Solar Hot Water
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Post time:02/24/2012
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The heating solar thermal water, using solar energy instead of gas or electricity as a source of energy, could grow in popularity in the coming years, according to analysts and the companies in the installation panel. Although the idea
It is a concept of solar energy that was popular at the time was President Calvin Coolidge - but now is ready for a comeback.
The heating solar thermal water, using solar energy instead of gas or electricity as a source of energy, could grow in popularity in the coming years, according to analysts and the companies in the installation panel. Although the idea already burned in China, just recorded a slump in the United States.UU.
"The idea that we do not have solar thermal energy is crazy," said Bill Green, partner of VantagePoint Venture Partners, which specializes in clean technologies.
Interest, however, is beginning to seep, said Alex Winch, Mondial Energy President. Mondial installs solar thermal systems in large buildings and then makes money by reselling the heat generated by them back to the owner of the building. The company headquartered in Toronto has established centres of 100 units of housing for the elderly in Canada systems, and has recently signed letters of intent for the installation in a couple of United States hotels.
Solar thermal systems can compensate for the consumption of gas, even in unknown places to enjoy the Sun, Winch said. His first project was the Toronto Beach Solar laundromat. It is snowy in this city at this time, but on the beach Solar system has generated 382 kW in the last week, according to your power meter in line.
"I'm in my Office, and I'm looking at literally a snow Bank that is four meters thick," said Winch. "The gas boiler is water that is 10 to 20 degrees hotter than would normally be the of".
Solar hot water will probably be one of the topics covered in the Cleantech Forum will take place in San Francisco this week. The Conference proliferation serves as a platform for the launch of new clean technologies.
Mostly driving the interest - in addition to global warming and rising energy costs - is the fact that the systems work very well. It is much easier to extract the heat from the Sun that power, according to Gary Gerber, CEO of Sun Light and Power, which installs solar systems. Ultimately thermal solar heaters use about half of the heat that comes to them; that makes them two to three times more efficient than solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity.
In addition, they are not nearly as ugly as you might think. Despite the rooftop water tanks used in some parts of the world, the majority of owners tend to opt for systems in which the tank is down. Panels of metal and glass that measure 4 x 10 feet ceiling pick up heat. Rheem, Apricus, and a variety of companies manufacture the components as installers as Sun Light Solar little or later installed.
"Can usually provide 60 to 80 percent of hot water storage tank and a home with one or two 4-by-10 - foot () panels," said Gerber. A typical system solar thermal with a cost of around 120-gallon tank of $7,000 to $10,000, before a $2,000 federal refund. The point of equilibrium for homeowners comes in 10 years or less.
Solar always?
If solar thermal water heaters make a comeback, is an example of the history repeats itself. From about 1900 until the 1920s, the thermal solar heaters were very popular in places like Florida, Los Angeles and Berkeley.
Public service companies, however, persuaded consumers to switch to gas, even offering to exchange its solar water heaters with free gas, according to Chris Beekhuis, director of technology at Fat Spaniel, a partner who offers Mondial monitors the performance of solar and electric heating systems in homes and businesses. Missing solar greatly over the next two decades, Beekhuis said.
Conspiracy theorists can point to history as one example of underhandedness oil companies. Natural gas, however, was fairly cheap at that time.
"No one was motivated to compensate the price of gas," said Beekhuis. "Now is an environmental problem and a problem of costs."
In the vast majority of cases, the owners never completely divorce gas pipes. Solar heaters may not pick up the heat of the night, after all. Winch, however, said that the economic argument can be in more cases of what one might think. Nunavut, in the extreme north of Canada, only get 75 percent of the heat from the Sun that is Toronto. However, there are gas costs eight times both sense, solar thermal for brands.
In the sunniest areas, solar thermal can isolate large owners of property of fluctuating gas bills. Under its contract, Mondial agrees to the sale of its heat for a fixed fee for a period of 10 years, and that rate is lower than the current cost of gas, Winch, said.
China has already adopted the concept of solar thermal energy. Approximately 80 percent of the solar thermal capacity was installed in China in 2005, according to David Edwards, banking investment ThinkEquity Partners analyst. In general, 60 percent of the solar energy in the world, the thermal capacity of the hot water is in that country.
And in Israel, apartment buildings or condominiums with eight or fewer units must have thermal solar heaters. In cities such as Jerusalem, are many of the old roof tanks systems.
Michael Eckhart, President of the American Council on renewable energy, added to the momentum in China could stunt the opportunities for United States companies to enter the market. Last year, China produced $3 billion worth of solar thermal products.
"When we were there (recently) manufacturers are wondering if you should export", said. "The solar water industry is coming this quickly."
