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Heat and Energy Efficiency News

New York unveils plan for $2.6bn solar heating roll-out

The Solar Thermal Roadmap supports technology like this solar heating system installed on a house in Minnesota by the nonprofit organization RREAL, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity

A consortium of organizations in New York State has set out a plan that could see a million solar hot water systems installed over the next decade.

The Solar Thermal Consortium said the roadmap would include incentives for consumers to switch to renewable heat, investment in research and development, training for installers and promotions to attract manufacturers.

Developed over the past six months by more than 130 industry, university and governmental representatives, the plan aims to establish 2,000 megawatts of solar thermal generating capacity in the state by 2020.

The Consortium said its plan would result in $2.6 billion worth of economic activity, supporting 25,000 new jobs over the next 10 years.

Ron Kamen, president of the New York Solar Energy Industries Association, said around 60% of energy consumed by New York buildings goes to produce heat and hot water.

Mr Kamen, who also runs solar company EarthKind Solar, said: “With this Solar Thermal Roadmap, New York is moving to become the national leader in the research, development, deployment and manufacture of solar thermal technologies.”

Roadmap

Unveiled yesterday at the NY Solar Industries 2010 conference in Albany, the Roadmap recommends:

• A statewide educational campaign to inform consumers about the benefits of solar heating.
• A solar thermal financial incentive program to encourage installations by shortening payback times.
• Promoting New York State as a location for solar thermal manufacturing.
• Investing in R&D to support next-generation solar thermal, storage and cooling technology
• Streamlining the permit process for solar thermal systems.

Solar hot water systems can save more than 50% of hot water heating costs for the average family.

The solar thermal roadmap could save the state 6 million gallons of oil and 9.5 million cubic feet of natural gas each year, as well as displacing 320 million kilowatt-hours of electrical demand annually by 2020, according to those behind it.

It would also save consumers more than $175 million per year, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 350,000 tons a year, the Consortium said.

Tony Collins, President of Clarkson University, said his university was “fully committed” to helping deliver the roadmap.

He said: “Renewable energy is vital to our nation’s economic prosperity, national security and stewardship of our natural environment. Beyond building the technical competence required to strengthen New York’s solar energy industry, Clarkson’s role is to replicate our track record of bringing research to commercialization through powerful academic-industry partnerships in order to make this roadmap a reality.”