Solar Hot Water Incentives In California

By Author: Brad Hingerson
Total Articles: 23
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Many people and companies want to benefit from solar hot water because it is free and it is environmentally responsible. Many people are familiar with solar hot water systems like flat panels. However, the newest technology that is being approved for certification is the SolarBeam Concentrator, a parabolic concentrator that tracks the sun and produces up to 12kW of solar hot water.

Shown below is a calculator that shows how much energy 1 SolarBeam can produce of solar hot water.
The SolarBeam can heat 600 liters of cold water from 12 Celsius to 85 Celsius in 4.5 hours
CALCULATOR Amount of Hot water per DAY 600 L
Direct kWh/day/m2 (average) 4.5
Initial water temperature (Celsius) 12
Desired water temperature (Celsius) 85
Average Dish kWh 47.9
KWH Required 50.9
Number of SolarBeam 1

This powerful solar hot water system is available to residential and solar hot water commercial customers. It can be sold to any facility that uses hot water. Shown below are some applications:

• Wineries
• Beverage Companies
• Hotels
• ...
... Apartments
• Schools/Universities
• Industry
• Greenhouses
California Solar Initiative
CSI-Thermal Program

Incentives are now available for Solar Water-Heating Systems!
The CSI-Thermal Program offers cash rebates of up to $1,875 for solar heating systems on single-family homes. Multifamily and Commercial properties qualify for rebates of up to $500,000. Save money on gas or electricity bills by harnessing the heat of the sun!
Funding for the CSI-Thermal program comes from ratepayers of PG&E, SCE, Social Gas, and SDG&E. The rebate program is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission as part of the California Solar Initiative.
Find out if you qualify
• CSI-Thermal rebates are available to homeowners, landlords and business owners who install solar water heating systems in the service territories of PG&E, SCE, Social Gas and SDG&E.
• Solar water heating systems must use eligible equipment that has a Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) OG-300 rating for single-family, and OG-100 for multi-family/commercial.
• Solar water heating systems eligible for rebates must displace the use of either natural gas or electricity as the fuel for water heating.
• Rebates are available for qualifying systems that were installed after July 15, 2009.
How much you’ll save
Rebates vary depending on the type of solar water heating system, location, shading and other design factors. A typical homeowner with a solar water heating system displacing a natural gas can expect a rebate of about $1,500 at the initial incentive level. Rebates for electric-displacing systems start at around $1,000 for the average system. Incentives will decline over time as the program meets certain benchmarks, so customers are encouraged to apply for their rebate early. To learn more about how much you will save, check the solar events calendar for a free solar hot water information class in your utility area.
Additional California Cash for Appliances Rebates

The California Cash for Appliances Program currently adds an additional rebate of up to $750 for qualifying solar water heating systems. The additional rebate started on July 29, 2010, and will continue until the funding is used up. The Cash for Appliances solar water heating rebate is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act / Stimulus Fund and is administered by the California Energy Commission. The Cash for Appliances Program has a separate rebate application form; however, the program guidelines require that an applicant follow the CSI-Thermal program guidelines.

Finding an Eligible Solar Thermal Contractor
Contractors and self-installers must become eligible to participate as contractors in the CSI-Thermal Program by taking a one-day training class offered by the CSI-Thermal Program Administrators. A listing of all eligible CSI-Thermal Solar Water Heating Contractors is provided for consumers.
For More Information
• Contact the Program Administrator in your area for more information on applying for the CSI-Thermal Program.
• Check the availability of solar thermal classes in your area.
• Incentive levels, technical requirements and other program details can be found in the CSI-Thermal Program Handbook.
• To apply for rebates, visit the CSI-Thermal online application site.
• For information about CSI-Thermal program policy developments, including the forthcoming CSI-Thermal program for multifamily and commercial solar hot water systems, see the CSI-Thermal Program page on the CPUC website.
• You may download a file containing information on all projects that have applied for the CSI-Thermal rebate, including project size, type and cost information. Download the Excel CSV file.

This is a guest post by Brad Hingerson and Solar Hot Water for more details please visits http://www.solartronenergy.com/.