Government Solar Installations

The federal government is mandating that all new construction buildings satisfy at least 30% of their water heating load with solar, where cost effective.  Let SES work with your architects and engineers to provide experiential insight into the best way to implement these projects.

In addition, there are many solar hot water opportunities on existing government facilities.  With the mandates to reduce fossil fuels in the government, retrofitting SWH to the appropriate buildings a can meet a large portion of near term renewable energy goals.  Capital investments in solar water heating are typically 1/3 that of solar electric systems producing the same amount of energy.   Solar hot water typically requires 1/3 the roof space as well.

Some typical government applications include

• Multifamily housing
• Cafeterias
• Universities/School Systems
• Gymnasiums and pools
• Barracks/BOQ/BEQ
• Military housing – both single and multi family
• Institutional buildings with large hot water loops
• Fleet vehicle washing

Solar Energy Solutions makes it easy for government procurement by providing a convenient contract vehicle for solar water heating (SWH).

How would it work for my government building?

Ideally, solar water heating systems are designed and sized to achieve a solar fraction of 70%, meaning the sun would provide approximately 70% of the annual water heating energy. The backup system provides the rest. However, smaller systems are often installed if there is a limited budget or limited solar exposure. The important thing to remember is that whether a system is big or small, every unit of renewable energy captured from the sun, is one unit of traditional energy that will not be purchased and will not be consumed .

Solar Energy Services will evaluate your individual application and provide the best design based upon your operation, budget, solar resources, and the goals of your solar project.

While commercial solar water heating is a great investment for some buildings, it is not a good investment for buildings without a regular hot water demand, nor those with only a small hot water demand. For example, office buildings are rarely good candidates for solar water heating but are often good candidates for solar electric (photovoltaic).