Solar Heating Tubes: Right for Your Property?

Before investing in a solar heating tube system, EmmyEnergy will perform a site evaluation of your building, evaluating available space, lighting conditions and potential energy creation.

Placement of Solar Heating Tubes

Ideally, you should have roof space available with southern exposure. You may also place the heating tubes on walls, mounted on frame structures - even at ground level. The major consideration here is sunlight. As long as you have southern exposure with minimal obstructions, you can benefit from solar heating tubes.

Proximity to Heating System and Water Tanks

Solar heating tubes are vacuum-sealed tubes that contain metal fins with a central tube of anti-freeze liquid running the length of the fin. Even in cold weather, the fluids reach a temperature of 190 degrees F. Through heat exchangers, this energy can produce hot water and/or heat for forced air systems. You must assess the proximity of the heat collectors to the system itself. The closer you place the collectors to the system, the greater efficiency you will achieve. While close proximity is ideal, it is not essential. The systems will function well at greater distances. However, given all available options, you should position the collectors closer to the system.

Solar Energy Tax Credits & Incentives

Tax incentives, credits, rebates and other measures designed to artificially lower the cost of green energy drive the energy industry. The federal government, for example, will pay 30% of the cost of your system with no maximum cap! Many states also have programs, as do utilities. When a landlord chooses to add green energy, whether to commercial, industrial, retail or multi-tenant housing, additional incentives apply. The Internal Revenue Code authorizes depreciation of the entire system over a five-year time span. With these incentives, you can typically recoup your investment in just 2-5 years.

Solar Power Yields Real Cost Savings

Each month you receive utility bills, oil delivery bills, gas bills and more. Power from the utilities is extremely expensive, and experts expect rates to go even higher. Dollars spent today on alternative energy, such as solar panels, wind turbines and solar heating tubes, can pay for themselves in just 2-3 years with future energy coming to you at virtually no cost. The type and quantity of equipment you choose determines whether you can generate 20%, 40%, even 100% of your electrical demand. The more you produce, the more you can save!

Solar Heating Can Attracting Tenants & Incremental Revenue

One of the largest benefits is one of the most difficult to quantify - tenants. Tenants can be worth hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars over the term of their lease, and one additional tenant in a building will directly impact your bottom line, with minimal incremental costs. How many additional tenants can you attract by offering green energy, produced in their building?

Many companies focus on "being green" and having the opportunity to take space in a green building is very important to their success. Others, while not officially "going green" are operated by individuals with a focus on the environment. In their own efforts to choose a building, they may gravitate towards one which offers a green workplace. Still others are not overly concerned with "being green" but will take space in a green building as a badge of honor, which they will then market heavily to their customers.

Whatever their motive, attracting just one additional tenant over the life of the system can cover the entire cost of the system several times over.