New York has big plans for solar thermal heating.  A new program paves the way for the installation of one million systems by 2020, amounting to a 2 GW capacity.

In New York, where winters get mighty frosty, 60 percent of energy consumed in buildings goes to heating and hot water, so this new plan could have a major impact.  The state could see annual savings of 6 million gallons of oil, 9.5 million cubic feet of natural gas and 320 GWh of electricity.  The financial savings would amount to $175 million each year.

These systems would be spread among residential and commercial buildings throughout the state, making hot water and creating steam for heating systems, with residential buildings making up a much larger chunk at 70 percent of the systems installed.

The plan, which was drafted by the state's Solar Thermal Consortium, includes incentives for installing the technology, education and training for installers, research and development for better technology and improvements in the permitting process.  It sounds amazing; let's hope the state government implements it.

via Renewable Energy World

 

 

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