States Advancing Solar » solar hot water technologies http://www.statesadvancingsolar.org powered by Clean Energy Group Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:38:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 WI Focus on Energy Solar Hot Water Incentive Program http://www.statesadvancingsolar.org/resource-center/wi-focus-on-energy-solar-hot-water-incentive-program http://www.statesadvancingsolar.org/resource-center/wi-focus-on-energy-solar-hot-water-incentive-program#comments Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:38:34 +0000 maria http://www.statesadvancingsolar.org/?p=500 State Solar Spotlight:  August 2010


Focus on Energy: Solar Hot Water Incentive Program

Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy program, offers one of the few solar hot water incentive programs in the U.S. targeted specifically at high-end commercial users. Incentives are available for high-volume hot water consumers such as hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals, and fire stations, and generally cover 20-25% of the installed cost of the system (30-35% for nonprofits) and are based on modeled savings.

Fort Atkinson High School Pool, Solar Hot Water System, 2009

Bonus incentives are available for projects that incorporate efficiency, and adders may also be available from local utilities. Due to the maturation of and increased interest in efficiency and solar technologies in Wisconsin, the incentive levels and procedures for project approval are subject to change in 2011.
  

The levels of incentives provided are one factor in stimulating commercial solar hot water installations in Wisconsin, but other, non-monetary program elements are just as important. These elements include:

  • Technology specificity: Focus on Energy has developed a program just for commercial solar hot water, meaning it is not in competition with other technologies that may meet different objectives (such as PV for electricity generation).
  • Non-competitive, ongoing: As long as funds remain in the program and all elibility criteria are met, commercial solar hot water projects are assured funding in a first-come, first-served manner on a rolling basis.
  • Simple paperwork: Focus on Energy provides a form with detailed instructions for the customer and his or her installer to fill out, requiring all the information that the program administrators will need to determine a project’s eligibility. The installer base has been well-trained to facilitate the submission of this paperwork for approval.
  • Broad applications allowed: Focus allows for systems in situations ranging from hot water to process heating to pools heating, meeting the needs of most potential high-use customers.
  • Assistance offered: Focus helps customers at both the front and the back ends of the process, from offering discounted site assessments, design review, a list of installation requirements, and a preapproved list of contractors to verifying systems post-completion and requiring monitoring systems on larger installations, so the program and the customer can track a system’s effectiveness.

The following chart illustrates the success of the program since its inception:

These incentives have served a wide variety of applications, including:

  • Dentists’ offices
  • Laundromats
  • Landscaping firms
  • Churches
  • Health care clinics
  • Hospitals
  • Hotels
  • Restaurants
  • Schools
  • Public pools
  • Apartments
  • Industrial applications

  

The photo of this Super 8 hotel in Monroe, WI was taken on a January 2009 morning with sub-zero temperatures. The six frosty collectors were installed as a pressurized system, so the fluid had not warmed enough to begin circulation. The controller on the 8-collector drainback system had started the pump to begin circulation for pool heating.

 

Special thanks to Kari  Heinrich, Solar Hot Water Lead,  Focus on Energy for her assistance in preparing this Solar Spotlight.

A PDF file of this program summary can be downloaded by Clicking Here.
]]> http://www.statesadvancingsolar.org/resource-center/wi-focus-on-energy-solar-hot-water-incentive-program/feed 0 CPUC Establishes Incentives for Solar Water Heating Systems http://www.statesadvancingsolar.org/new-developments/cpuc-establishes-incentives-for-solar-water-heating-systems http://www.statesadvancingsolar.org/new-developments/cpuc-establishes-incentives-for-solar-water-heating-systems#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:18:11 +0000 maria http://www.statesadvancingsolar.org/?p=371 The CA Public Utilities Commission established a CSI Solar Thermal Program to provide incentives to promote the installation of solar water heating systems in new and existing homes and businesses in CA service territories of PG&E, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Gas Company. See the Press Release (pdf). January 21, 2010.

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