Solar Water Heaters Now Mandatory In Hawaii

Starting this year, Hawaii has become the first state to require solar water heaters in new homes. The bill was signed into law by Governor Linda Lingle in 2008. The law prohibits the issuing of building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Hawaii relies on imported fossil fuels more than any other state, with about 90 percent of its energy sources coming from foreign countries, according to state data.


State Sen. Gary Hooser, vice chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee, first introduced the measure eight years ago when he said a barrel of oil cost just $40. Since then, the cost of oil has more than tripled! It's unbelievable how much the price of oil has risen in such a short amount of time.

Should this bill be passed for other states in the Continental US?  There's probably a positive gain for requiring solar hot water heaters in tropical areas like Hawaii, but to pass this law in parts of the country that endure longer, darker winters probably wouldn't be quite the same. Something to chew on.

Solar Thermal Challenge Hosted By SHEM

The Challenge: Efficient design of solar thermal in residential new construction.
The Prize: Construction and monitoring of winning selection.
The Payoff: $1,000 in prizes for top three selections.

The Contest
Using Google Sketchup, the free Google 3-D drawing program (available here for free download), two model structures have been provided. Roof orientation varies, from 3/12 southfacing to 12/12 north/south orientations.Any product, and any manufacturer is invited to submit qualified bids. The intent of the program is to construct the buildings, then monitor and report results.Pre-deadline bidders conference to be held at Solar Heat Exchange Manufacturing's westcoast warehouse and factory support center at the Morrow ranch in Redding, CA. At that conference, Jeff Morrow will conduct a seminar on sizing and diagramming systems.

The Conference
Our conference will be held the first weekend in August (August 6,7 & 8th, 2010) at the Solar Heat Exchange Manufacturing's West Coast Warehouse & Factory Support Center at the Morrow Ranch in Redding, CA. Beginning with a Friday night mixer, speakers and seminars are to follow on Saturday and Sunday. Accommodations are available.

Guest Speakers - Friday
Bruce Ewing - Mid America Heating & Plumbing, Manhattan, KS. The founder of Solar Heat Exchange Manufacturing, will be making the opening remarks of conference.
Jeff Morrow - Solar Heat Exchange Manufacturing, Perry, KS. One line diagramming: system sizing and communicating plumbing details.
Jeff Shaw - Gulf South Solar, Lafayette, LA. Training, marketing and business development. The story of a seasoned dealer.

Guest Speakers - Saturday
Bryan Tumolo - SPS Industries, Albuquerque, NM. Discussing the issues regarding the installation of evacuated tubes and large scale thermal.
Michael Hopson - Covington, LA. The realities of becomming a new solar thermal dealer. Lessons learned in solar dealing.
Tom Dinkel - SunReports, San Francisco, CA. Hosts the discussion on the benefits of web based solar monitoring.

Please contact us to attend and/or participate in the challenge.

SHEM in the News

Solar Heat Exchange Manufacturing made the evening Channel 6 News on June 15th.  They were reporting a story on the Douglas County Jail where SHEM was installing the jail's brand new solar water system. The installation is expected to save $18,000 from the jail's budget during the next 15 years.

Click here to view the video

Jails are ideal buildings for implementing solar water heating systems. Since most of the hot water usage occurs during the day time in a jail facility, this truly  Maximizes the efficiency of the system.

See the video and learn more about this particular system here

The Simplest Solution for Drainback Installations

The Simple Drainback Tank serves as a low pressure solar fluid reservoir for the system. The domestic water is piped through the super efficient Hot Spring heat exchange coil in order to transfer the solar energy to the domestic hot water line. This configuration enables the system to operate with a single pump. The password protected SHEM 32 controller is optimally programmed for the Simple Drainback System.

The Simple Drainback System reduces the number of components associated with traditional drainback systems, significantly reducing installation time and complexity. The system design eliminates the need for additional pumps, tanks, piping and hardware.

The system arrives installation ready with the pump flange and the pre-wired controller fastened to the tank. Installation requires only four plumbing connections and one sensor connection. Once filled with water, the system is ready for years of maintenance free, reliable operation.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.simpledrainback.com/

California Rebates & Tax Credits

New rebates and tax credits are making it easier for California residents to use solar energy to heat the water in their homes. KPBS reporter Sharon Heilbrunn discusses the benefits of solar water heaters.  State regulators recently approved $350 million in rebates for homes and businesses that switch to solar water heating. Katrina Phruksukarn of the California Center for Sustainable Energy says this is a boost to the industry.

Check out this informative video from kpbs.org that explains exactly how solar water heaters work, and the benefits of installing one in your home.

An Inventive DIY Drainback System

Just looking around for some interesting news regarding solar hot water heaters, and I came across this great article!

Apparently this Chinese farmer is getting hot shower water from this roof of beer bottles and plastic tubing. According to the article, "I invented this for my mother. I wanted her to shower comfortably," says Ma Yanjun, of Qiqiao village, Shanxi province.Ma's invention features 66 beer bottles attached to a board. The bottles are connected to each other [with plastic tubing] so that water flows through them.Sunlight heats the water as is passes slowly through the bottles before flowing into the bathroom as hot water, reports China Economy Network. Ma says, "It provides enough hot water for all three members of his family to have a shower every day. And more than 10 families in the village have already followed suit and installed their own versions of Ma's invention."
*Acticle originally found on Ananova.

What a great idea. However, a do-it-yourself solar water heater is very difficult to do right. A professionally manufactured and installed system will cost more than a few re-used beer bottles and some tubing, but in the long run, they’re less expensive than electric or gas water heaters. And you'll still have peace of mind, because you'll have a warranty!

DSIRE... A Great Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy

Check out this very useful site that's a great comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. DSIRE was established in 1995 and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. It's an ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.

You ought to take a minute or two and check out the solar incentives in your state for installing a solar hot water system... they're practically giving these things away. Some states with the highest incentives are Louisiana, California, and Washington. Get on board with solar!!