Solar Hot Water Challenges

WHY IT MATTERS
The average home uses about 15 percent of its fuel for hot water. Solar hot water systems can reduce hot water energy needs by 50 percent or more. Record high fuel prices coupled with federal, state and local incentives make this a great time to consider solar hot water. The payback period on a typical solar hot water system costing about $8,000 (after incentives worth about $2,500) is about 5 to 7 years.  In addition to making financial sense, solar hot water is a cost-effective way to cut down on your fossil fuel usage. 

HOW TO DO IT
Town Energy Committees can organize a Solar Hot Water Challenge to educate community members about the advantages of this renewable resource and encourage them to install panels.  You will want to organize a workshop on solar hot water and recruit local distributors to help with the presentation and discussion.  These distributors are usually willing to help cover the costs of the workshop because they will probably generate some business from it.  You can download and edit a power point presentation and other workshop materials, including a solar hot water challenge form, from the "Workshop" link at www-SERG-info.org.  Please give credit to the First Branch Sustainability Project for creating these materials.  You can also link the workshop with a tour of operating solar hot water systems in your community. 

Your organizing committee should set a goal for the number of systems you hope will be installed due to your efforts and conduct other outreach activities to promote the program: letters to the editor, a press release to the local media to have them do a story, flyer/posters around town, etc.

A twist on this project, perfected by the Plymouth (NH) Area Renewable Energy Initiative, is to organize a number of households interested in installing solar hot water systems, purchasing disassembled systems at group rates and recruit volunteers to install the panels.  PAREI has installed more than 50 systems in this fashion at considerable savings to participants. They have a paid plumber who coordinates installation design with the homeowner and completes some of the more technical parts of the installation. On the day of the "Energy Raiser" volunteers, consisting largely of folks who have had systems installed at their homes previously, arrive to "give back" by helping assemble and install the system.


INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
Renewable Energy Vermont - Trade association for renewable dealers in Vermont.  Includes lists of solar and other renewable dealers:  www.REVermont.org, info@revermont.org, 802-229-0099

Renewable Energy Resource Center - Information on system descriptions, incentives, financing and dealers:  877-888-7372, www.rerc-vt.org

Websites for Incentives and Tax Credits:
Federal Incentives for Renewable Energy
Vermont Solar Energy Incentive
Vermont's "Clean Energy Development Fund"
IRS Energy Tax Credit Form
Sustainable Energy Resource Group's Energy Alliance dealers offer discounts on renewable systems to supporters making tax-deductible contributions of $50 or more to SERG. See the "Energy Alliance" link at www.SERG-info.org.

CASE STUDIES
First Branch Sustainability Project - Phillip Mulligan, 802-685-7784, phillip@sover.net
Norwich Energy Committee - Alan Berolzheimer, 802-649-2857, bercress@sover.net
Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative - Sandra Jones, 603-536-5030, sandra@plymouthenergy.org or visit www.plymouthenergy.org
Sustainable Energy Resource Group - Bob Walker, 802-785-4126, SERG@valley.net or visit www.SERG-info.org