“Customers who are looking to save energy and money over the long-term would want to consider solar water heating,” said David Rubin, director, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. “It’s an environmentally-friendly improvement to your home or business that can also reduce your monthly energy bill. We’re very excited to be able to support our customers who are looking to ‘go solar’ with this technology.”

Typical solar water heating systems reduce the amount of energy needed to produce hot water by working as a companion system with a current water heater. They capture solar energy and use it to heat water. The solar-heated water is held in a storage tank until it is needed to replace the hot water pulled from the conventional water heater for use in sinks, showers, baths, dishwashers, and washing machines.

There are requirements that must be met to qualify for a rebate under the program, and factors such as how much energy the system can displace will affect the amount of rebate that can be received. The CSI-Thermal Program rebate levels decline in a series of four steps based on how much has been paid out over time, so those who act the soonest will benefit the most.

“This rebate encourages home and business owners to take the next step in energy conservation and efficiency, and helps build a sustainable future for California,” said Andrew McAllister, managing director of CCSE. “The time is now to learn more about solar water heating and the CSI-Thermal Program.”

For more information, visit www.waterheatedbythesun.com.

Publication date: 04/23/2012