PV dealers-How many times have you had conflicts with other contractors and wished you could have done the whole job yourself? Are you seeing too much business slowdown as winter approaches? Purchases of thermal systems increase in the fall, as PV sales tend to decrease. Now is the time to widen your horizons!
You already get inquiries regarding grid-tied PV. Solar thermal is often more economical, with a lower entry cost. The installed retail price of a typical residential solar water heater is around $3500. The retail price of PV grid-tied system to appreciably reduce a typical home’s electric bill is over $10,000. Besides, a grid-tied PV requires a favorable relationship with the local power authority (net metering and reasonable rules). Solar thermal has no such requirement.
Thermal collectors make better use of limited roof space, gathering the equivalent of 600 watts per square meter, compared to 100 watts per square meter for PV.
Justifying the Cost of Solar Water Heating
The cost of heating water is generally best justified by looking at the cost of operation of a water heater as expressed on the yellow energy efficiency label that is on almost all appliances. That’s approximately $300 to 400 per year for electric. The cost of gas is not so much less. (Within the last year the cost have doubled to be approximately $200 to $260 per year, and propane is higher than that.) A solar water system properly sized will eliminate approximately 60 to 90% of that cost.
Solar Heating for New Construction
In recent national survey of new home buyers, 78% said they would have seriously considered solar if it had been recommended by their builder. Another 40% said that if solar had been a standard feature in their new home, they would have paid, on average, $21 more on their monthly mortgage payment. (Survey funded by NREL, National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Source: www.sunbuilt.org)
Financial Incentives for the Home Buyer
Solar water heating can qualify a home for an EPA Five Star Home energy-efficiency mortgage with more favorable terms, such as cash back at closing or increased debt-to-income ratio. Because of monthly energy savings, the buyer can afford to include additional upgrades in their new home package. So for the same monthly outlay, the solar home buyer gets more for their money than the standard home buyer. Even if your customer chooses a conventional mortgage, rolling the solar system cost into the mortgage (like other appliances) increases their savings more than it increases the mortgage payment. They save from the day they move in. If that weren’t enough, by installing solar you provide today’s environmentally-conscious client with something they prefer: clean energy. (Source: www.sunbuilt.org)
Packaged Systems vs. Component Systems
Packaged, pre-engineered systems simplify the sales and installation process, streamline the result, and reduce the chance of field integration errors. You may pay a little more for an integrated system, but you will be off the job much sooner.
Packaged systems are intended to help the less-experienced and less-equipped installer to enter the field. If you chose to design your own systems, we can supply Heliodyne collectors plus tanks, pumps, check valves, and other components.
Offering Solar Thermal Repairs
We recommend that you don’t offer to repair older systems, unless you are familiar with the various “orphaned” technologies. Some parts are difficult to obtain, and your repairs will not always be reliable. As a general rule, if tank is older than 8 years, or a collector older than 15 years, repair labor can can cost more than installing a new system. Don’t be shy about recommending complete system replacement. Replacements account for a large portion of solar thermal sales.
