CLEVELAND GOES SOLAR Fire station to get solar hot water heaterCleveland will install a solar hot water system on the roof of Fire Station 20 on Pearl Road today and hopes to later use the sun to heat indoor city swimming pools and recreation centers. The fire station's $15,000 system will be featured in the American Solar Energy Society's 36th annual convention that will be held here July 7 to 12. Details, C6
The city of Cleveland is headed into hot water - literally.
The plan is to harness civilization's oldest energy source - the sun - to heat water at fire stations, indoor city swimming pools and recreation centers.
If that proves economical - weighing the equipment costs against lowered gas bills - the city hopes eventually to encourage others to install the same kind of equipment by adjusting its water rates, said Andrew Watterson, Cleveland's sustainability programs manager.
The first step happens today as city pipefitters, plumbers and electricians install a solar thermal system on the roof of the Fire Station 20 on Pearl Road.
The $15,000 system includes six solar panels, each about 25 square feet, and two super-insulated 105-gallon water tanks that will feed hot water into the station's existing gas-fired tanks.
The fire station will be featured in the American Solar Energy Society's 36th annual convention that will be held here July 7 to 12.
GreenEnergy Ohio, a renewable-energy advocacy organization, is paying for the project with a $10,000 state grant and fees from two solar training classes it is sponsoring, said Christina Panoska, a program manager with the group.
The solar heat should provide between 50 percent and 70 percent of the station's hot-water needs, said Mark Thornbloom, an engineer and solar project manager with Schuco-USA, a division of its German parent, Schuco International KG, which manufactured the system.
But will it work in the winter?
"In pure principle, yes," Thornbloom said. "I visited a system in Austria that has 10,000 square feet of solar collectors, to heat the grass to play soccer in winter. Austria has the fourth-highest solar per capita in the world, yet Austria has less [sun] than southern Alaska."
The payback time on such system in Ohio is six to seven years, said Roswell "Roz" Ellis, president of Solar Resource Corp. of Westerville, Ohio, which is providing the Schuco products for the fire station project.
The solar water tanks are so well insulated, they can "hold a temperature for up to two weeks," he said.
"Will it work in Cleveland in the winter? Yes, though not as well as in Cincinnati," he said. "But from May through October, it will take care of all of your hot water needs, in Cleveland."
Watterson explains winter use this way:
"We draw water from Lake Erie. It's 33 degrees to 34 degrees. Heating from that temperature to 120 degrees takes a lot of energy. The solar thermal system can bring that temperature up to 80 or 90 degrees, meaning the solar system acts as a pre-heater."
The fire station is a pilot project, he said. The city will keep careful records on how much hot water the system will provide over the next year and how much it saves on gas.
If the industry's claims pan out, the city wants to install the heaters at fire stations and recreation centers as replacements are needed. Mayor Frank Jackson's administration plans to include solar thermal water heaters in future capital budgets, said Watterson, as a first step to incorporate "green building" in city projects.
The city also wants, eventually, to help with the installation of the systems in schools, libraries and other nonprofit organizations, he said.
Solar thermal installations were extremely popular in the 1970s during the natural gas shortages and after Congress enacted federal tax credits. But those lapsed in the 1980s and installations slowed drastically.
Since 2005, when Congress restored tax credits, solar thermal projects have seen a resurgence, said Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, a national trade association.
There were 3,000 new thermal systems installed in 2001, 6,000 in 2005 and 9,000 last year, he said. "We see installations growing by another 50 percent this year," he said.
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Mayor Frank G. Jackson
John Goersmeyer, Cleveland Division of Water
(216) 664-2444 ext. 5341 or (216) 857-7640
Andrea V. Taylor, City of Cleveland
(216) 664-4171 or (216) 857-7998
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From:
Office of the Mayor |
For Immediate Release
City of Cleveland and Green Energy Ohio
Bring Solar to Fire Station #20
CLEVELAND, June 15, 2007 - The City of Cleveland and Green Energy Ohio are proud to announce the installation of a new solar thermal water-heating system at Fire Station #20. The solar thermal system will provide hot water for twelve firefighters and will be installed during a three-day training and installation workshop of solar thermal technologies. The workshop is part of the City of Cleveland?s Sustainability Program.
Mayor Frank G. Jackson is using this solar thermal project in planning for future capital projects in the City. "Solar thermal and other green energy resources can help the City to become more efficient and reduce our impact on the environment. Training our plumbers in this new technology will help the City efficiently install and maintain this new equipment on City facilities. Solar, wind power, and other renewable energy technologies can help expand manufacturing and economic growth for our region."
The system is manufactured by Schuco USA. It will generate roughly 60% of the hot water demand at the fire station. The system works by using six solar collectors mounted on the roof to capture the sun?s energy which is then transferred to solar storage tanks, heat exchangers and into the conventional storage tanks for domestic hot water use.
The installation serves as a hands-on educational component on the third day of the "Design and Installation Training of Solar Thermal Systems" held June 18-20 and organized by Green Energy Ohio. The training targets city-employed plumbers, pipe fitters and related trade professionals and focuses on designing and installing solar thermal systems for commercial applications throughout the region.
"Training and installation of the solar water-heating system on a Cleveland fire station is a first step in building the local capacity of a trained labor force for solar thermal technology systems in Ohio," said Christina Panoska, Program Manager with Green Energy Ohio. "We are pleased that the City of Cleveland is taking this leadership role."
The solar thermal system will be donated to the City of Cleveland by Green Energy Ohio with support by the State of Ohio Department of Development and will be on display during the National SOLAR 2007 conference scheduled at the Cleveland Convention Center from July 7-12.
Editor's Notes:
About Green Energy Ohio
Green Energy Ohio (GEO) is a non-profit organization that promotes economically and environmentally sustainable energy policies and practices in Ohio. GEO conducts public outreach on all forms of renewable energy, serves as the Ohio ASES Chapter and local host of the National SOLAR 2007 conference. To learn how renewable energy can work for you, visit www.GreenEnergyOhio.org.
About Schuco USA
Following the concept of Energy2, Schuco USA is an integrated solutions provider in high-efficiency building fenestrations and high-quality solar technologies. Schuco provides complete systems in solar thermal, photovoltaics, and mounting systems. www.Schuco-USA.com.
About Kelelo Engineering
For the past decade, Kelelo has provided custom-designed solutions in renewable energy and technical workshops throughout the U.S., Caribbean, and central Africa. Learn more at www.Kelelo.com.
About Solar Resource Corporation
Solar Resource Corporation (SRC) is in the business of providing energy solutions which focus on solar applications and energy efficiency. These solutions include the marketing, installation, and financing of integrated solar-based systems in partnership with world class manufacturers. SRC's mission is to show customers the feasibility of solar energy solutions by developing and implementing case-by-case strategies to transition customers into renewable energy solutions.
About The City of Cleveland Sustainability Program
The City of Cleveland's Sustainability Program was established in May of 2005. The Programs' goals are to save the City of Cleveland money while reducing its ecological footprint, to use sustainability principles as a tool for economic development, and to introduce sustainability principles to City employees through education.
http://www.cleveland-oh.gov/government/departments/pubutil/sustainability/index1.html
