In the first post we discussed why we are fans of using the sun to heat water. Once the water is heated there are a lot of options for using it. We are big fans because of how efficient the technology is and how much clean energy it can generate at a low price.
A recent example is a project we are working on with a hotel. The project is to convert the existing hot water heating for the hotel from electric to a solar and high efficiency natural gas system. A quick look at the numbers:
Cost of the system after incentives: $23,689
Energy Savings per year: $9534
Simple Payback Time: 29 months
10 yr ROI: 47%
Lifetime Positive Cash Flow: $272,017
These numbers are based on a 5% annual energy inflation and do not account for any of the benefits of accelerated depreciation.
With numbers like that who wouldn't love solar thermal?
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