GREEN SYSTEMS
SunVolt Energy
watches oil prices go up and interest in solar rise with them, he remembers when he started out in the solar energy business back in the late 1970s and early ’80s. There was a push for renewable energy with tax credits similar to those that exist today, but changes in administrations and government policy took those incentives away. In the ’90s, Bud ventured into
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HVAC testing for hospitals and large corporations to make their systems more energy efficient with traditional energy sources. Then, about six years ago, his interest in solar was renewed when a contractor friend hooked up a system of solar water heating panels for him that had been sitting around in a box in his basement. “It was an experiment,” said Bud.
“It took a few weeks and ended up looking like a Christmas tree attached to my water heater, with pipes branching all over the place. The solar piping was so small that I knew the system would overheat. So I used my engineering background to re-design the entire system, and I did extensive research on solar water heating.” What Bud came up with was a
contained 12 x 24-inch system that fit in a box, with pipes large enough to prevent overheating. It set the stage for his new solar water heating business, which he initially launched online. The system’s smaller footprint, with all of the required components, made it a no brainer to install, so he could market it to dealers, contractors and even skilled DIYers online as a solar water heating kit. It offered an attractive value proposition, with potential annual savings for customers averaging 50 – 80% on the water heating portion of an energy bill with a 30% federal tax credit and additional incentives from most states. Even better, in addition to a 30% federal tax credit that may be requested in the form of a grant, commercial customers get accelerated depreciation and a variety of state incentives.
s Bud Sechrist, president and co-owner of SunVolt Energy Inc., of Winston-Salem, N.C.,
Simplifies solar water heating
Bud and SunVolt were on the road
to the success as they dangled the carrot of energy savings on water heating costs and made the system easier to install. But there was still one kink in the line, so to speak, that had them reaching out to tried and true pump technology. SunVolt needed a way to flush and fill the water heating system that wasn’t so time consuming and inefficient. Air in the line was another problem that could interrupt operation of the system. Bud again did his homework and found that Blue Angel Pumps, a leading manufacturer of sump pumps, sewage, effluent and well pumps for the professional plumbing market, had the perfect solution for both filling and flushing the system with their EC50K transfer pump.
accessory to our boxed solar water heating system. When we tested the Blue Angel transfer pump, it pumped our glycol-water mixture into the system with just the right amount of pressure.” Bud noted that most systems are
adequately pressurized at about 15 – 20 psi. Also, the solar water heating system was filled fast enough to get the air out of the system, which is very important to its consistent operation. Prior to filling, the Blue Angel EC50K transfer pump was also able to flush out any residue left over from the manufacturing process from things like soldering and coatings. Bud explained that SunVolt had
tried using hand pumps and smaller transfer pumps for the fill and flush process, but none worked as well as the Blue Angel. “We can easily sell this as the perfect companion to our solar water heating system. We just add two 6-ft. washing machine hoses for the glycol and the fill valve on our STM. Now we can do the process in less than an hour, which greatly speeds up the installation.” According to Bud, using pump
Blue Angel Pumps has the perfect solution for both filling and flushing the system with their EC50K transfer pump.
“Our solar transfer module (STM)
is a closed loop system that requires propylene glycol to be infused so that it doesn’t freeze,” said Bud. “We needed to find a transfer pump that is affordable, sturdy and could run at the right pressure to force the air out of the line. The EC50K fit our needs to a tee and is already pre-packaged in a kit. It became the perfect add-on
technology and integrating solutions like the Blue Angel pump will help accelerate the solar water heating industry. SunVolt now provides a complete package to plumbing wholesalers and their contractor customers; the solar panels are made by another company. “We offer either the complete kit or basic components to dealers for their installation preference,” said Bud.
“Most importantly, we’ve simplified it to the point where it cuts installation time and is affordable for everyone.” As SunVolt’s business grows and expands, it seems that solar water
phc may 2011
www.phcnews.com
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