Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
July 3, 2008 issue
Solar Water Heating Workshop at ASU July 11 and 12
Story by Diana Godwin
Solar power is clean, efficient and economical. As fuel prices have continued to rise, the demand for effective solutions to energy problems has exploded, and the solar power industry—as well as the staff at the Western North Carolina Renewable Energy Initiative at Appalachian State University—is working to meet the demand.
A Domestic Solar Water Heating workshop will be held at ASU’s Katherine Harper Hall on Friday and Saturday, July 11 and 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days. Participants will learn how to design and construct solar water heating systems for domestic hot water needs. Anyone with an interest in solar technology is welcome to attend. The cost is $190 for the public and $95 for students.
Providing hot water for homes accounts for approximately 25 percent of the average electric bill. A solar water heater can produce the majority of a household’s hot water, substantially reducing or completely eliminating electricity costs for water heating. Solar water heating is nonpolluting and energy saving, and assists in the conservation of dwindling nonrenewable energy resources such as coal and gas. It is an efficient and reliable alternative to conventional electric heaters, and the equipment is more durable.
Solar water heaters typically pay for themselves within four to seven years. Federal and state tax incentives substantially reduce the cost of buying and installing a solar water-heating unit for residential use. North Carolina residents can receive a percentage of the system cost as a tax credit, and a federal income tax credit is also available for 30 percent of the cost up to a maximum credit of $2,000.
Brandon Leavitt and Billy Byrom, leaders in the solar energy field since the 1970s, will lead the workshop.
Leavitt is the founder and head of Solar Thermal Consultants and Solar Service, Inc. of Illinois, pioneering firms in the installation of solar water heating systems. Solar Service is a full-service renewable energy company and has installed more than 1,000 systems. Leavitt will discuss solar engineering and the marketing of solar technology.
Byrom, owner of Alternate Energy Technologies, a leading Florida-based company, will discuss the history of solar technology and its recent explosive growth. Dean Villalva, an AET engineer, will explain the nuts and bolts of solar technology and system components, as well as how to size systems to meet building needs. Byrom emphasized that the growth of solar power demand has led to increased employment opportunities. “We need to recruit people interested in solar technology. I would like to see 20 percent of those attending the workshop come into our industry,” he said.
Americans spend $20 billion dollars annually to produce hot water for residential use alone. Using solar water heaters reduces electricity use for water heating up to 100 percent and saves hundreds of homeowner dollars yearly. Home values also tend to rise with the installation of a solar water-heating unit.
The Domestic Solar Water Heating workshop is the fifth in the 2008 series of eight renewable energy workshops sponsored by the Western North Carolina Renewable Energy Initiative, affiliated with the ASU Energy Center and the Department of Technology.
Dennis Scanlin, ASU’s appropriate technology program coordinator, organized the renewable energy workshop series five years ago and strives to bring in the top renewable energy experts for a diverse audience of students, homeowners, government officials and industry professionals. “We have had participants from thirty states and five countries participate in our workshops, which promote a need for information about green energy,” Scanlin said.
To register or more information, click to www.wind.appstate.edu or call 828-262-7333.
Want To Go?
Dates: Friday and Saturday, July 11 to 12
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Katherine Harper Hall, Room 17, ASU
Cost: $190 general public/$95 students