One is that we use hot water all year long, and that's a way we can utilize sunny days in the summer. The other is there are a number of incentives in place to help you pay for it."

First, Larson said there's a 30 percent investment tax credit, meaning that 30 percent of the system's cost can be subtracted directly from federal taxes owed.

"No maximum on that," he said.Focus on Energy also has a cash-back reward program, and Larson said that Focus will "cash back reward you up to 25 percent of the cost of the system."

According to GreenSky's Web site, it all starts when the sun heats fluid in the solar collectors, which are mounted on the home's exterior. The fluid travels to an exchanger that transfers the heat to a hot water storage tank.When water is used for normal household activities, the water heater then draws the solar-heated water from the storage tank.

Two versions – a pressurized system and a drain back system – offer options for customers, depending on their financial and long-range concerns."The pressurized system is the economy system," Larson said of the system that uses a pump to circulate solar fluid through the system. This economy system is pressurized and uses the fluid as a mechanism to transfer heat from the collectors to a heat exchanger located next to the water heater.

He went on to note that when customers are more concerned about conservation, they tend to choose the drainback model, where solar-heated water drains out of collectors into a tank. He said the drainback feature can be deliberately oversized, allowing heat storage for cloudy periods. When the water in the storage tank reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, solar fluid drains from the solar collectors into a small tank, preventing overheating.

Kevin and Lori Klein of Plymouth had a pressurized system installed in November 2008, and they're very pleased with the results.

(Laurie Klein, left. Solar storage tank, right.)

"I've always been a person to look for alternative energy," Kevin said. "We've always relied on foreign countries for our fuel, and we have ample sunshine here, so why not use it."

The couple had been on a WE Energies program that provided cost savings for operating water-using appliances during certain hours, something they no longer needs to do because hot water is readily available during the day.

"I can safely say that we've saved between $20 and $30 per month on our hot water bills because the water heater rarely runs now," Kevin said. "And that's conservative estimate."

Larson said the life expectancy of the system is 40 years, and he said they'll maintain high efficiency for 20 years, after which oxidation and radiation begin to wear the absorber plates.

"They begin to lose efficiency," he said, "but you'll still get meaningful heat at 40 years, just not at the same level of what it is at 20 years."

Environmental concerns play a big part in his business — Larson said that the average water heater produces 20 tons of carbon dioxide every ten years, so installing a solar domestic water heater can is one way to reduce a home's carbon footprint.He said that a family of four can save over 2.5 metric tons of greenhouse gases per year with this system.

He's often asked about payback on these systems, a term he's not fond of.

"If someone's skeptical, I ask them, 'What's the payback of the new vehicle in your driveway? The refrigerator?' Neither of those has a payback .If you install (a solar domestic water heater) in your house, it'll be the only thing giving you a return.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Solar Water Heater Bill Passes Wisconsin Senate

Energy jobs bill passes state Senate

MADISON — The state Senate has passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, laying the groundwork for local private sector job creation and reduction of energy consumption by using renewable sources of energy.


Senate Bill 273 expands Wisconsin's Renewable Portfolio Standard to include light pipe technology, including Orion Energy Systems' Apollo Solar Light Pipe. The legislation also expands an electrical company's ability to create credits by including new technologies such as solar water heaters and geothermal energy.

"I enjoyed working with two area businesses, Orion Energy Systems and GreenSky Energetics, to advance this bill through the State Senate and thank them for the jobs they employ in our area," Leibham stated. The bill now goes to the State Assembly for possible passage.

http://www.greenskyenergetics.com