Portland’s famed Becky’s Diner now sports 8 flat plate solar hot water collectors to help wash all those dishes.

The Forecaster reports:

When Becky Rand renovated her iconic diner on Commercial Street four years ago, she wanted to add solar heating panels but couldn’t afford to do it.

She made sure the necessary plumbing was installed, though, so if the funds became available, she would be able to add a solar hot-water system in the future.

So when ReVision Energy called Rand and told her about a grant available through Efficiency Maine and federal stimulus funds, plus a tax incentive, she jumped on the opportunity.

“That made it affordable for me,” Rand said.

Rand worked closely with ReVision over the next year and a half, filling out the many necessary forms and documents to make her solar-heated hot-water system a reality.

Finally, last week, the eight panels and a 160-gallon water tank were installed. Rand said that in the height of the summer, when the diner is the busiest and is using the most hot water, the panels should provide all the heat she needs for hot water.

… “For people like me, with grandchildren, you want to think you’re leaving something nice for your grandchildren,” Rand said. “Maine is special – we don’t appreciate what we have here, how beautiful it is. I want that maintained.”

The system, which is tied in to an existing natural gas heating system, will offset roughly 1,131 therms of natural gas each year and produce 248,000 Btus a day in the summertime. Inside the restaurant is a display panel that tracks system production and tank temperature for real-time analysis of system production.

Next time you’re looking for a nice bowl of chowdah, you can rest easy knowing the water washing your dishes at Becky’s is heated by the sun!

Meg Simone is known for creating timeless wedding films at New England’s most gorgeous destinations. Her home post-production studio is where precious moments come to be – thanks to a fair amount of electricity! Making her operation a little greener this year is a pole-mounted 3.7kw photovoltaic sstem installed be ReVision Energy just in time for the holidays.

Meg shares her enthusiasm for the system in this quick video:

We touched based with Meg to ask her about the process and what she likes about the new system:

When we built our house we put in a evacuated tube solar hot water system with ReVision. We know there are other options out there for solar installers but we love the personal attention, ease of install (thanks Jen for taking care of the paperwork) and customer service that stands behind the product. The vast experience from the team at ReVision is unmatched. You don’t have to take my word for it, you can read their bios!

We had wanted to add solar electricity for a long time, and finally the incentives and rebates afforded us the opportunity. ReVision made my life easy and this process FUN. The guys are so friendly we told them to come in for lunch on the 2nd day of the install! In fact, the team is so friendly and personal it feels like a friend has helped install this not just a business.

We love seeing how much power the system makes each day. It’s a good feeling to know that the sun can power our at-home businesses and reduce our carbon footprint.

See some more photos of the installation on our Facebook page, courtesy of Meg:

George Longstreth’s dreams of a solar home started nearly a decade ago, when he had a crude off-grid system installed for a seasonal beach cottage on Baker’s Island, MA. “It was basic, just four small panels, but it was enough to run the microwave for a few minutes or brew a pot of coffee. It got me thinking about how this technology could be applied for a normal home.”

This thinking process lead him to Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont, where he learned the basics of green building and passive solar design. Then, he scoured Northern New England for an ideal location to build his solar home, a search that took him from Southeast New Hampshire to Portland, Maine, before he found the property of his dreams in Kennebunkport.

“It was a beautiful property with good access to solar south,” he says, “That’s when I started assembling the best team of local contractors to make the project happen.”

His search for a solar contractor brought him in contact with a number of companies in Southern Maine, but he chose ReVision Energy because “you knew what you were doing.” After a preliminary meeting with engineer Geoff Sparrow, ReVision worked with George and his architect, Hans Warner, to design a 8.28kw solar electric system to be mounted on the home’s south-facing roof along with 2 flat plate solar hot water collectors for his domestic hot water supply.

Solar PV + Geothermal = Synergy

Solar is just one part of the renewable energy systems in Longstreth’s new home. George also contacted Dr. John Logan of Water Energy Distributors for advice on installing a geothermal system. Dr. Logan connected George with New Energy Solutions of Standish who designed and installed a geothermal system consisting of two heat pumps, one for 1st floor radiant heat, and another for cooling and 2nd floor heating.

“It was great when I got all these smart people in the room together to talk about the synergy between renewable energy systems,” George says, “Our predictions are that the solar will provide around 50% of the electricity used for geothermal heating during the heating months, and 100% of my household ‘plug’ loads the rest of the year.”

Designing a home that is mostly renewable-powered requires being very conscious about energy use, and Longstreth’s home takes this concept to heart. His home is heavily insulated, consisting of a double-framed 2×6 + 2×4 wall system filled with compacted cellulose insulation, for a R40 rating in the walls and R60 in the ceiling. His home takes advantage of its south-facing orientation to incorporate passive solar features, such as windows installed for optimum solar gain and a special 1 1/2″ slab to collect passive heat.

Investing in Solar

As his project nears completion, George looks forward to a life of minimal energy bills. “The new home uses no oil whatsoever, very little electricity and very little propane. We bucked the attitude of ‘fly now, pay later’ to ‘pay now, fly later.’ The tight-fisted Yankee in me can’t let this bountiful renewable energy go to waste while we purchase oil from our enemies overseas.”

George estimates that his mechanical systems made up about 25% of his overall project budget, and that with state and federal incentives, his renewable systems were cost-competitive with installing a traditional heating system. “It’s a no brainer, and we’re already seeing results. After our first month, our electric bill went from around $80 to -$10! We can’t wait to see how it performs long term.”

The solar hot water system for Bow-based homeowners Gail and Leon Kenison allows them to use their oil boiler for backup only, with a wood stove for primary heating.

We had a chance to speak with Gail Kenison, a homeowner in Bow, New Hampshire who recently had us install a cost-effective solar hot water system that will essentially keep the boiler off from May to October.

Gail and her husband, Leon, had already cut down oil use in their home dramatically by choosing to heat primarily with wood. In the winter, their oil boiler still served as a source for hot water and backup space heat. But with their boiler running throughout the summer for the sole purpose of heating water, they decided to take the next step and invest in solar hot water.

“We’ve tried to stay in tune with all the renewable energy options, and had wanted to do something for a while,” Gail says, “We learned about solar at a continuing education class, and discovered that solar thermal presented a great solution for our home.”

Solar Hot Water Works

The Kenisons had ReVision Energy install two American-made Chromagen 4×8 flat plate solar hot water collectors and an 80G super insulated dual-coil solar storage tank. Whenever the rooftop collector temperature is hotter than the water at the bottom of the 80-gallon storage tank, a differential temperature controller automatically activates the solar circulating pump, which pumps solar-heated propylene glycol (a sugar water antifreeze solution) down from the collectors and through the bottom heat exchange coil in the tank, thereby transferring the heat from the sun to the water in the tank. The system includes automatic hot water backup from the oil boiler for those times of year when the solar resource is not strong enough to meet 100% of domestic hot water demand.

“The experience has been great so far,” Gail says, “The install team was knowledgeable, very professional, and clearly took the time to do the job right. They made us feel very comfortable with their work and took the extra time to help us understand the system. We couldn’t be more pleased.”

Even as the Kenison’s solar thermal system enters the heating season, it should produce up to half of their household’s hot water. Since they’ll be heating primarily with wood, that means their boiler will only need to run as a backup for both heat and hot water – creating some substantial fuel savings and CO2 reductions!

When Bill Babb and his wife Barbara retired from their jobs as school teachers, controlling monthly costs was an important way to maintain the good life. Investing in financial markets looked shaky, and they wanted to see something positive result from their efforts. After seeing a presentation by a former student, Hans Albee, they started looking seriously at a solar energy investment – and they liked what they saw.

“For years, the upfront cost was an issue with solar,” Bill says, “But when we looked at it recently we were pleasantly surprised – the cost of solar panels had dropped considerably, and with state and federal incentives, we found we could purchase a system that would be a better investment for us than the stock market. Barbara and I both agreed that the cost of energy will only rise, and rise faster than it has in the past.”

As a pragmatic environmentalist (and climate change skeptic), Bill was attracted to solar’s minimal impact on the natural landscape. He likes that his clean power doesn’t add turbines to untouched landscape, block up or contaminate waterways, or contribute to air pollution. He also likes the impact solar has had on his monthly bill.

“We were expecting the system to produce around $50 a month of power, but so far it’s produced closer to $60-70,” Bill says. “We’re happy to be banking some power for the winter months, and seeing our electric bill dramatically reduced. The system has done everything I wanted it to do from day one.”

Solar Hot Takes it Farther

Bill and Barbara’s positive experience with solar electricity lead them to adding a solar hot water system, which further reduces their home’s fossil fuel needs by allowing their boiler to go dormant for 5-6 months of the year. We caught up with Bill just a few weeks after the system was installed, and he reports that so far, it had stayed well above the 110 degree mark that would trigger his boiler to turn on.

“The furnace has been turned off for weeks and we have had plenty of hot water, even without changing our lifestyle” Bill says, “On days that are a cloudy mix with little direct sun, we’re surprised at how much heat the system produces. We like it!”

Unity College’s TerraHaus is the first college dorm build to passive house standards. Solar thermal collectors will provide most of its hot water

Just in time for classes, Unity College opened up the doors to TerraHaus, a boldly innovative, low-energy college dorm that aims to demonstrate the height of high performance building on college campuses.

The building, designed and built by by G*O Logic’s architect Matthew O’Malia and carpenter Alan Gibson, is the nation’s first dorm to meet passive house certification standards. Like their prior net zero G*O Logic home, G*O Logic chose ReVision Energy to design and install the solar energy systems. The TerraHaus sports 120 evacuated tube solar hot water collectors, which should meet nearly all of the building’s hot water needs (showers, washing, etc.).

Here’s what Doug Fox, Director, Center for Sustainability and Global Change, Unity College, said about the choice of renewable energy:

In an era of global change and uncertainty about future oil costs, thinking about resilience in our home and work systems is prudent. The cost of heating water with solar is independent of the price of fossil fuels, hence adding resiliency to our residential systems while also mitigating climate change. Leaving aside the alternate investment calculations that a financial advisor might want me to make, it gives me comfort to think that in my home I have, in a sense, pre-paid for 250 gallons or so of heating oil per year for the next 20 years or more at $1.40/gallon.

More of Doug’s comments and photos of the story of TerraHaus’ construction at: TerraHaus blog.

The Morning Sentinel also featured the building:

The standards, the highest international standards for energy efficiency, require that the dorm use 90 percent less energy for space heating than standard buildings.

On Thursday, Gibson and O’Malia, as well as landscape architect Ann Kearsley of Portland, gave the Unity staff tours of the eco-friendly, stylish tan-shingled cottage.

TerraHaus, which cost about $475,000 and took about three months to build, is nearly airtight, has a heat recovery ventilation system, is exceptionally well insulated and has superior quality windows.

Those high-quality features, said Gibson, will allow TerraHaus to be heated this winter with an electric baseboard heater at a cost of about $30 per person.

Gibson and O’Malia also designed the GO Home on Crocker Road in Belfast, the first passive house-certified home in Maine and the 12th passive house in the country.

According to Doug Fox, director of the Center for Sustainability and Global Change at Unity, TerraHaus is the first of three planned residence halls on the Quaker Hill campus that will comprise the SonnenHaus village of energy-conscious dorms.

Read more: http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/gree-terrahausready-for-students_2011-08-25.html

It was a true honor for ReVision Energy to work on this project in collaboration with Unity College. A number of our staff members are Unity graduates, and the College has shown truly exceptional dedication to their environmental mission and serves as a model for other campuses nationwide.

Farming and gardening is, of course, the original use of solar power, but the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association (MOFGA) went the next step and installed the 21st century evolution: an 11.7kw solar photovoltaic array. This grid-tied system has no moving parts, no batteries, just fifty-two Solon Blue 225 watt panels tied to two inverters that will convert sunshine into electricity for the next several decades.

This 21st century system marks the latest step in the restoration of a 200 year old barn – a true symbol of old tradition meets new technology! This unique and highly visible project was a great opportunity for some video coverage, and in this 7-minute feature we hear from Vernon LeCount from MOFGA and John Luft from ReVision Energy’s Liberty office about the installation and MOFGA’s long-term ambitions about renewable energy.

MOFGA provides year-round services to organic farmers and gardeners, but they may be best known for their big upcoming event: the Common Ground Fair to be held this September 23-25. The fair is the premiere celebration of rural traditions and sustainable living and attracts over 60,000 people each year.

We’ll be there the whole weekend with staff from all three branches. Be sure to keep an eye out for the new PV system as you approach the south parking lot, and talk to us about any questions you’ve ever had about solar, energy efficiency, and green building.

Thanks again, MOFGA, for making a big commitment to sustainable energy, and to Darryl Czuchra Production Services, who went above and beyond in the creation of this video.

More Photos in Our Commercial Solar Photo Gallery:

For Cheryl Frederick, Assistant Professor of Captive Wildlife Care and Education at Unity College, the tipping point for energy came this past semester when she had a guest lecturer in her classroom talk about coal.

“There is nothing clean about coal,” she remembers, “And our environment is in crisis. I thought – I need to go beyond teaching this to living it.”

That decision brought her to ReVision Energy, who she learned about through colleagues at the university who were familiar with our work. She appreciated not only the lofty recommendation she received, but that she would be employing Unity alumni for her project.

PACE Financing Makes it Possible

Cheryl’s system took advantage of the new PACE program by Efficiency Maine, a low-interest loan tied to the value of your home specifically made for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements. Maine is the first state in the country to offer PACE financing and Cheryl’s may be one of the first home to use it for solar electricity. But despite the newness of the program, she says the experience was great.

“The whole process took about a month,” she says. “Now our money now goes to the loan instead of the utility bill, and if we stay here long enough we’ll get most or all of our electricity for free. It’s an amazing program – we wanted to do solar and the PACE loan made it possible.”

Solar As a Form of Entertainment

Cheryl, like many solar electric system owners, finds herself having lots of fun watching the performance of her system through her web-based monitoring portal. She can now see how much power she generates in a given day and check in from anywhere with an internet connection.

“It’s like watching stocks go up – you have a nice sunny day and then get to see how much power you generated,” she says, adding “The website also tells you what your carbon offset is and how many trees you have saved.”

She finds that being aware of how much power she’s generating makes her more aware of how much power she’s using. “We have become more careful about our power use, and are hoping to bank more power this summer than we use.  That way, we can use more electric heaters this winter to offset our oil use.”

The best part? “I feel like I’m finally doing my part,” she says, “Instead of cutting down trees, I’m saving them.”