SEIA Resources
Case Studies
SEIA produces a variety of research and other supporting resources for the solar industry, ranging from full reports to short factsheets. Below is a list of our case studies, organized by date. For a full library of research and resources, click here.
Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Wheaton College
In August 2017, Wheaton College installed a solar hot water system on the roof of its Haas Athletic Center.
Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Larkspur Commons
Larkspur Commons has 136 units ranging from 1-3 bedrooms that are rented out to families earning less than 50-60% of the area’s median income. To help keep utility costs low, the development features a 4,000 square foot solar hot water system comprised of 16 solar thermal systems (the largest in the state of Montana!) using SunEarth EC-40 Collectors, each with 216 gallons of storage and installed by our friends at Liquid Solar Systems. At present, the system is meeting 60% to 75% of annual hot water load.
Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Hill View Apartments
Residents of the low-income Hill View Apartments in Havre, Montana are enjoying double the benefits of solar energy: solar photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors work side-by-side to produce electricity and hot water for the 52-unit complex. The solar arrays are part of a complete renovation of the complex with an eye toward energy efficiency, including added insulation and new windows and boilers.
Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Private Home in Washington, D.C.
In January of 2016, a 15.5 kW SunDrum Solar HarvestHP thermal residential system was commissioned on a 2,100sqft home with a 500sqft outdoor pool in the Washington, D.C. area. The system now is the primary source of space heating and cooling as well as domestic hot water and pool heating. The system consists of 46 SunPower solar PV modules, 32 of which are hybrid PV/Thermal panels equipped with SDM-100 collectors.
CASE STUDY: KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE
New Mexico’s Kirtland Air Force Base installed the first active solar water heating system on an Air Force facility in December 2010. The base now captures the sun’s energy to heat the aquatic center on base. The solar water heating installation comprises an array of 72 collectors that transfer heat to a closed-loop water and propylene glycol mixture. This mixture is pumped to a heat exchanger that preheats water for the pool.
CASE STUDY: GENOA PUBLIC POOL
The Genoa Township Park District is helping the environment and saving taxpayers money through the installation of a solar water heating system at the public pool. The decision to go solar was made after an energy audit by Building Energy Experts, an energy management consultation and installation firm. The audit revealed that even before state incentives, solar pool heating provided the best return on investment. The project is estimated to pay for itself in 2.5 years.
CASE STUDY: GENERAL HYDROPONICS
Cogenra Solar installed an innovative solar photovoltaic electricity and water heating cogeneration system at General Hydroponics, a leading developer of hydroponic agricultural systems, nutrient formulas, and related products. Solar cogeneration produces hot water and electricity through a combined photovoltaic and thermal module. The waste heat from the back of the PV cells heats the water, which is then used in the facility. Roughly 4 additional units of energy on top of the electric energy are produced, resulting in at least double the customer savings versus a traditional PV array.
CASE STUDY: GATORADE FACTORY
A new industrial process solar water heating system at a Gatorade beverage factory in Phoenix produces more than one million kilowatt hours of heat energy per year. Each of the 85, 10.5 m² solar collectors manufactured by OEKOTECH has exceeded the estimated output of 1200 kWh/year. Pleased with the performance of the solar water heating system installed by SOLID in 2008, Gatorade decided to triple the size of the system in December 2010.
CASE STUDY: FOSTER ALLIGATOR FARMS
This installation of three shallow solar ponds (SSP) at Foster Alligator farms illustrates the wide range of commercial, industrial, and agricultural uses for solar water heating technology. The SSP system provides a large volume of hot water at a low cost that is used for cleaning and replenishing pools every morning to keep the alligators healthy.
CASE STUDY: FORT HOOD ARMY BASE
SunMaxx Solar installed a large solar water heating system at the Fort Hood military base in Texas. Located approximately 60 miles from the state capital of Austin, Fort Hood covers a total of 340-square miles and supports multiple units, a corps headquarters and a robust mobilization mission. The installation was completed in early spring 2011, and will include six solar water heating systems to meet the domestic hot water needs of six different buildings on the base.