SunUp Energy Installs Solar Hot Water and Pool Heating System at Aqua Soleil Hotel

SunUp Energy. The Aqua Soleil Hotel in Desert Hot Springs, well known for its hot mineral spas and pool, can now boast hot water of a different kind. It’s new solar thermal hot water and pool heating system, designed to supply 80% of the hotel’s annual hot water demand, is one of the largest solar thermal installations in Coachella Valley.

The solar system was installed by SunUp Energy, based in Coachella Valley, and features Austrian made Kioto flat plate solar collectors supplied through California Solar Thermal Inc.

“We knew solar would be a great fit for Aqua Soleil when the hotel hosted Earth Day last year,” said Ward Riggins, one of the organizers of Coachella Valley’s Earth Day event who also served as a Sales Consultant on SunUp Energy’s team.

Two separate solar systems are utilized: a thirty-two solar collector array heats 1550 gallons of water daily for domestic hot water usage and thirty-two 4′ X 12′ panels that heat a 1200 square foot mineral pool. A web-based monitoring system collects data continuously and system performance can be read 24/7 with reports on hourly, weekly and monthly performance.

“We are able to closely monitor the system’s performance from our offices in La Quinta,” said SunUp Energy’s President Rick Rothman. “When consumers think of solar energy, what typically comes to mind is photovoltaic. Although our company provides solar PV as well, we are extremely pleased to be specialists in solar thermal systems with over thirty years of solar hydronic experience. Hotels like Aqua Soleil, as well as apartment complexes, can supply 80% of their hot water demand and enjoy pay-back periods typically of 2 to 4 years.”

“Aqua Soleil’s solar pool system will deliver approximately 50% of the energy to maintain 89 degrees year-round,” Rothman explained. “We completely reengineered their conventional pool equipment, removing two inefficient pool pumps and filters with one energy-efficient pool pump and one high-efficiency filter. In addition, we replaced a pool heater that was operating at about 40% efficiency with a new one that operates at 80% efficiency. The solar pool system and equipment upgrades will pay for themselves in approximately 3.5 years.

About SunUp Energy and California Solar Thermal Inc.

SunUp Energy and California Solar Thermal Inc. joint venture on solar commercial projects throughout Southern California. The two companies collaborate on design, engineering, equipment selection, sales and contracting to produce the most cost-effective system designed for custom commercial applications. The two companies are currently joint venturing on nine commercial solar hot water projects in the region, totaling over 1,000 solar panels. For more on SunUp Energy see www.sunupenergysystems.com . For more on California Solar Thermal Inc. see www.californiasolarthermal.com

For further information, contact:

Shari Randall

(760) 564-0287

SOURCE: SunUp Energy

Short URL: http://www.solarthermalmagazine.com/?p=17220

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