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After a Long Hiatus, Rhode Island Jump Starts Renewables Program

January 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Member Post!

Have you heard the great news about renewable energy funding in Rhode Island? Gov. Lincoln Chafee and the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) have approved $1.5M in 2013 Renewable Energy Funds for residential projects!

Under the recently approved rules, the grant funds can cover 25% of system cost for homeowners – up to $10,000 or 10KW – in addition to the 30% Federal income tax credit. In order for a project to be eligible for the funds, a home energy audit must have been conducted prior to the application being submitted.

According to the RIEDC, residential grant applications must be submitted in groups of at least three solar projects. To help Rhode Island homeowners access the funding, local community groups and local solar installers are expected to pool projects and submit group applications.

There will be 3 application rounds for the small-scale solar program:

  • February 15, 2013
  • April 30, 2013
  • July 26, 2013

The first application deadline is less than a month away, and grant awards are based on funding availability so it is imperative that interested homeowners act fast!

Filed Under: energy policy, Renewable Energy, Renewable Energy Tax Credits, Solar Tagged With: , , ,

Energy Matters at BuildingEnergy 13

January 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Well, it’s really hard to believe that we are less than 50 days away from the BuildingEnergy 2013 conference. While a whole lot of activity has already taken place, a lot more is in the works to make the rubber meet the road.

As a long time renewable energy advocate and practitioner, I have seen a good many changes in this conference, and in NESEA as an organization. Once upon a time, the BuildingEnergy conference was known as “Renew”, and until the spring of 2012, NESEA’s magazine was called the Northeast Sun (now called the BuildingEnergy Magazine). Despite these changes, assuming there’s no room for energy folks like you and I would be a mistake – NESEA has its roots as a solar energy organization, and in this community, energy absolutely matters (after all, it is 50% of the conference title).

Those original conferences were heavy on solar domestic hot water (SDHW) and some early passive solar homes that came into prominence as the government support for SDHW disappeared in the early 1980′s. Then, photovoltaics were mostly the realm of the few real pioneers like our own Steven Strong who made the cover story of the September
1981 Popular Science. We learned from him and many others and then, as now, the NESEA conferences were the place to go to learn all the latest and greatest before it went mainstream.

So what’s in store for energy folks at BuildingEnergy? Plenty. Track six, on Renewable Energy, promises to uphold that tradition of providing cutting edge information. But even before that track gets underway, the associated workshops on
Tuesday also explore such topics as Building Passive House Homes,  WUFI Passive Modeling  and Commercial Passive House Design Principles.

Skills for Building Resilient Communities, in which I am a speaker, dovetails with the overall theme of “resiliency” will have a heavy dose of how renewable energy sources can provide value by maintaining livability under the most extreme conditions. I am particularly pleased to team with noted solar architect Don Watson, sustainability metrics guru Maureen Hart and Alex Wilson, former NESEA Executive Director and founder of Environmental Building News. We will offer participants the information and resources needed to understand resiliency to aid them to broaden their professional practices.

The Renewables Track, itself, is under the able guidance of Bill Stillinger who began in the field as a utility R&D manager and went on to become General Manager of a PV installers coop, PV Squared. The sessions he has brought forward will feature an array of interests some of which also reflect the resilience theme and include Maintaining a Secure and Resilient Grid and Stand-Alone vs. Grid-Connected PV Systems, which build on a 1997 conference that looked at some of these same issues from an insurance industry perspective.

The former session will examine the need for a more robust electric grid due to the many natural and man-made threats and stresses on the current system. It will look in detail at microgrids from the perspectives of developers, utilities and owners who’s stars do not always align but may have enough common goals to provide a workable business model that is profitable to all.

Many prospective PV owners, and even building professionals, are not fully aware that the vast majority of the PV systems in place at this time will not provide power for their owners during an electric grid outage. The Stand-Alone vs. Grid-Connected PV Systems session will provide information on the differences in the types of systems that can provide power and those that can’t under those conditions and some real life experiences of owners. The session will also explore the current state of battery technology and future advances in electric storage that will make operation possible under all conditions.

Other sessions in this track will explore the state of renewable energy markets in the region and beyond, the latest developments coming up in wind and solar energy and renewable energy credits markets and net metering. Understanding these will become increasingly important to architects, builders, developers and others wishing to produce zero net energy buildings.

In all, Track 6 is going to be a great part of an excellent conference. Sign up early and often.

Filed Under: BuildingEnergy Conference & Trade Show, energy policy, Industry, member post, Renewable Energy, Solar, Transition Initiatives

And the survey says . . . NESEA’s Green Buildings Open House has REAL IMPACT!

November 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

For the past 16 years, NESEA has run the Green Buildings Open House tour each year in October in conjunction with the American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Tour. We have helped to organize homeowners and business owners to open their buildings so that visitors can learn, firsthand, about the sustainable energy improvements the owners have made to their properties.

For most of these 16 years we have taken it on faith that the tours help change behavior – that they help move the market. We have known intuitively that the peer-to-peer conversations that happen as a part of this program influence people to take action. We have heard, anecdotally, from NESEA members who have told us that Green Buildings Open House (GBOH) was their introduction to NESEA and to our community, and that the program inspired them to undertake big energy efficiency projects. But we’ve never had real hard data, from our visitors, to show how widespread the impact of the program is.

Now we do!

In July, NESEA received a grant from the National Grid Foundation that allowed us to develop an online survey to learn more from GBOH visitors about how the program affected them. The survey is being administered in three rounds – the first round occurred before this year’s Green Buildings Open House tour, and the second round was sent out two weeks after the October 13th tour, and the third will be sent within the next two weeks.

Survey results are still being collected, but we’ve learned a lot already. The things we’ve learned so far include:

Of the first-time GBOH visitors who responded to the most recent version of the survey, 17% have already undertaken energy efficiency improvements to their home or business in the month or so since the GBOH tour. The types of improvements they’ve made include:

  • getting an energy audit
  • air sealing their walls, windows, basement or attic
  • replacing their incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs

Three people even installed high performance systems including photovoltaics, ground source heat pumps, or high efficiency HVAC equipment.

Of the people who made energy efficiency improvements to their home or building, 50% said that GBOH helped influence them to do so.

There are lots more compelling findings to share – and we’ll be doing so much more extensively in the coming weeks and months. But in the meantime, we’re really excited that the results validate that this program is helping to move the market toward more widespread adoption of sustainable energy solutions.

p.s. – Many thanks to UMass student Kelsey Hobson, our Green Buildings Open House program coordinator and survey writer, for all her work to ensure that we have a comprehensive, statistically valid survey.

Filed Under: Communications, Green Building, Industry, NESEA, NESEA Members, Solar, Sustainable Building Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Annual Meeting and the Pretty Good House

September 24, 2012 By 1 Comment

For those of you who didn’t get to join us in Portland for the 2012 Annual Meeting, here’s a synopsis of the Annual Meeting as recounted by Maine Association of Building Energy Professionals’ Robert Howe in his member email titled “Energy Wonks Talk Pretty Good House”.

“Members of both MABEP and the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) spent some quality time together at NESEA’s 2012 Annual Meeting held in Portland this past Saturday evening at the urging of Portland architect Phil Kaplan of Kaplan Tompson, a member of the NESEA board.

The meeting was held at the Portland Public Library and included a tour of the building’s many ‘green’ features. Earlier in the day were tours of other energy efficient buildings in town, led by local architects.

Following some informal networking and munchies, the annual meeting included an introduction of the NESEA staff and board of directors by NESEA President Jim Petersen of Petersen Engineering in Portsmouth NH, and a review of NESEA’s past year by executive director Jennifer Marrapese.

The business meeting was followed by a panel discussion on “The Pretty Good House,” lead by Dan Kolbert of Kolbert Construction in Portland (see photo).

Dan had used the term Pretty Good House at one of the monthly energy wonk sessions hosted by Maine Green Building Supply’s Steve Konstantino at which Kolbert frequently presides. The idea is this: not everyone is going to want to or can afford to build the perfect the house…the net zero energy house…the Passivhaus. So if you have such a client who doesn’t want to go all the way, what do you do?

This sometimes serious, sometimes irreverant, sometimes comical discussion didn’t lead to any hard and fast rules, but did offer some useful insights.

Just about everyone agreed you don’t just walk away from that client, nor do you throw up your hands without trying to get the less-than-perfect client to see the value of building energy efficiency into his or her home.

One panelist opined that a lot of folks want to be half way between the two extremes of ignoring energy efficiency, on the one hand, and being cutting edge, on the other. But others argued that few people strive to be mediocre, and may come around to your way of thinking with a little effort.

Portland’s Paul Ledman said, “If I just had $900 worth of heating oil delivered to my house and then found out that my neighbor has a total energy bill of less than $10 a month, I would covet what my neighbor wants.” For the record, Paul doesn’t have $900 oil bills, but has a total energy bill sometimes less than $10 a month in his unit of the three-unit near-net-zero-energy apartment house he and partner Colleen Myers built on Portland’s Cumberland Avenue. (Incidentally, MABEP members Upcountry Building Inspectors, Island Carpentry and ReVision Energy all had a role in the building’s construction. You can check out Paul and Colleen’s home by clicking here and going to page 17 of NESEA’s online magazine, Building Energy.)

Someone else suggested you shouldn’t leave energy efficiency until the last item on your client checklist, after countertops and other stuff. They will be more inclined to want to include e.e. measures if they aren’t an afterthought.

John Monaghan urged folks to listen to their client and to work with them to achieve the desired outcome.

All in all, it was a lively, entertaining and thought-provoking evening. And that wasn’t the end of it.

Following the meeting, folks adjourned to the comfortable ambience of Grace, the former church-cum-restaurant, a block east of the library on Chestnut St. where we enjoyed good company, drinks and hors d’ouevres.

MABEP members present at the NESEA meeting included Claire Betze, Peter Taggert, Steve Konstantino, John Monaghan, Margo Billings and Bob Howe. An initial discussion about further collaboration between NESEA and MABEP will be continued at the September MABEP board meeting.”

 Learn more about MABEP here.

Filed Under: Events, Green Building, NESEA, NESEA Members, Solar, Sustainable Building, Whole Systems

Exciting New Collaboration Opportunity with Siemens

January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I wanted to let you know about a partnership opportunity that has recently come our way.

Siemens has just approached us to explore whether we are interested in working with them to present Solar Exchange, a one-day conference intended primarily to educate practitioners about the latest happenings in the solar industry. Participants will include photovoltaic researchers, utility representatives, manufacturers, developers, OEMs, integrators and others. Siemens will take responsibility for identifying and paying for the venue, and underwriting the cost of attendance for all attendees so that it can be offered as a free event. They have asked NESEA to help with the planning and promotion of Solar Exchange – i.e., providing our content for the event. They are planning to host the event in May at Rutgers University.

Siemens has recently hosted other Solar Exchange events in Arizona (approximately 80 attendees), Los Angeles, and most recently in Raleigh, NC, where they partnered with another ASES affiliate, the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, which attracted 300 attendees. All were very well received, and I have learned from my counterparts in NC that Siemens was great to work with.

From my perspective, this opportunity is a no-brainer. Last year, the NESEA Board approved a strategic direction that contemplates offering more programming in the southern part of the NESEA territory — NY, NJ, PA and DE. We are hoping, over time, to develop some sort of “BE South” offering. This event could be a great first step. It could allow us to develop a stronger toe-hold in NJ, and to obtain up to 300 qualified leads for new members in the area with whom we might be able to engage, year round. The only cost to NESEA will be the staff time associated with helping to find content for the event and helping to promote it. And we intend to work closely with BuildingEnergy Renewables track chair Bill Stillinger to do so – borrowing heavily from the content and the presenters we are using in the Renewables track at BE12. Siemens has indicated they are open to using different learning formats – more interactive modes of learning than just a traditional panel of 3 with PowerPoints. They are interested in making the event a quality learning and networking event, not just a sales pitch for their own products.

I’ll be glad to keep you all updated on this collaboration as it progresses. Thanks!

Jennifer

Filed Under: energy policy, Green Building, Industry, NESEA, Renewable Energy, Solar Tagged With: , , , ,

2/16/12 – Pregame for BE12

January 30, 2012 By 1 Comment

Can’t wait for BuildingEnergy12? Neither could we.

Thankfully, one of our BE12 Gold Sponsors and NESEA Members, Renewable Sales, has volunteered to host a BE-caliber session at their showroom in Holliston, MA, February 16, 2012, starting at 5:30pm. RSVP here.

An evening of networking and expert information …
and it’s free! (And there will be food!)

The evening will feature a discussion “Understanding Risks and Rewards: A Conversation on Community Solar,” facilitated by The Cadmus Group, featuring a case study from the Town of Natick and from the City of Medford.  MA Department of Energy Resources will speak to its solar programs (e.g., SolarizeMass with MassCEC, SunShot Program grant), as well as support that it can and has provided to Massachusetts municipalities.

[hide-this-part morelink="Click here to read more about the speakers..."]

Erin Sweet, The Cadmus Group
Erin SweetErin Sweet leads The Cadmus Group’s efforts to support local communities with their renewable energy projects. Since 2010, Ms. Sweet has provided owner’s agent technical assistance services to eight Massachusetts cities and towns on behalf of the state Department of Energy Resources. She has assembled lessons learned from Cadmus’ owner’s agent work into a blog for communities interested in renewable energy. Ms. Sweet has evaluated the costs and benefits of water utility renewable energy projects for the U.S. EPA, and created a roadmap to drive renewables development in South Carolina’s Central Midlands region. Ms. Sweet holds an M.A. in urban and environmental policy and planning from Tufts University, and degrees in microbiology and English from the University of Florida.

Meg Lusardi, MA Department of Energy Resources,
Green Communities Division
Meg is the Director for the Green Communities Division, the organization within the MA Department of Energy Resources that serves as the hub for all municipalities on all matters related to energy.  Meg was tasked in August 2008 to launch the development and implementation of the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program, the landmark program for the Division, that has led to 86 municipalities in MA being designated Green Communities. Meg joined DOER in July 2005 and previously worked with the Renewable Energy team on all matters related to renewables development in MA. She previously served as the Chief of Operations for Project Hope, a non-profit in Dorchester, and as a Project Manager at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Bob Bois, Environmental Compliance Officer, Town of NatickBob Bois
Bob has worked in the environmental field on the public side for over 35 years. Presently, Bob is the Environmental Compliance Officer (ECO) for the Town of Natick – a position he’s held for the past 10 years. As the ECO for Natick, Bob is responsible for coordinating Town-wide compliance with all applicable federal and state environmental laws applicable to Town operations and plays a key role in implementing environmental stewardship and pollution prevention projects Town-wide. As Natick’s ECO, Bob has helped the Town achieve ISO 14001 certification for the environmental management system at its water treatment plant in 2007, secured designation from the state DOER as Green Community in May 2010, and helped negotiate two Power Purchase Agreements to install a 1.08 MW solar array system on the roof of six town buildings by the spring of 2012. Prior to working for Natick, Bob worked 25 years with the state DEP in various positions including the Acting Director for the Office of Enforcement. Bob has a BS in biology form Merrimack College and a MS in Engineering from Tufts University.

A representative from the City of Medford (to be confirmed)

With introductions from:

Kevin Price, CEO, Renewable Sales
Kevin Price is CEO of Renewable Sales of Holliston Massachusetts. Mr. Price bring 30 years of construction sector experience to his position, predominantly in the role of wholesale distributor of mechanical  equipment. In 2008, he opened a small warehouse to service the fledgling solar market in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts.  Since then, he has grown the company to keep pace with the fast expanding market. Renewable Sales now has 3 divisions; the original distribution company that recently expanded operations to a 20,000SF facility in Holliston, as well as two manufacturing divisions.  In Dallas, Texas the company manufactures its American Choice PV modules. The third division, Constellation Solar Mounts, manufactures solar racking for commercial and utility scale projects.

Mr. Price is a native of Massachusetts and enjoys New England’s diverse cultural and seasonal offerings. Mr. Price supports a number of charitable organizations on a local and regional basis.

…and our own Jennifer Marrapese, Executive Director, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association[/hide-this-part]

Here is the essential information:

What: NESEA invites you to “Understanding Risks and Rewards: A Conversation on Community Solar” presented by The Cadmus Group, and hosted by Renewable Sales
Where: Renewable Sales, 35 Jeffrey Avenue, Holliston, MA 01746
When: Thursday, February 16th, 2012; 5:30 – 8:30pm
RSVP: http://goo.gl/iKWtB – maximum 60 attendees – so do not delay! (and please let us know if you need to cancel)

We hope to see you there!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me: rheldt@nesea.org or 413-774-6051 ext. 20

Filed Under: Events, Industry, NESEA, NESEA Members, Renewable Energy, Solar Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Tale of Two Cities: Sustainable Urban Development in Hamburg Comes to Boston

January 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you’ve been following the movement towards renewable energy, you probably know that Europe is way ahead of us. And you might feel that we’ve got a long way to go if we’re ever going to catch up.

NESEA is hoping to change that with a new international collaboration.

We’re proud to announce an exciting new development with the German Consulate. This year, our BuildingEnergy Conference will feature a session on Sustainable Urbanism with representatives from the City of Hamburg, Germany as part of the Transatlantic Climate Bridge.  The German delegation will include Senator Jutta Blankau who will present at the conference Closing Forum on March 8th, and Mr. Uli Hellweg, who will speak at the Thursday session titled “How Hamburg Will Generate 100% of Heat and Electricity from Local Renewable Resources.”

The Transatlantic Climate Bridge is “a joint commitment to invest in newer, cleaner sources of energy can create new jobs and world-class industries, clean up the environment and protect the climate, improve standards of living and enhance global security.” The German Consulate considers their involvement with NESEA to be “one of our major projects“, and given the similarities between Boston and Hamburg and the popularity of BuildingEnergy, it’s easy to see why. Both cities share a similar climate, and as port cities, Boston is ideally suited to channel materials and ideas from Hamburg into the Northeast. BuildingEnergy is the next step, the distribution hub from which the ideas brought over from Germany can be acquired and disseminated throughout the Northeast. And the sustainability industry is ready for them.
Says Mr. Galen Nelson, Director of Intergovernmental Partnerships at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (and BuildingEnergy Session Chair) “The City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts share a strong interest in strengthening our clean energy industry and helping the private sector adapt to a low carbon economy.  The German experience in Hafen City, coupled with Boston’s vibrant clean energy eco-system and the state’s cutting edge renewable energy policies and programs create a perfect opportunity to explore district heating systems in the Commonwealth.”

BuildingEnergy is the place to be for new ideas, new friends, and new business prospects. we’re very excited by this new partnership with the German Consulate, and look forward to expanding our international connections.

So, will we see you at BuildingEnergy? I do hope your answer is “Ja!”

Filed Under: energy policy, Industry, NESEA, Renewable Energy, Solar, Sustainable Building

How do we/should we promote members' businesses?

November 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I wanted to share with you all an email exchange that took place earlier this week that I believe goes to the heart of NESEA’s role as a membership organization.

Earlier this week we sent the following invitation out to all of our Green Buildings Open House hosts and prior years’ entrants to the NESEA Zero Net Energy Building Award:

“Greetings Green Buildings Open House hosts!

I wanted to take a moment to pass the information below to you all, as I know that many of you have indicated that you would like other opportunities to share your knowledge. If you would like to participate in this program offered by Energy Sage, feel free to contact them using the information below. Thank you for your time, and have a wonderful day!

Would you like to help others make the move to renewable energy?

EnergySage.com is an online resource that helps people to navigate the clean energy system research and purchase process. They are interested in showcasing case studies on their website of home and business owners who have already purchased clean energy systems. They would include information about your specific system, why you decided to make the investment, your decision process, your costs / benefits and any advice you might have for potential consumers.

EnergySage’s research suggests that while most consumers are interested in clean energy systems, they don’t actually make the move because they feel they have incomplete or inaccurate information.

By participating, you will be helping others make the move to renewables. If you are interested, Please contact Energysage at: info@energysage.com or at 617.398.0045. They will follow up with a questionnaire and by phone or email.”

We received feedback from several recipients asking why we were promoting the services of a for-profit company, and whether it was appropriate for us to endorse the services of one provider over another. In the interest of transparency, I’d like to share my response — because I feel like this type of member promotion is exactly what we should be doing:

Dear _____,

Thanks for your email. I wanted to respond directly to the concerns you addressed about the request we sent out on behalf of Energy Sage.

Energy Sage is a for profit business that is a NESEA member. As a membership organization, part of our mission is to connect our member – who are primarily practitioners in sustainable energy – to each other, to the ideas and information that they need to improve their practice, and to consumers. And we routinely share member news and/or help them make the types of connections you see here.

I’m sorry if the email below came across as an endorsement of Energy Sage’s products and services. It was not intended to be that. But Energy Sage is looking to develop case studies of consumers who have successfully adopted renewable energy features. They will, of course, use these case studies as part of their marketing. But NESEA may benefit as well, because as they build the online platform for these case studies, we may be able to use the platform for our Green Buildings Open House program. In other words, this is a first step in potentially co-developing a new online platform for GBOH.

I’m sorry you found the original email upsetting. Hopefully this helps shed some light. I acknowledge we could have been clearer and more transparent. Thanks!

Jennifer


As always, I welcome feedback from the NESEA community – what do you think?

Filed Under: NESEA, NESEA Members, Renewable Energy, Solar, Sustainable Building, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

EnergySage.com – Choosing Renewables Now Wicked Simple

November 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I was excited to learn that our newest business-level member, Boston-area Distributed Energy Research & Solutions, Inc (DERS) has concurrently released EnergySage.com , the latest, greatest tool for researching renewable energy solutions.

EnergySage, in brief, is a web platform designed “to make the case for clean energy” by helping everyone from home owners to facilities managers determine the costs and savings associated with renewable energy solutions.

This is an absolutely vital (and arguably long-overdue) tool. As we’ve covered in previous posts, renewable retrofits, upgrades, etc often involve several contractors or installers and a half-dozen different funding sources, making the whole process seem like an insurmountable task. EnergySage aims to smooth this process, and while it is only a day old, it already delivers.

I took EnergySage for a spin, and let me say, it’s wicked easy. Visitors have the choice of learning about clean energy, why to invest in clean energy upgrades for their properties, and options to get advice from professionals or from the EnergySage.com community. I tried out the wizard, and was greatly impressed by the options and level of detail it offered.  Be sure to have your utility bills on hand (or a rough estimate, if you’re just test driving it) so the site can help you determine what services are best for you based upon your needs and energy usage. You answer questions based upon your interest (saving money, etc), property type, and energy needs. And you’re not just limited to one type of renewable energy. EnergySage covers solar PV, solar thermal, wind, geothermal, biomass and biofuel. When you’ve answered all questions, the site reveals the options that are best for you, initial cost of investment, return on investment, and local financing and installation options. You are required to login for advanced options, but you can use your Facebook or Twitter login, further simplifying the process.

In short, EnergySage.com is a powerful, informative and visually appealing way to simplify your clean energy installation and financing decisions, and it’s truly great to be able to count them as a NESEA member. If you’ve been considering a renewable solution for your property, you need to check them out.

And once you’ve used EnergySage to find what renewables are best for you, go see them in action through NESEA’s Green Buildings Open House tour.

Let us know what you think about EnergySage in the comments below.

 

 

Filed Under: Communications, Industry, NESEA Members, Renewable Energy, Renewable Energy Tax Credits, Solar, Sustainable Building, Transition Initiatives Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gaylord Hospital Adds Solar Thermal

October 28, 2011 By 2 Comments

This was brought to our attention by a long-time BuildingEnergy exhibitor, Consulting Engineering Services.

Gaylord Hospital is the first in the state of Connecticut to receive state funding through a Connecticut Clean Energy Fund grant for a solar-thermal hot water system. The $323,000 from the Energy Fund will be a tremendous boost to the hospital, which is a non-profit institution.  The project is slated to begin soon.

Consulting Engineering Services and partner firms will be installing 70  Solarus Evacuated Tube solar hot water panels.

An  evacuated tube solar hot water panel works by converting sunlight into heat, which is transferred to propylene glycol (a gel found in common products like hand sanitizer). The propylene glycol is pumped to a heat exchanger in the system’s water storage tank.  The system to be installed at Gaylord Hospital will feed at 3,750 gallon tank that will supply 65% of the hospital’s hot water. This is a huge step – the system is expected to cut the hospital’s fuel consumption by 7,000 gallons a year and reduce annual carbon output by 135,000 lbs.

Congratulations to Consulting Engineering Services and everyone working on this project, and kudos to Gaylord Hospital for making a sound economic and environmental decision to go solar! Anyone interested in learning more about renewable efforts in health care should head on over to the Health Care Track at BuildingEnergy 12

Interested in learning more about NetZero energy? Join us for a net zero event with Mitsubishi Electric in Southborough, MA on November 10th, 2011. Read more and RSVP here!

 

Filed Under: Communications, Green Building, Industry, Renewable Energy, Solar, Sustainable Building Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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