The new solar hot water system for Sunset Hill House will pay for itself in under 4 years!

For over 100 years breathtaking views and refreshing mountain air have attracted travelers to Sunset Hill House, nestled in the heart of Franconia Notch and the White Mountains. Over the decades it has seen both travel and travelers change – from an era of regal vacationing that lasted all season long to the advent of motoring, day-trips, and now eco tourism.

Since buying the inn in 2000, innkeepers Lon and Nancy Henderson have sought to maintain the historic charm and amenities of the inn while making thoughtful improvements. Many of these reflect an environmental conscience – putting a conservation easement on 70 acres of land, switching over to green cleaning products, introducing recycling and now: harnessing sunshine to produce solar hot water.

“Investing in solar was a win-win for us,” says Nancy. “We were able to further our Environmental Champion status within the state of NH and are doing our part to support the natural beauty of this region, all while keeping our costs under control.”

A 30% federal tax credit, 25% NHPUC cash rebate, and considerable fuel savings all helped make the economic case for solar as strong as the environmental case for Sunset Hill House.

The System

Heating water is one of the greatest energy loads of inns, and Sunset Hill House is no exception, with 22 rooms with private baths and a fine dining restaurant. Since the greatest need for hot water corresponds with the height of the summer season, solar hot water was a natural fit.

ReVision designed a system consisting of fifteen American-made flat plate solar hot water collectors which heat a custom-fabricated 650 gallon storage tank. On a bright summer day, the system will produce over 420,000 BTUs of clean solar energy, enough to provide close to 100% of the Inn’s domestic hot water demand for showering, laundry, dishwashing, etc. Backup hot water is provided by a Phoenix direct fired propane hot water heater.

With a predicted fuel savings of $7,360/year, the system is expected to pay for itself within 4 years after Sunset Hill takes advantage of all state and federal incentives. Meanwhile they will be saving over 79,000 lbs of CO2 each year!

“I love this system,” says Nancy, “It’s great to walk in in the morning and see that the tank temperature is 145°… for free! And when the temperature coming off the roof is 198°, I just grin all day..”

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Tom Southworth’s BEYOND net zero home will sell power to the grid each year!

Tom Southworth’s commitment to sustainability runs deep. Since 1974 he’s owned and operated a water-powered sawmill in Lancaster, New Hampshire, around which he built the successful Garland Mill Timberframes business. Tom imparted his passion to his son Ben, whose work includes turning a 1970s ranch house into a LEED Platinum, Net Zero showcase. So when it came time to build a home to retire in, Tom set his sights high: he wanted a house that would not only generate all of the electricity it uses each year, but also produce a surplus to sell to the grid.

New Hampshire Ups the Ante

“What got me started in this direction is when New Hampshire went beyond net billing and offered to write me a check if I produce more power than I use,” Tom says. “I took a hard look at my energy usage and determined that 8,000 kWh/year would allow us to meet all our needs and be a net exporter of electricity.”

Most impressive is that Tom both exports power to the grid and heats his home with electricity. While conventional wisdom is that electric heat is expensive, 21st century building standards challenge that assumption completely.

“While it’s not official yet, we built this house to meet German passivhaus standards,” Tom says. “This means an extremely well-insulated building envelope consisting of 12″ exterior side walls packed with cellulose sheathed with 2″ foam, and 40″ of cellullose packed into the truss system. We moved in on April 1st and so far have not used any heating whatsoever.”

Tracking Results

Tom Southworth’s solar thermal storage tank is tied into its own electric meter to track run time of the backup electric element

To keep track of his goals, Tom uses a decidedly analog but very effective method of monitoring his systems – an extra electric meter dedicated to tracking photovoltaic production, and a second dedicated to his hot water tank. In addition to the photovoltaic system, Tom had us install a solar hot water system tied into an existing 120 gallon storage tank with electric backup.

“Since we don’t really know much electricity our backup tank will use in the winter, we added the second meter so we could really understand it,” Tom says, “We expect to use only solar-heated water from May through September and will be closely watching how much the electric element is needed in the other months.”

Power While the Sun Shines

Now that everything is up and running, Tom says the system is so far “on target” for photovoltaic production.

“I’m 100% pleased with the system,” Tom says, “I look forward to enjoying my years of retirement knowing my energy comes from the sun.”

Forrest Lowe’s combination domestic hot water and pool heating system uses 6 flat plate collectors to deliver ample heat to his pool in the summertime (Photo courtesy Forrest Lowe)

When Forrest Lowe and his wife were seeking their perfect retirement home, they knew they wanted a quiet spot by the water. Longtime Brunswick residents, they fell in love with a house on Coffin Ice Pond, which years ago supplied ice for the town. What Forrest didn’t expect, however, was to also fall in love with the pool that came with the house.

“At first I was lukewarm about the pool,” Forrest says, “But ultimately it grew on me, though we knew we had to find another way to heat it because the propane heater that came with it was smelly, and extremely expensive to operate.”

A Better Way to Heat a Pool

While most pools are heated by propane, a small but growing cadre of pool owners are harvesting Maine’s abundant solar energy to open their pools earlier and keep them open longer into fall. The same solar thermal technology that heats domestic hot water can help heat a pool, as Forrest learned from his friend Rick Williams, who recently had ReVision Energy install a solar hot water system on his home in Yarmouth.

“Rick introduced me to [ReVision Principal and Engineer] Fortunat, who was great through the whole process. He helped me come up with a 5 flat plate solar hot water collector system, which I ended up expanding to 6. I wanted an overkill system because I wanted our pool to heat up quickly and stay hot longer.”

Hot Water, By Design

Part of the challenge of keeping Forrest’s pool warm is that he is reluctant to use a pool cover, which he finds cumbersome for one person to deploy. As such, the pool loses heat overnight, a reality that’s compensated by the outstanding performance of his solar water heating system. Whenever the sun is shining, Forrest’s flat plate collectors heat up his home’s 105 gallon solar storage tank before dumping excess heat into his pool.

“I am amazed at how effective this system is at heating the pool,” he says. “It only takes a little while to get the domestic hot water up to temperature and then starts dumping into the pool. On a nice sunny day you can feel the warm water pouring out the jets!”

A Great Solar Season

Forrest is thrilled at how the solar hot water combo system allows him to extend the season of his pool as well as enjoy it more during the season (there have been a number of days when the pool approached 90 degrees… balmy!). On a good sunny day he’ll see more than a 4 degree rise in the pool – no small feat considering the pool’s 25,000 gallon capacity. He loves the free fuel from the sun and the satisfaction that comes from clean solar energy. On the domestic hot water side, he notes that his boiler rarely fires in the summer, and estimates saving at least one oil delivery per season.

“To me this is not just about saving money,” Forrest says, “It’s about avoiding pollution and getting independent of fossil fuels.”

And, of course, enjoying his pool. Enjoy the sun, Forrest!

The combined solar hot water and solar electric systems at Meredeth Winter’s home will offset more than 14,000 lbs of C02 emissions each year.

We recently had the delight of installation a combination solar hot water and solar electric system for Meredeth Winter in South Freeport.

Meredeth’s 4.8kw grid tied photovoltaic array will generate over 6,602 kWh annually, enough to offset 8,583 lbs of C02 emissions.

Meanwhile, her Chromagen flat plate solar hot water collectors will produce more than 19,000,000 BTUs of clean, renewable heat energy annually, offsetting an additional 6,000 lbs of emissions!

Below is an account, in her own words, of the experience deciding to go solar with ReVision Energy:

It would be hard to speak too highly of the wonderful job ReVision Energy did in designing and installing the solar system for our home. From the first walk-around the property, through the proposal, the logistical arrangements, the paperwork for rebates, the installation and the follow-up afterwards, every step was handled not just professionally, but quickly and warmly. You get the sense that every person on staff is happy and skilled in their job and approaches each day knowing that they are doing their part to make the world a better place.

Once we determined what we wanted to include in our system (both hot water and PV panels) and committed to the project, we got a clear sense of what the process looked like and when installation would occur. I received thoughtful advice (that included crawling around in odd nooks and crannies of the house) on installation options to minimize the visual impact inside the house.

Meanwhile, on the roof, it must have been a large solar-powered jigsaw puzzle experience fitting all the panels just so. Actual installation began right on schedule and went more quickly than I could have dreamed. Everyone seemed to know their part in the process and went quietly and efficiently to their work, taking time to answer questions from my young children and to pet the extra large and inquisitive dog along the way. I work from home and was on hand to answer questions, but these were kept to a minimum. Each time I emerged from a phone meeting or concentrated session at my computer, it was hard to believe the amount of progress made.

As a side note, there was one incident that really highlighted the dedication to the planet shared by ReVision’s employees. The gentleman who was working with the boiler and hot water heater pulled me aside to tell me of a discovery he had made during the day. We have hot water pipes that run under our front brick patio for snow melt. I’m ashamed to say that I had noticed over time that the bricks seemed to be warm all the time, not just when I turned on the timer switch. From time to time I thought that I ought to do something about it, but it had never quite risen to the top of the to-do list. At any rate, during his time in our furnace room, this gentleman had noticed the furnace working when it shouldn’t have been and began to trace pipes and wires.

Upon tracing the furnace use to the pipes under the patio, he investigated further. It turns out that in addition to the timer switch that I knew of, there was an exterior unit buried behind the bushes at the side of the house, designed to automatically turn on the bricks when snow piled up on it. This unit was corroded beyond use and so constantly sent signals to the heating pipes to be running hot. Once disabled – voila – the pipes now work as designed: when turned on manually they melt the snow; when not needed they rest and don’t burn energy. When I expressed my gratitude for going above and beyond the call, the simple answer was that it didn’t do much good to look for ways to reduce reliance on oil in one way when another part of our energy profile was busy burning unneeded energy day-in and day-out. If your job is to make the world a better place, you don’t ignore things just because they’re not detailed in the contract. What a wonderful lesson to take away!

A mere couple of days later, there I was, a proud energy producing station. I found myself glued to the monitor that shows me just how much power the sun has, even on short, wintry Maine days. I have to say that I look forward to receiving the electric bill in a way that I never would have imagined before. Many thanks to everyone at ReVision who got me to that moment.

Thank you to Meredeth, again, for your very kind words and for making a difference by going solar!

The solar hot water system on University of New England’s Campus Center will save roughly 3,960 therms of natural gas annually, a savings of roughly $5,500

The University of New England is the latest college campus to show leadership in sustainability with the installation of 21 flat plate solar hot water collectors on their Campus Center.

Made possible by a $50,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Grant, the system will heat water to between 80-140 degrees before it is fed into an existing gas boiler.

The total annual energy output of the system is estimated at 237,615,000 BTUs per year, which at a typical boiler efficiency of 60% will save roughly 3,960 therms of natural gas annually.

Below is a schematic of the system, consisting of the panels and multiple pre-heated solar storage tanks:

The Portland Press Herald reported this on the project:

The project, administered by Efficiency Maine, is expected to provide up to 50 percent of the Campus Center’s hot water energy supply. The real-time digital monitor also being installed will enable the university to determine cost and energy savings.

“Everyone is excited about it, ” said Alethea Cariddi, the university’s sustainability coordinator, adding that the project is part of a “multi-pronged strategy the university is taking to achieve our climate neutral goal.”

Full article: http://www.pressherald.com/news/maine-UNE-biddeford-Solar-university-campus.html

UNE’s Sustainability Coordinator, Alethea Cariddi, leads the university’s efforts to pursue climate neutrality through behavioral change and energy efficiencies. She says, “The solar hot water project on our Biddeford Campus Center is UNE’s first experience with renewable energy sources … Reducing our energy demand, increasing our efficiency of energy use and utilizing renewable energy sources is the multi-pronged strategy the university will be taking to achieve our climate neutral goal.”

In November 2008, UNE President Danielle Ripich signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, pledging along with other higher education leaders across America to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on campus and raise awareness of the issue of climate change.

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Bowdoin College’s 48 flat plate solar hot water collectors will provide more than half of the hot water used annually at their Thorne Dining Hall

With the installation of 48 flat plate solar hot water collectors, ReVision recently completed a solar hot water system that will provide more than half of the hot water used at Bowdoin College’s Thorne Dining Hall.

For Bowdoin College, who seeks to become carbon neutral by 2020, the savings of over 90,000 lbs of C02 emissions per year is an attractive benefit on top of the clean energy heating.

The Portland Press Herald recently ran a story lauding Bowdoin’s efforts:

The [carbon neutrality] program is based on a conviction that the planet is threatened by man-made climate change and that college campuses can take a leadership role in helping to stabilize the atmosphere.

… The first step in becoming carbon neutral is defining a starting point, a carbon footprint. Schools tally their heating, gasoline and power bills. They conduct inventories and use verifiable assumptions and calculations to estimate their greenhouse gas emissions for a given date.

Bowdoin determined that the school released 24,000 tons of carbon dioxide in 2008. The biggest sources came from electricity use, 44 percent, followed by heating and vehicles, 42 percent. The rest came largely from employee commuting, transmission line losses and travel.

… Beyond changing technology, Bowdoin also wants to use its educational mandate to change behavior. To meet the 2020 goal, it says, everyone on campus must share an awareness of carbon neutrality. That means developing energy-saving habits, such as shutting down computers and turning off lights.

The 48 flat plate solar hot water collectors will produce over 584,000,000 BTUs of thermal energy each year, or a savings of roughly 8,800 therms of natural gas annually. In the summertime it will mean significantly reduced runtime of a boiler dedicated specifically to Thorne Dining Hall, while in the winter the hot water supply is assisted with a central campus boiler that also provides space heat.

Possibly as exciting as the energy savings itself is the way that Bowdoin is creating fun, interactive tools for analyzing energy use and develop a culture of students, faculty, and staff who are energy conscious.

Check out this Flash-based energy production/analysis tool:

The transition to a clean energy economy is as much about changing our own attitudes towards energy as it is getting serious about fossil fuel alternatives. We’re thrilled to see Bowdoin College leading the way!

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We’re pleased to be able to show, not tell, the story of Suzanne Huard. A recent retiree, Suzanne fulfilled a long-time solar dream with the installation of an evacuated tube solar hot water system and grid-tied photovoltaic array on her home.

ReVision commissioned NowOrNeverMedia, as part of their “Green Screen TV” series, to cover the story of two solar installations in the middle of a blustery month.

Check out the video on YouTube:

We heard back from Suzanne about the project. She’s pleased to report that “things are going great … I can say now that our daily usage of hot water went down 16+% from our Jan/Feb bill to the prior Dec/Jan bill and the residential electricity went down 11+% (they are metered separately).”

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Melissa Coleman, a freelance writer who lives in the Platinum LEED-rated Cranberry Ridge Home, has launched a new blog called the Bright Minded Home.  The blog, which has a companion column in Maine Home + Design magazine, offers an investigation into the art of creating healthy, beautiful, and energy efficient homes.

For a taste of what the  blog and column will feature, here’s a selection of an interview between Melissa and Keith Collins, the owner of the BrightBuilt Barn in Rockport, Maine:

Q: What’s been the most successful component of the building?
A: Some people imagine you need a PhD to live in an energy-efficient, solar home. In fact, we’ve had zero problems with the solar photovoltaic (PV) and thermal hot water systems, and are putting about 5,000 kilowatt hours of solar electricity back into the grid each year.

More at: http://brightmindedhome.blogspot.com/2011/01/qa-with-keith-collins.html

About Cranberry Ridge

Photo Courtesy / © meyersphoto.com

We love a green building column being written by someone living in a green building – talk about an inside perspective!

Cranberry Ridge was the fourth home in the country to receive Platinum LEED designation and the first in the Northeast. Located near Wolfe’s Neck State Park in Freeport, Maine, it features solar PV and thermal, radiant heat flooring and passive solar siting.

ReVision installed the 2.4kw grid-tied solar electric system, which saves the home over $500 worth of electric bills each year, and a 90 tube Apricus solar hot water system, which produces over 24,000,000 BTUs each year (offsetting over 3 tons of C02 emissions).

2009 statistics of the home’s performance are available at: http://www.writehands.com/cranberryridge/index.html

If you like Melissa’s writing, be sure to keep a look out for her upcoming memoir about growing up during the 1970s back-to-the-land movement, This Life Is in Your Hands: One Dream, Sixty Acres, and a Family Undone.  It will be published by HarperCollins on April 12, 2011.