Solar Source recently installed 21 active solar hot water systems at various municipal buildings for the City of St. Petersburg. An Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 paid for the systems. The solar water heaters are expected to help the city save over $20,000 per year on operating expenses through reduced electricity bills.

Solar Source installed solar thermal systems at four fire stations, the Sanitation Operations building, three sewage treatment plants, the Water Resources Building, the Sunshine Center, the Enoch Davis Rec Center, City Hall, the city golf courses, and the Coliseum. (Click here for a map.)

The solar water heaters are part of a broader renewable energy push for the city, which includes the Solar Parks Initiative Grant Project. Solar Source is installing photovoltaic systems on recreation centers and park facilities throughout the city through the Solar Parks Initiative. The PV systems will include an interactive educational display at the Science Center of Pinellas County where residents can learn how solar power works.    

“The ‘Sunshine City’ was wise to invest in solar power,” said Jeremiah Rohr, Commercial Sales Representative for Solar Source. “Using grant money to invest in solar hot water systems will immediately reduce the monthly operating costs for the city. As energy prices continue to rise in the future, this investment will continue to generate even more savings for the city.”

St. Petersburg is known as the "Sunshine City" because it holds a Guinness World Record for logging the most consecutive days of sunshine - a stretch lasting 768 days that began in 1967, according to the city web site. St. Petersburg Councilmember Karl Nurse was a strong advocate for the clean energy investment plan, which also includes a solar hot water purchasing program for city residents.

The solar thermal systems, also called domestic hot water (DHW), use the sun’s energy to heat water, which is pumped into a storage tank. The pre-heated water greatly reduces the need for traditional fuels to heat the water in the tank. Replacing a typical water heater with a solar powered system will reduce more than 40,000 pounds of CO2 emissions over 20 years and potentially hundreds of dollars per year in utility costs.

About Solar Source:
Solar Source (Constructive Resource, Inc. dba AAA Solar Source) is a Pinellas County based licensed solar contractor (CVC056646) specializing in residential, commercial and industrial projects including Photovoltaic (PV), solar pool heating, domestic water heating (solar hot water), attic ventilation, and more throughout the Southeastern region of the United States. Solar Source installs systems for commercial businesses, government facilities and schools across North America and has over 30,000 residential customers in six counties across the Greater Tampa Bay area.

Solar Source installed the first roof top megawatt PV system in Florida and a 1,200 panel solar array at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Solar Source completed a large domestic water-heating project for Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL and has heated the pools for the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and Athens in 2004. Solar Source is the founding entity of Solar Source Institute, a licensed educational facility that provides solar training for the construction industry.