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July 05, 2007 06:51 PM UTC

Why not Solar Thermal?

  • 6 Comments
  • by: EnvironmentColorado

One issue that didn’t quite make it onto the bandwagon of last spring’s slew of legislation was Solar Thermal, specifically solar hot water heaters.  Solar hot water systems are a technology that offer an excellent opportunity to reduce our use of conventional fuels such as propane and natural gas, save consumers money, and protect our environment.  These systems use the free energy of the sun to heat water in collectors on the roof and then transfer this heat to a storage tank in the house.  Usually an auxiliary tank is still needed as back-up, but when this auxiliary tank is actually a tankless, on-demand heater the system is even more efficient.  By using a solar hot water heating system a household can offset an average of 76% of conventional fuel use, reducing their energy bill and the amount of CO2 released.  Because of their durability these systems last for a few decades during which the owners can very easily re-coup any up-front costs.

Critics say that solar thermal is a waste because they claim that it is not cost effective.  The reality is that new technology, especially when it comes to reducing natural gas use, is usually cost ineffective until it is allowed to go through a large market.  A strong market in solar thermal would streamline installation processes, allow for mass production, and allow for economies of scale within the market.  This is currently occurring with solar PV, and solar PV is much more expensive than solar thermal technology. 

The market is ready to expand; it just needs a little boost.  There are strong certification in place for systems and installers, and more and more solar thermal businesses are popping-up all over the place.  Considering the rising energy prices and threats of global warming we need to match the federal solar credit and create state incentives and rebates.  At the very least all new houses should have solar thermal built right into them. 

Comments

6 thoughts on “Why not Solar Thermal?

  1. On the average, what would the consumer save in energy bills annually by installing a solar hot water heating system? And, perhaps this is a misunderstanding on my part, but would that savings off-set the cost of installing a solar hot water heating system in a home?

    Not a pitch for anyone, but I believe “McStain Neighborhoods” is building solar powered homes in Colorado.

  2. When I was a kid, solar was all the rage.  Even then, you could buy solar-powered fan kits from Radio Shack and solar-powered calculators.  I thought it was the wave of the future. People were installing these systems on their roofs all throughout New England and Colorado (the only two areas I had been to at that time).

    Now, that future seems like it won’t get here until I’m gone.  What gives?

  3. McStain Neighborhoods, and other builders, are including solar domestic hot water heaters on their homes.  And over their life times these systems definitely re-coup their costs…annually they save costumers around a few hundred bucks.  What we really need is a stronger market, with efficient rebates to make the initial up-front costs not such a hurdle.  A strong market would also attract more builders to construct these systems in the initial building processes. 

    1. I’m curious, what can be done at the federal level to support things like this. Are subsidies (or rebates) the only real option?

      1. One, nothing can be done at the Federal level until we get someone in the President’s seat who isn’t opposed to the word “conservation” and all of its synonyms.

        Two, there’s not much beyond rebates and subsidies that governments can do except to promote efficiency solutions like this one on the media.  Solar thermal technology isn’t exactly high-tech compared to recent photo-voltaic advances; it’s unglamorous and under-emphasized, IMHO, but it’s well-understood technology that’s easy (relatively speaking) to install and has low maintenance requirements.

        1. That is basically what I though…I just wondered if there were any other creative ideas floating around that Congress could implement. But selling the idea and putting money towards it seem to be all there is right now.

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