When Alex Winch purchased the building in 2002, an oil-fired boiler dating from the construction of the building heated the water for the heating radiators. A 6.0 kW electric water heater provided hot water for the second-floor apartment above the laundromat. A 460,000 BTU/hour commercial boiler using natural gas heated the water for the laundromat.
Working with engineering staff at Solcan Ltd, plans were made to integrated all three systems with a solar heating system. First, the oil-fired boiler was replaced with a heat exchanger drawing energy from the natural gas boiler. The chimney space was used as conduit for the solar heating fluid pipes from the roof to the mechanical room.
Next the electric water heat was removed and the hot water supply of the apartment was connected to the hot water storage tank supplied by the solar storage tank supplemented by the natural gas-fired boiler..
Solcan solar hot water collectors were installed on the roof and the pump, gauges and controls were installed in the mechanical room in the basement. The solar collectors use a mixture of propylene glycol and water to eliminate the concerns of fluid freezing and a heat exchanger to heat the water used in the building. The solar system is expected to pay back its investment in less than ten years if energy prices remain stable, but it will achieve a faster payback as energy prices rise.
Alex Winch at The Solar Beaches Laundromat
May, 2004: The Minister of Natural Resources Canada has approved
the extension of the REDI program for an additional three years, until March 31, 2007
For commercial, institutional and industrial facilities
(ie: all sectors except residential), Natural Resources Canada offers an incentive under
the Renewable Energy Deployment Initiative. This program provides a 25% subsidy of
installation costs (40% in regions not served by a utility grid) to offset any premium cost
for a solar thermal water heating or solar thermal, air heating system.
Details are available by calling 877-722-6600 or from the NRCan
- REDI website.