Net Zero Impact and Favinger Plumbing Deliver Solar Thermal System to Bellingham Apartments

Feb. 7, 2011 - PRLog -- Demonstrating the viability of solar thermal technology in the Pacific Northwest, Net Zero Impact and Favinger Plumbing have completed installation of the region’s first solar thermal system on an apartment building. Favinger Plumbing (www.favingerplumbing.com) installed the solar thermal hardware supplied by Net Zero Impact on one of the Opportunity Council’s Bellingham properties.

The Net Zero Impact (www.netzeroimpact.com) solar thermal system will supplement the domestic hot water needs for four apartments. The system includes 90 patented, heat-generating solar-thermal tubes from Kingspan Solar (www.kingspansolar.com) mounted on 97 square feet of the apartment’s roof.

The Opportunity Council (www.oppco.org) is a private, non-profit Community Action Agency serving homeless and low-income families and individuals in Whatcom, Island and San Juan Counties. The organization offers a broad scope of services ranging from addressing crisis-oriented needs, such as food and emergency shelter, to longer-term programs that promote self-sufficiency, such as home weatherization and energy retrofitting. This focus on long-term sustainable housing led the Opportunity Council to identify a sustainable energy system for testing on one of the organization’s apartments.

Over a 25-year period, the new solar thermal system will provide sustainable energy benefits including:

•   Reducing the apartment complex’s carbon footprint by more than 200 tons, equal to the amount of carbon stored in more than 40 acres of forest,
•   Conserving more than 270,000 kilowatts of electricity,
•   Offsetting the annual greenhouse emissions of more than 35 passenger vehicles,
•   Saving residents more than $60K in utility costs.

“Our region’s unique weather patterns make generation of solar energy a challenge,” said Art Favinger, president, Favinger Plumbing. “Solar thermal tubes are uniquely suited to our rainy, overcast environment, providing a clean green-energy solution that pencils out for building owners and developers.”

Kingspan solar thermal tubes transform direct and diffuse sunlight—solar radiation available even on cold, cloudy or humid days—into useful heat in the form of hot water. Once heated, the water can be used to supplement radiant heat systems, forced-air heating systems, and domestic hot water needs. Solar-thermal systems are up to 400% more efficient than solar cells at capturing the sun’s energy, a critically important advantage in the Pacific Northwest’s frequently sun-starved environment.

Inside each Kingspan Solar tube, solar radiation is collected and concentrated onto a liquid brine which is heated into a gas that rises into the tube’s condenser. Within the condenser, latent heat is released as the vapor condenses. The captured heat is transferred to the systems’ glycol through an insulated manifold. The condensed liquid brine runs back into the tube and the process repeats.

“This installation at the Bellingham apartment complex is an important step in demonstrating that solar thermal technology is commercially viable in Western Washington,” said Barry Andersen, CEO, Net Zero Impact LLC. “We’re very hopeful that this successful installation will convince Washington energy officials and politicians to amend our state’s green-energy programs, making incentives competitive with those of neighboring states and spurring greater investment in sustainable systems.”


About Net Zero Impact LLC
www.netzeroimpact.com

About Favinger Plumbing
www.favingerplumbing.com

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About Net Zero Impact
Net Zero Impact LLC is expert in the integration of solar technologies for commercial applications in the Pacific Northwest. The company, founded in 2007, designs and deploys integrated solar systems, incorporating the patented, high-efficiency Thermomax solar-thermal tubes from industry leader Kingspan Solar. Through a comprehensive approach, including needs analysis, design and financing, Net Zero Impact is making a brighter future for forward-thinking organizations and enterprises in the Pacific Northwest.