Solar Water-Heating Resurgence Ahead?

As global warming and economics position the U.S. market for widespread adoption, national players move to dominate.

By Les Nelson

One key component of a successful SWH program is a rating and certification regime like the Solar Rating and Certification Corp. (SRCC) protocols. Here, a solar collector is tested for SRCC certification by Jim Huggins and Mary Watkins of the Florida Solar Energy Center, an SRCC-accredited testing lab. Photo courtesy of John Harrison, FSEC

As great strides in the development and implementation of U.S. solar energy policy are occurring at all levels, there is a growing recognition that the first commercially available solar energy technology — solar water heating (SWH) — has a critical role to play. This proven, cost-effective technology reduces the user’s reliance on fossil fuel-based water heating, thereby reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and monthly energy bills. Even in cloudy climates, SWH systems can return their cost in utility bill savings in less than 10 years.

Worldwide, solar energy systems that produce heat for domestic hot water and space heating are being installed by the millions each year. It is useful to note that successful foreign SWH equipment manufacturers have not turned a blind eye to the U.S. market; one of the largest U.S.-based manufacturers was recently acquired by a European firm, and a number of solar collectors and systems produced in other countries are in line for U.S. certification by the Solar Rating and Certification Corp. (SRCC).

In the United States, however, a lack of adequate public policies to encourage the use of SWH leaves us lagging far behind the rest of the developed world. What’s behind this failure, and what are the prospects for U.S. solar water-heating companies to spur broad adoption nationwide?

About the author: Les Nelson is president of Western Renewables Group and chair of the Solar Thermal Division of the Solar Energy Industries Association and executive director of the Solar Rating and Certification Corp. He is a director of the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) and the California Solar Energy Industries Association. During his 35 years in the solar industry, he has helped formulate legislation and policy advocacy on numerous solar thermal and photovoltaic-related issues, operated a California solar contracting business, and worked for several solar thermal collector and system manufacturers. Contact Nelson at his office in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.: lnelson@westernrenewables.com.

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