San Diego based solar company recently commissioned the first solar hot water system in Orange County that participated in the new California Solar Intitiative Rebate Program (CSI).

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California Solar Thermal, Inc. (CST), a San Diego-based solar company recently commissioned a solar water heating system at The Springdale Apartments in Huntington Beach. The system was placed into operation on April 19th and has been producing solar hot water for the complex ever since. This is the first system installed at an apartment complex in Orange County to participate in the California Solar Initiative (CSI) Thermal Rebate program.

“CSI-Thermal has really helped to move this industry forward” says Matthew Traficonte, a representative of CST. “This rebate program helps make solar projects more appealing to apartment owners.” A solar hot water system will reduce annual water heating costs by 80% or more, and will last 30 years or longer. Furthermore, up to 80% of the system costs are offset by subsidies and owners can expect short payback periods as well as a competitive return on their investment.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), CSI, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) and other policies created for clean energy rebates and loan programs have helped in the facilitation of solar thermal projects. The funding for the CSI-Thermal program comes from public utility ratepayers and exceeds $250M. The CSI Thermal Program offers cash rebates of up to $500,000 for Multifamily and Commercial properties and up to $1,875 for homeowners. For more information visit CSI-Thermal at www.csithermal.com.

Clean energy financing programs such as PACE have recently been adopted by major cities in California. “We are excited that PACE loan programs are making their way down to San Diego and many other parts of the state,” says Neal Rosow from California Solar Thermal. “It will help create more projects just like this one in Huntington Beach.” For more information on PACE,visit www.cityenergysavings.com.

The system installed at The Springdale Apartments included a SunReports remote performance monitoring system. This allows both the owner and installer to track system performance and provide real-time data. For more information, visit www.sunreports.com.

CST offers KIOTO Clear Energy solar thermal collectors as an integral part of their solar hot water systems. KIOTO Clear Energy is a subsidiary of Austrian-based GreenOneTec, the largest manufacturer of flat plate solar thermal collectors in the world. For almost 20 years, they have been improving their manufacturing processes and now use a completely automated assembly line. Visit KIOTO Clear Energy at www.kioto.com.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA SOLAR THERMAL

California Solar Thermal, Inc. is dedicated to raising awareness of solar thermal technologies and their environmental and economic benefits. They specialize in commercial and multifamily solar hot water systems and provide turn-key renewable energy financing solutions. Visit www.californiasolarthermal.com or call (888) 867-2611 for further information.