Henderson County Goes Green, Saves with Solar-Heated Water

Henderson County to save $81K in energy costs through partnership with Asheville-based SolTherm and grant from NCSEO

Henderson County Detention Center, a 543-occupant detention facility, will cut hot water costs by 45% through the installation of a solar energy system from Asheville-based renewable energy firm, SolTherm.

“The project couldn’t have been a better fit for our needs”

The solar hot water system, installed December of 2011, consists of 32 collector panels, which receive the sun’s energy and transfer it to heat the facility’s water supply. The water is stored in an insulated tank and is used as needed throughout the day for laundry, showering, and kitchen preparation, allowing for available hot water even when the sun is not shining.

The system will reduce existing water heating needs and is expected to save more than $81,000 through the partnership. Savings will increase should natural gas prices continue to rise.

Henderson County was able to install this system with a $71,419 grant from the North Carolina State Energy Office as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. With the combination of the grant money and SolTherm’s NoCapEx™ program, the facility completed installation with no upfront cost.

SolTherm’s NoCapEx™ program provides immediate hot water savings and long-term cost predictability with no capital investment. SolTherm is responsible for all operations and maintenance of the system, and monitors all processes via a remote web-based system.

“The project couldn’t have been a better fit for our needs,” says Henderson County Government’s Engineer, Marcus Jones. “We are able to save on operational costs without limiting the amount of water we need on an annual basis. We’re happy to be able to work with SolTherm. The NoCapEx™ option made it easy for us to receive the system without a large initial investment.”

SolTherm, a clean energy services firm, is leading the industry for energy cost-cutting solutions by combining their innovative financial and renewable energy expertise. SolTherm finances, designs, owns, and operates clean energy systems that require no capital investment, while delivering predictable energy costs for healthcare, education, and government clients. For more information on SolTherm and their solar energy systems, please visit www.soltherm.com.

Short URL: http://www.solarthermalmagazine.com/?p=17223

Posted by Tracey A. Smith on Feb 28 2012. Filed under Concentrated Solar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry