Let the Sunshine in!

by Katina Fontes

Katina Fontes is Realtor® with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.   She is EcoBroker Certified® and works with buyers and sellers in the Greater Boston Area.

Last night I took a course on Solar Heating taught by my friend Amy Beaudet at the Alternative Energy Store in Hudson. The class was an introductory course on the basics of solar air and water heating. When thinking about solar energy, most of us think of photovoltaic modules -- the blue or black solar panels that store and convert sunlight into electricity. Solar heating, on the other hand, uses sunlight to heat water or air without a conversion to electricity. This technology is not as well known, but is more efficient, less expensive and the payback to the consumer is much faster.

The course was very enlightening and I took several things away from the three hour class.

• Solar heating is not an all or nothing solution. It is a way of offsetting existing systems for heating air and water. They don't completely replace the furnace or water heater in one's home. In fact, a back-up is generally required to keep the water and air warm in regions with colder climates.

Systems can be added a little at a time. A great start: A Solar Air Heater can be installed to heat a small space for relatively little money. Amy is herself adding adding solar elements to her home one at a time. She began with a solar air heater in her kitchen, is in the process of adding solar water heating for hot water and radiant floor heating and will then move on to photovoltaic panels for electricity.

Some systems are completely or partially Do It Yourself (DIY) projects. For example: Solar Pool Heaters are a very easy DIY projects. Solar Air Heaters are more complicated but still doable. Installing a Solar Water Heating for water and/or radiant house heat is much more complicated but could be installed, in part, by the experienced contractor or DIYer.

Alternative energy is "in" and NOW is the time to take advantage of state and federal tax incentives. Who knows how long these incentives will last?

Solar technology is evolving. No one product works in every situation and there are limitations, but as the technology improves, new products will most likely come on the market to meet the needs of consumers.

If you've toyed around with the idea of installing solar technology or just want to learn more, why not take a class? Alt E University in Hudson offers several courses on a variety of topics for varying levels of interest. Topics include: solar electric, renewable energy basics, wind power system, and solar water heating.