Tag Archives: solar thermal

Going to Intersolar 2012 in San Francisco? We’ll be there too, and Free Hot Water invites you to visit us at Booth 7922. It all starts at the Moscone Convention Center in downtown San Francisco, July 9-12. Chief solar thermal engineer … Continue reading →

It’s not much, but SEIA and its partner, GTM Research, have included some very general solar water heating market information in its 3rd quarter executive summary. Free Hot Water has talked to GTM researchers before about the lack of solar … Continue reading →

  There is no dispute that solar PV has grown faster than solar thermal in the United States. Why? I think there are three basic reasons. 1) More and better financing for PV than solar thermal Banks and venture capitalists … Continue reading →

I’ve just returned from China, a country that is the solar thermal leader of the world, and yet, I personally found a lot less solar hot water in Shanghai than I thought I would. Not only is China the world’s … Continue reading →

Solar thermal systems have been around for over 100 years and remained a cost effective alternative to gas and electric bills around the world…. except the U.S.  The bust and boom of solar incentives in the 1980’s decimated the U.S. … Continue reading →

Solar Fred loves it when utilities realize that the future is solar hot water and solar photo voltaics for homes and businesses. That’s why I’m glad to read that Valley Electric Association (VEA), a utility that straddles California and Nevada, … Continue reading →

Okay, I’m a solar geek. Come on, my nickname is “Solar Fred.” But I was seriously thinking the other day that solar power is not only a great technology, but also a great metaphor for life, money, and happiness. For … Continue reading →

Guilford College in North Carolina is going all solar… for hot water. The college will install 188 solar thermal collector panels and create 9,000 gallons of heated water a day.  Way to go solar and save the college both money … Continue reading →

One of the biggest reasons why solar thermal systems and other solar power technologies are starting to grow exponentially in the United States is due to a new Federal 30% Investment Tax Credit that substantially reduces your net solar cost. … Continue reading →

For those of you who don’t know Solar Fred, I’m not a solar engineer by any stretch, but I’m a serious solar geek and advocate. Ever since I was as a kid, I’ve been fascinated by how the sun’s energy … Continue reading →