Find a Great Solar Thermal Installer

Solar Thermal Installation

Solar Thermal Installation

When installing a solar hot water system on your residential home or business, selecting a licensed solar contractor is essential. In order to be assured that your installation will be in good hands, you need to conduct your own research and interview a number of different qualified candidates. This means prequalify the installers – ask them a series of questions that will allow you to assess their level of experience. Most importantly, you need to find out if the installer has the proper licensing and training. The market is crowded with new solar installers and it is up to you to differentiate the experienced professionals from the ‘rookies’.
Finding a Solar Contractor: What to look for:

1. Hire only licensed solar contractors – Visit the Contractors State License Board at www.cslb.ca.gov or call at 1-800-321-2752 to verify solar contractor licensing. Buying a high end solar thermal system is only the first step…

2. Be sure the contractor is insured – Verify the certificate of insurance for general liability insurance. Uninsured workers can file for damages against the homeowner if injured on the job.

3. Get multiple bids – Get at least two bids from different solar thermal contractors, so you can compare the costs of installation. Don’t let price be your guide – remember that the lowest is not always the best.

4. Review past work and get a list of references – Call and pre-qualify several solar thermal contractors before selecting one. Request a reference from a previous satisfied customer or check review websites like Yelp.com or Kudzu.com to see what people are saying.

5. Get a written contract – Be sure to specify start and completion dates of your new solar thermal system – insist on a specified progressive payment schedule.

6. Review the contract before signing – do not sign under pressure. Ask for at least 48 hours to review the contract if needed.

7. Set a payment schedule – Do not pay cash and do not let payments get ahead of completed work. Never pay for work before it is done.

8. Do not pay more than 10% or $1,000 as a down payment – Keep the final 10% payment upon completion of the job.

9. Review the warranty details – make sure that there is a specific guideline provided by contractor or third-party.

10. Keep a job file – maintain a paper trail of receipts, permits and plans. You may need this information when submitting for local solar incentives or the 2010 30% federal tax credit.

Now that you have the tips, it’s time to begin the search for the solar installer that fits your needs – Good Luck!

Greg Brandmeier
Vaillant Solar Systems Marketing Coordinator

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California Gets Statewide Solar Thermal Incentives

California stepped up its commitment to protect the environment today by voting in favor of a new statewide incentive
program for solar thermal systems. This decision establishes a California Solar Initiative (CSI) Thermal Program to
provide incentives to promote the installation of solar water heating systems in the territories of Pacific Gas and
Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison Company (SCE), San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E), and
Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas).
So what does this mean for Californians? You can save the environment and reduce your utility bills, all while saving
on the cost of a solar thermal installation. This will make solar thermal much more attractive for homeowners and
businesses alike. Qualified homeowners can receive up to $1,875 and businesses can save up to $200,000.
Since the <a href=”http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Solar/swh.htm” target=”blank”>California Public Utilities
Commission</a> (CPUC) just voted on the program today, it will take some time to roll out the program statewide.
However, if you are considering solar thermal for your home or business, don’t let this delay slow you down. The folks
at CPUC recognized that this might forestall decisions while customers waited for the incentives to be rolled out. The
CPUC brilliantly noted that any qualifying solar water heating system installed <b>after July 15, 2009 would be
eligible to apply for the incentives</b>.
As a <a href=”http://www.vaillantsolarsystems.com/About_Us.php” target=”blank”>solar thermal manufacturer</a>, we at Vaillant are thrilled about the commitment to this new incentive program in
California and we applaud the people who worked diligently to make it all happen. Especially the team at the <a
href=”http://energycenter.org/index.php/incentive-programs/solar-water-heating-pilot-program” target=”blank”>California
Center for Sustainable Energy</a> (CCSE) who managed the solar water heating pilot program in San Diego for the last
two years.
The folks at CCSE and CPUC know that we still have a long road ahead of us. The next challenge is to educate
Californians about these incentives and ensure they take advantage of them while they last. I’m glad to hear that CPUC
has dedicated $32.5 million for education and marketing programs. After all, if people don’t know about free money, how
can they take advantage of it?
If you are interested in learning more about the CSI Thermal Program, contact us at 858-259-0305 and talk with one of
our solar thermal experts!
Californians save more with solar water heating.

Californians now save more with solar water heating.

California stepped up its commitment to protect the environment today by voting in favor of a new statewide incentive program for solar thermal systems. This decision establishes a California Solar Initiative (CSI) Thermal Program to provide incentives to promote the installation of solar water heating systems in the territories of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison Company (SCE), San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E), and Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas).

So what does this mean for Californians? You can save the environment and reduce your utility bills, all while saving on the cost of a solar thermal installation. This will make solar thermal much more attractive for homeowners and businesses alike. Qualified homeowners can receive up to $1,875 and businesses can save up to $200,000.

Since the California Public UtilitiesCommission (CPUC) just voted on the program today, it will take some time to roll out the program statewide. However, if you are considering solar thermal for your home or business, don’t let this delay slow you down. The folks at CPUC recognized that this might forestall decisions while customers waited for the incentives to be rolled out. The CPUC brilliantly noted that any qualifying solar water heating system installed after July 15, 2009 would be eligible to apply for the incentives. That’s right! If you have already installed a solar thermal system, you may be eligible for a rebate. And you thought you couldn’t love solar any more.

As a solar thermal manufacturer, we at Vaillant are thrilled about the commitment to this new incentive program in California and we applaud the people who worked diligently to make it all happen. Especially the team at the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) who managed the solar water heating pilot program in San Diego for the last two years.

The folks at CCSE and CPUC know that we still have a long road ahead of us. The next challenge is to educate Californians about these incentives and ensure they take advantage of them while they last. I’m glad to hear that CPUC has dedicated $32.5 million for education and marketing programs. After all, if people don’t know about free money, how can they take advantage of it?

If you are interested in learning more about the CSI Thermal Program, contact Vaillant at 858-259-0305 and talk with one of our solar thermal experts!

Cheers!

Tara Heiser

Vaillant Solar Systems Inc.
Your Solar Water Heating Experts

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Enter to win a FREE solar hot water system!

Enter to win a free solar water heater!

Enter to win a free solar thermal system from Vaillant!

Who says you have to spend lots of money to go green? We’re spreading the word about the affordability and efficiency of solar water heating by giving away a FREE solar thermal system to one lucky homeowner in California. That’s right! Free.

Simply take our fun solar thermal quiz and enter to win. Don’t worry – hints are available for those who aren’t solar masters.

Valued at over $8,000, this solar prize will not only help you reduce your water heating costs by up to 80% each year, you will also eliminate about 125,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. But enter today because this giveaway ends December 31, 2009.

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The Rundown: Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic

When discussing Solar Technology, people assume you’re only talking about electricity and often overlook the opportunity of solar thermal. So here is a quick breakdown of the two solar technologies out there today, Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic.

Solar Thermal Heating is an affordable and easy solution to heat your water supply using the sun. This technology harnesses the power of solar radiation and provides energy for a number of hot water applications – meaning it can do everything from heat your drinking water to heat your room inside your home. The concept of Solar Thermal is relatively simple. Think of a hose left in the sun for an extended period of time – only imagine a much larger hose attached to a complex looped system. A solar thermal system consists of two main parts: a collector and a storage tank. The most common collector is known as “a flat plate collector”; a rectangular panel that is heavily insulated and sealed with large piece of glass. Inside this panel, is a copper pipe (remember the hose) that transfers an anti-freeze solution  from the collector to a coil inside your hot water storage tank.

On the other end of the solar spectrum is the Photovoltaic (PV) technology. This technology is a bit more complex, and tends to be the popular leader in the solar industry. How it works: PV panels use the solar energy to separate electrons from their atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce energy. Translation: This technology uses the energy of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage) which is why it is given its name, “photovoltaic” or PV. Photovoltaic systems can reduce your electricity consumption by 18%, but when compared to Solar Thermal, Solar Photovoltaic costs three times as much and requires up to five times the roof space for equal energy output.

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How does solar water heating compare to solar electricity?

Both Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic are excellent ways to go green and support renewable energy. Both solar solutions can conserve your carbon footprint, energy consumption and utility costs. But if you can’t afford the large investment required for PV, consider the option of diving into solar water heating. Save green and go green with solar technology.

Greg Brandmeier
Vaillant Solar Systems Inc.
Solar Hot Water Experts

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How Safe is Coal?

If you haven’t seen the 60 Minutes segment on coal ash, I encourage you to take a few minutes to learn all about the 130 million tons of waste that is created each year by burning coal for electricity.

Coal ash is one of the waste products created by burning coal and the utility industry says that it is as safe as dirt. Our friend, SolarFred, even found a fun coloring book that teaches kids all about “clean and safe” coal. (YIKES!) Watching this video definitely gives you a different perspective.

 

At this time, the disposal of coal ash is regulated by individual states but the EPA is currently reviewing if the federal government should regulate it as a hazardous waste. If this happens, the cost of proper disposal of coal ash would skyrocket, which would mean higher electricity costs for Americans. Call me crazy, but I think this is a necessary step to help people move into clean, renewable energy.

Can’t afford to invest in renewable energies like solar electricity, solar thermal, wind, or geothermal right now? Well you are not alone. But there are simple things that we all can do like conserving energy or requesting renewable energy from our utility company. And if you can afford renewable energy, then please do something now for your environment.

Tara Heiser

Vaillant Solar Systems
Your Solar Hot Water Experts

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