The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently made a presentation about the usage of solar thermal as a food drying and processing technology. In terms of industrial food processing, solar thermal and solar hot water are commonly at vineyards and … Continue reading
It’s official: Solar process heating applications are now eligible for California’s CSI Thermal incentive. That means that up to $500,000 is available for commercial process heat technologies, which include solar space heating, solar air conditioning, or multi-family/commercial combination solar heating, … Continue reading
One of the first books on solar energy that I ever read was A Golden Thread: 2500 Years of Solar Architecture and Technology by John Perlin. Below, Perlin is interviewed about the (ancient) history of solar hot water and discusses … Continue reading
California’s CSI Thermal program has expanded eligibility for its lucrative rebates that give California businesses up to $500,000 towards the cost or their solar thermal installations. The first big change is that commercial pool heating is now eligible for the … Continue reading
Have you ever had a commercial or industrial solar thermal project in California get held up due to lack of financing? Consider the recently revived PACE financing, or “Property Assessed Clean Energy. PACE is the next best thing to having … Continue reading
While incentives alone have worked to grow the market for solar PV systems in California, the state’s generous CSI Thermal rebates—plus the Federal 30% Investment Tax Credit—have yet to create a solar hot water boom in California. At least not … Continue reading
Woody’s Laundromat is a neighborhood institution for residents seeking a clean and convenient laundry facility in the Lake Merritt area of Oakland, California. As the 2009/2010 winner of the OneCalifornia Foundation’s OaklandIndie Award, Woody’s was named a Neighborhood Dynamo, and … Continue reading
If you’re attending Intersolar in San Francisco this July, be sure to set time aside to attend the Solar Heating and Cooling: Innovations & Applications session. That’s when Gal Moyal, Free Hot Water’s chief engineer and CEO, will present a … Continue reading
On Earth Day 2013, Free Hot Water was recognized by San Jose City Councilmember Ash Kalra for our Tradewinds project. Kalra was the scissor–cutter of honor, cutting the ceremonial ribbon of the largest multi-unit residential solar thermal installation in California … Continue reading
Is solar thermal now cost-competitive with natural gas heating and hot water for apartment buildings? As Free Hot Water recently found out, the answer is… yes! One of Free Hot Water’s new clients, Barak Jolish, a San Francisco building developer, … Continue reading
