The solar collectors atop L.L. Bean’s flagship store are a visible symbol of their commitment to using sustainable energy whenever possible.

Photo courtesy of L.L. Bean

L.L. Bean, the iconic Maine outdoor apparel and equipment retailer, took one more step towards their corporate goal of reducing their greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2012 with the installation of a solar hot water system on their flagship store in Freeport, Maine.

The system consists of 180 evacuated tube solar hot water collectors which heat twin 80 gallon Stiebel Eltron solar hot water storage tanks.

The closed loop system contains non toxic antifreeze which pumps from the tanks to the collectors, where it is heated by the sun, and then back to the storage tank where it passes through a heat exchange coil to heat the domestic hot water supply.

From May to September the array will provide nearly 100% of the hot water used for the flagship store’s employee shower, custodial basins, 2 cafes and 29 sinks.  Beans’ existing propane hot water heater serves as a backup.

“This system can heat enough water on sunny days so that we won’t need to fire up the water heaters in the store,” says George Croston, HVAC Senior Supervisor in Facilities and the project manager for the solar panel installation. “On overcast days and on cold days in the winter, the system will still preheat water so that we’ll use less energy to get it up to the right temperature of 120 degrees F.”

Here is a video of ReVision cofounder Fortunat Mueller (who designed the system) explaining how it works:

L.L. Bean: Showing People Solar Works

“We want visitors to see these solar panels and make the positive connection that L.L.Bean is investing in and promoting renewable energy,” says L.L.Bean Senior Public Relations Representative Laurie Brooks. “The more businesses that make these types of changes, the better. It’s our hope that eventually green technology will become mainstream, and prices for solar technology will become more affordable.”

The solar hot water investment is part of larger environmental stewardship efforts by L.L. Bean, which include upgrading lighting systems throughout the company, converting heating systems to natural gas (from oil and propane) and implementing a corporate energy policy.

“In concert with additional energy efficiency projects, [the solar hot water system] will allow us to achieve our EPA Climate Leaders goal of reducing our greenhouse gases 20 percent by 2012,” adds Laurie. Climate Leaders is a voluntary partnership between industry and government that encourages companies to develop long-term strategies that reduce CO2 emissions.

L.L. Bean has also committed to build all new structures according to the US Green Building Council’s LEED standards and has converted their heavy-duty truck fleet to biodiesel fuel.

You can learn more about L.L. Bean’s environmental commitment on their website.

Making Solar Affordable

L.L. Bean expects to use 850 fewer gallons of propane each year with the new system, resulting in a savings of nearly $1,900 in fuel costs in the first year alone, and more than $51,000 in fuel savings over the warrantied 15-year life of the solar heating system. The system should last much longer than that—the solar panels L.L. Bean installed on the roof of their Taylor Building in the 1980s are still producing hot water for that building’s restrooms and employee showers decades later.

“In addition, use of renewable energy, in concert with additional energy efficiency projects, will allow us to achieve our EPA Climate Leaders goal of reducing our greenhouse gases 20 percent by 2012,” adds Laurie. Climate Leaders is a voluntary partnership between industry and government that encourages companies to develop long-term strategies that reduce CO2 emissions.

The project was made possible in part thanks to an Efficiency Maine Commercial Grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The stimulus funding reduced payback projections for L.L.Bean’s new hot water solar system to less than 5 years, with immediate cost savings. 

Next time you visit Freeport, be sure to keep an eye open for the system, which sits to the right of the legendary Bean Boot on the flagship store (on the roof of the camping area).

Today in the US Edition of the Wall Street Journal, an article about how appliances can be both energy efficient and good-looking.

Gwendolyn Bounds writes:

Say goodbye to the scary room, that dank, dark spot where boilers and water heaters work among the spiders, with human visits taking place only when something—”Honey, there’s no hot water!”—goes wrong. As a vanguard of homeowners invests in renewable energy and other high-efficiency equipment, they’re spiffing up the mechanical room and, in some cases, trying to make the air conditioner a showpiece.

… “The mechanical room is now like the wine room or the library,” says Stephen Bohner, owner of Alchemy Construction Inc. in Bayside’s Northern California neighbor, Arcata. He installed some of the Starrs’ equipment. Mr. Bohner says all of his new construction projects include renewable-energy equipment, such as solar. “If you are spending money on that stuff, you want to show it off.”

Gwendolyn goes on to confess that’s she a boiler junkie – as evidenced in this video:

Well, Bounds is in good company here at ReVision! Here are some examples of the mechanical work we do that marries form and function:

Jen and Hans Albee celebrated their July 4 with an Open House for Energy Independence

This Independence Day ReVision employees Jen and Hans Albee (both of whom work out of our Liberty office) held an open house at their home in Brooks to celebrate their growing energy independence.

Earlier this year, Jen and Hans finished installing a 40-evacuated tube solar hot water system to supplement their Rinnai on-demand propane hot water heater.

Though on-demand Rinnais are extremely efficient energy users, nothing feels so good as hot water from the sun! Their system will generate roughly 12,045,000 BTUs of clean energy each year.

Weatherization in Tandem with Solar Hot Water

In addition to solar hot water, the Albees are participating in the Home Energy Savings Program, which will rebate homeowners up to $3,000 for approved energy efficiency projects, regardless of income.

They’re working with Curry Caputo of Sustainable Structures to air seal and insulate attic and second floor walls and drop down stairs, as well as adding better ventilation to their bathrooms.

In our photo gallery you can see some additional photos – with Hans putting on the finishing touches on the system, and the other of Hans and Simone (their dog) enjoying the sunshine over the holiday weekend:

As they prepared for a move into a new home in Exeter, Eric and Cammie Savage considered a lifetime of energy costs associated with a home in New Hampshire’s climate.

A typical oil boiler needs 200 – 300 gallons of heating oil just to make hot water all summer.

As a result, it sends about 6,200 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere, and between $600 to $1000 out the window. Typical electrical bills account for another $1500 and 10,000 pounds of CO2 annually.

The Savages asked ReVision Energy to collaborate with their construction team, including local green builder Chinburg Builders to integrate both solar hot water (SHW) and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems into the project. The closed-loop solar hot water heater is actually backed up by an electric element, which benefits from the energy generated by the solar electric. In the summer months, the 3.0 kilowatt PV array will produce enough electricity to send a surplus back into the utility grid for a net metering credit.

State and federal incentives for renewable energy contributed roughly 49% of the costs of the systems.

“The bottom line is, even without incentives, the solar hot water and PV systems cost less in the long-run (about 15 years) than using fossil-based energy” says NH Branch manager and technician Will Kessler, “It’s a pretty simple and environmentally sound decision.”

ReVision Energy wishes the Savages well in their new home!

While oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico, in Maine levels of sunshine have hit epic proportions. We observe reactions by local residents of the phenomenon, and explore ways this solar spill could be put towards good use!

Photos of some folks who are putting this solar gusher to work:

A set of two flat plate solar hot water collectors professionally installed on a home in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

As more and more homeowners discover the benefits of harvesting solar energy, there are growing numbers of solar electric and solar hot water kits appearing on the market.

Most of these are billed towards the adventurous homeowner – those who might think that a project that spans a couple of weekends is worth saving some money over hiring a professional.

While we very much respect the DIY attitude of solar energy enthusiasts (indeed, the whole industry has its roots in the tinkerers who have been building their own systems since the 70s), there is a lot more to consider when installing a solar energy system than the DIY system literature would have you believe.

Bottom line: it may cost you much more than you expect to do it yourself.

1 – The Real Cost of Parts and Labor

The major assumption with going the DIY route is that by eliminating professional labor rates, you’ll drastically reduce the cost of a solar energy system. After all, professionals will charge you $20+/hr, while your own labor is free, right?

Well, it’s not quite so easy.

Equipment costs account for roughly 80% of the cost of a solar energy job, and professional solar companies get considerably better prices on parts. Quite frankly, we’re shocked at some of the prices being asked for the DIY kits.

We found one solar hot water kit, for example, fetching $6,500 (prior to incentives). Compared to a professional installation with better performing parts, the difference is less than $2,000.

We find similar premium prices on solar electric modules. While we can purchase and install solar electricity for roughly $5.25/watt right now, we’ve seen solar panels advertised for $5.5/watt.

Yes, the actual parts – without wiring, inverter, mounting equipment, or labor – are being sold retail for more than the installed cost from us!

Professional labor rates are anything but price gouging – on every system we install, you benefit from the cumulative expertise of engineers from MIT, Dartmouth, and UNH, and practical experience on 2,500 systems.  Our installers in the field are professionally licensed plumbers and electricians, and we invest heavily in training so that our standards of excellence are hard to match.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a group that can install a system as efficiently and professionally as our gang!

A schematic for a basic residential solar hot water system that uses an oil boiler for backup.

2 – What it Takes to Get a Rebate

Something that is not usually advertised with off-the-shelf solar kits is that in order to qualify for federal and state rebates, you need a professional plumber or electrician to sign off on the installation.

Wait, what – after saving some money by doing the installation yourself, you’re still expected to have a professional on board?

While it may seem unfair, the federal government and states require a professional sign-off as a safety measure for you.

Poor performing and hacked-together systems were a real problem in the 70s and today’s requirements aim to ante up professionalism in the industry by requiring standards such as SRCC ratings on equipment and credentials (such as NABCEP) from installers.

In some states, such as New Hampshire, the rebate application requires even more paperwork and verification – including panoramic shots the southern exposure, a solar pathfinder photo, and robust parts specifications.

If the amount of labor and expertise it takes to install a solar kit doesn’t scare you off, the paperwork just might!

And without access to state rebates, the cost/benefit of DIY vs. professional solar tilts even further to the side of a professional installation.

3 – Who Do You Call in the Middle of the Night?

Professionally installed Superstor solar hot water storage tank with electric backup

The fact that solar installations should last 20+ years is a big part of the equation of up-front cost vs. return on investment equation.

With a professional installation, you are guaranteed a code-compliant, rebate-ready system. At ReVision, we also back all of our systems with 24/7 service.  While nearly all our systems run trouble-free, in the rare occasion you do encounter a problem, you can rely on us to fix it promptly.

If you read the fine print with DIY solar kits, you find a remarkably different approach to service. Not only is there no emergency service to be found, but you may need a professional installation just to get the manufacturer to honor their warranty.

Yes, to repeat – we found one DIY kit that says that unless certain parts of the system are professionally installed, the system is ineligible for warranty coverage.

Contrast this with reputable manufacturers of professional-grade solar equipment, who warranty their products for 25 years (in the case of photovoltaics) or 10-20 years (in the case of most solar hot water equipment).

Even the manufacturers of the DIY systems themselves acknowledge the importance of professional installation!

Invest in the Long Term

If you’re a homeowner who has enough projects on the weekend already (or would rather just enjoy your time off!) it’s really hard to justify putting yourself through a DIY solar installation.

Professional installation will save you money in the short-term, and provide you peace of mind in the long-term – and who can put a price on that?

Interested in learning more?  Start today with a free site evaluation.

Enough crude oil has spilled in the gulf to power all of Maine’s oil-based electrical generation plants

It’s now been a month since the catastrophic drilling accident that lead to the loss of 11 lives and the spewing of at least 5,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico each day (some scientists say that number may be much higher).

We won’t spend time here elaborating on the unprecedented environmental disaster save to say that all conscientious people are taking a hard look at their lifestyle and evaluating how we can get this nasty black stuff out of our lives.

Many of us feel powerless about our reliance on oil – we need basic transportation, we need homes that are comfortable to live in, and power to do our jobs and run our households. How can we reduce the role of oil in our lives?

It’s Going Out the Window

What you may not know is that a shocking amount of oil in New England goes into heating our homes. The US Energy Information Administration says of Maine “About three-quarters of Maine’s households – the highest share in the Nation – use fuel oil for home heating.” That amounts to roughly 17 million barrels of oil used each year (Source:
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=ME).

This leads to a number of problems for us. Not only is it dangerous to use a product that is environmentally destructive, but we expose ourselves to the risk of a fluctuating market.

Maine has no fossil fuel reserves and no refining capacity – the crude oil that is imported into Portland Harbor is then shipped to refineries in Quebec or Ontario, Canada (again, US Energy Information Administration). We are vulnerable not only to ecological ramifications, but also to market forces.

Our dependence on oil emerged when fossil fuel was cheap, and weatherization poorly understood and not a priority. As a result, we see time and again inefficient mechanical systems installed on homes, causing expensive oil heat to pour, literally, out the window.

What About Electricity?

Electricity has an equally scary genesis. Maine does have a mandate for minimum 30% renewable electric sources, provided mostly by hydro. Clean, solar electric, which is proven in Maine, doesn’t yet register on the radar as a major energy source:

Instead, natural gas and oil, both fossil fuels, dominate our electricity consumption. The basic reality is that adoption of renewable energy is still very slow, though the need is more urgent than ever.

How You Can Change Your Relationship with Oil

Walk more, drive less. Eat local. And consider carefully how your home consumes energy.

In many houses, switching to a solar hot water system will conserve 300 gallons of oil a year, a savings of roughly 5,500 lbs of C02 emissions each year. An average home solar electric system (sized at 3kw) will save around 2,778 lbs of C02 emissions each year (mostly from coal-fired power plants).

Contact us to talk more. Or leave your suggestions for an oil-free planet below.

New Hampshire’s Electric Co-op (NHEC) has announced a limited number of $1,500 rebates for solar hot water systems. This $1,500 incentive is in addition to the existing 30% federal tax credit, making clean solar energy affordable to many more New Hampshire-ites!

Here are a few guidelines about the new rebate:

• You need to be a member to the co-op.  See: http://www.nhec.com/residential_requestinformation.php
• There is a simple pre-approval project form available online.  We can help you through the process if you need us!  See: http://www.smallsteps.coop/uploadcache/SHW_APPLICATION_2010.pdf (PDF Download)
• You’ll need some photos of your intended solar location, a proposal, system description, and an equipment list.  ReVision Energy is happy to provide all of things for you and we’ll do so during as a follow-up to a free site evaluation.

The application is first-come, first-serve… so get started now!  ReVision happily offers a free consultation and site evaluation at your home or business in Maine or New Hampshire.