WASHINGTON, DC:  Solar Energy Services, Inc. recently completed the installation of a dual solar water heating system at a twin apartment complex in downtown Washington, DC.

Each of the two apartment buildings located on S Street were equipped with 20, 4′ x 10′ solar thermal collectors plumbed into a water storage tank.  The labor and material costs of the solar water heating systems have been absorbed by a third-party solar developer, Skyline Innovations, who will assume the role of a utility company for the solar portion of the building’s hot water load.

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MARYLAND GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL TO INCLUDE SOLAR WATER HEATING IN ITS RENEWABLE ENERGY DIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS

Annapolis, MD – May 20, 2011. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed into law yesterday a bill that makes solar water heating systems eligible to produce Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs), making the proven technology more affordable to homeowners, businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies.

Under the new provision, owners of solar water heating (SWH) systems will now be able to sell the SRECs or “green attributes” of the energy they produce, just like solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The new law will reduce system owners’ utility bills, improve the environment by reducing pollution from power plants, diversify our energy supply, and create additional green jobs in Maryland. Several other states and the District of Columbia already include solar water heating as a means to meet their renewable energy requirements.

“The passage and signing of the solar hot water bill brings great opportunity to the solar industry and to the residents of Maryland, ” said Delegate Sally Jameson, D-Charles County, who sponsored the bill. “Jobs will be created while helping to meet our energy needs and Maryland’s solar requirements under the Renewable Portfolio Standard. It’s a good thing for families and it’s a good thing for Maryland!”

Maryland utilities are required to buy an increasing amount of SRECs to meet their requirements under the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. Businesses and homeowners with solar PV and solar water heaters generate SRECs that are sold to utilities, ultimately making solar technology more affordable. Maryland taxpayers do not fund SRECs, but utilities pay for these through very small surcharges in electric rates. The new law will substantially boost markets for solar water heating while creating much-needed jobs across the state.

The first patent for a device using solar energy to heat water was issued to a Baltimore inventor in 1891, and solar water heating is used extensively across Europe and China.

“By including solar water heating in the RPS, Maryland will increase access to this proven technology,” remarked Maryland Senator Rob Garagiola, D-Montgomery Co., another bill sponsor. “This law will help homeowners, small businesses, non-profits and government agencies alike finance solar water heating systems and in turn allow many more Marylanders to participate in the benefits of solar energy.”

Mike Healy, partner at Skyline Innovations and the head of MDV-SEIA’s solar thermal division commented: “This is an exciting time for the solar water heating industry. The Maryland legislation is already creating new solar installation jobs among firms in our membership. We are very grateful to Maryland legislators for acting on this enormous opportunity.”

Gov. O’Malley signed another solar energy bill into law, making changes to the state’s “net metering” rules allowing owners of photovoltaic systems to sell electricity back to their electric utility.

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WASHINGTON, DC:  Installation of a 14 panel solar thermal system was completed at an apartment complex in historic Adams Morgan earlier this week.

Solar Energy Services, Inc., a Maryland based solar contractor, was engaged by Skyline Innovations to design and install the solar water heating system that will act as a pre-heat to the 33 units that use the building’s conventional heating system.

Real Estate Agency Literally Giving Away Money for Solar Installations

At the risk of appearing to favor one of the cooler real estate agents in town, I’ll just pass on the news that Green D.C. Realty is putting up its own money to entice homebuyers to put solar thermal installations on their new purchases. They’re calling it a “solar home coupon”: You buy a house with them, and they give you $2,000 towards the setup with Solar Energy Services, which will also help arrange near-term financing to tide you over until the federal and city tax credits come through.

As we saw with my story a few weeks ago, local solar companies are trying really really hard to get people over the hump to their first solar purchase. Green D.C. Realty is betting that the incentive will bring in enough business to make good on their investment.

WASHINGTON, DC:  3501 13th St. NW is the latest address to have a solar thermal system installed.  The multi-family housing unit now has solar collectors on the roof, installed by Maryland solar contractor Solar Energy Services, Inc. to pre-heat the building’s existing conventional water heater.

The solar system includes 32 solar thermal collectors, south-facing on the building’s roof, closed-loop plumbed to 2, 806 gallon tanks.  The system is expected to significantly reduce the building’s utility bill by offsetting their water heating load with solar.

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Crosstown Properties, LLC – Multifamily Solar Water Heating (Completed July 2010) – Washington DC

SES was engaged by a third party solar project developer to install a 32 panel (1280 SF) solar water heating system for an occupied apartment building in Washington D.C. The system included the installation and integration of 1600 gallons of additional solar storage in non-pressurized tanks. The system is designed to offset approximately 70% of the water heating load for this 45 unit apartment building. The solar developer provided all of the capital to install the system at no cost to the building owner. The building owner receives clean energy at a discount to their traditional natural gas, achieving a monthly savings immediately upon commissioning of the system.

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HAVRE DE GRACE, MD:  Solar Energy Services, Inc. just finished installing a solar water heating system at Laurrapin Grille in Havre de Grace, MD.  The system includes two, 80-gallon tanks and four, 4′ x 8′ solar thermal panels on the southerly facing roof.  The system is expected to offset the restaurant’s hot water load by at least 50%.

COLLEGE PARK, MD:  Earlier this week Solar Energy Services, Inc. completed the installation of two separate solar energy systems at the Cherry Hill Campground.

The solar domestic hot water system consists of 10 panels, for a total of 400 square feet of collectors integrated with four, 120 gallon solar storage tanks, each with dual heat exchangers. On the same roof, SES installed a 22-panel solar pool heating system (920 square feet) designed to heat the main swimming pool during the spring and fall, saving Cherry Hill Management a tremendous amount of energy and money.

As part of the installation, SES also replaced the existing inefficient boilers with high efficiency modulating, condensing boilers (natural gas) integrated with the solar system to provide backup energy for domestic water heating. SES also installed crossover valves to allow Cherry Hill to divert solar energy to the secondary pool when the main pool reaches desired temperatures.

Post Install Info and Pics

COLLEGE PARK, MD:  Solar Energy Services, Inc. partnered with Skyline Innovations of Washington, DC, to install a solar water heating system at the College Park Carwash.

The thermal system utilizes six 30-tube Apricus evacuated tube collectors and two 120 gallon Vaughn Solar Sepco tanks.

More Information and Post-Install Pics

WEST CHESTER, PA:  Solar Energy Services, Inc. recently finished a solar thermal installation for the Housing Authority of Chester County (HACC).

SES was contracted by Johnson Controls Inc. to design, furnish, and install a solar water heating system that would offset a significant portion of the 90-person public housing facility’s conventional hot water load.

The system includes ten 4′ x 8′ flat plate collectors, mounted to the roof and with a closed=loop plumbing system, attached to three 120-gallon Vaughn Solar Sepco tanks.

 

Post-Install Pics