Hot and Sunny Water: Oncor program uses solar-powered water heaters
Installing their first solar-heated water heater in Joshua are (from left) Innerline Plumbing employee Rafael Herrera, FAFCO applications engineer David Masse, Innerline employee Tim Culver and Innerline employee and master plumber Richard Kirk Woolheater.
Oncor program uses solar-powered water heaters
In the summer, blistering sunshine doesn’t usually top a Texan’s list of favorite things. However, though the sun is often the enemy of lush green yards and midday outings, when it comes to lowering your electric bills, it can be your friend—with a little help from someone like Craig Woolheater.
Woolheater owns Innerline Plumbing, a Mansfield-based family business that recently became a participating service provider in the Take a Load Off, Texas energy efficiency program sponsored by Oncor.
One of the program’s components offers cash incentives toward the purchase and installation of solar-powered water heating systems for Oncor customers. For low-income homeowners, Oncor’s program will cover 95 percent of installation costs up to $3,800.
Woolheater said Innerline Plumbing installed its first solar-powered water heater funded by the Oncor program at a home in Joshua last month.
“It only cost her (the homeowner) about $450 for the installation, Oncor (funded the rest of the installation costs),” he said. “In six or seven months, she should see a total return on her investment since she’ll be saving on her power bill.”
Woolheater said that installation and use of the solar water heater is relatively straightforward.
“We left the breaker turned off for her electric water heater while we installed it,” he said. “That night both she and her son were able to take hot showers, with plenty of water, with the electric water heater still turned off.
“It’s all automatic,” he said. “The (electric) system knows when to turn back on. On nice sunny days when it’s hot outside, you’re not even going to need your electric water heater.”
According to Oncor’s Web site, a solar-powered water heating system uses the sun’s energy to supplement a home’s hot water supply used for activities like showering and washing dishes.
A solar-powered system supplements but cannot replace an electric water heater, according to the Web site. Use of a system powered by the sun can reduce the electricity required for hot water by as much as 85 percent.
“Water heating is one of the largest energy users in most homes, right after air conditioning,” said Matt Valdez, a spokesperson for TexasIsHot.org, an Austin-based organization that promotes energy efficiency. Oncor is one of the organization’s sponsors.
“When you combine Oncor’s incentives with the energy efficiency tax incentives offered by the federal government, the solar-powered water heater becomes a cost-effective investment,” Valdez said.
Information about tax credits and other ways to cut your electric bill are available on the organization’s Web site, www.texasishot.org.
To qualify for the Oncor program, a home must receive service from an individual Oncor electric meter and power from an existing electric water heater, among other requirements.
Low-income program eligibility requirements are outlined on the company’s Web site, www.oncor.com.
“Currently, there are 12 participating service providers throughout the entire Oncor service area,” said Carol Peters, an Oncor spokeswoman, referring to approved service providers like Innerline Plumbing.
“Oncor is happy to offer a program to the public that protects the environment, encourages new industry and saves energy,” Peters said. “We expect interest in solar water heating installations to grow as consumers learn more about the incentive program and the efficiency of solar-powered water heating systems. Oncor’s solar water heating program is one of 12 new energy efficiency programs offered by Oncor this year.”
Reducing electrically-generated hot water usage is one of many steps a homeowner can take to create a greener home and save money on utility bills, according to Woolheater.
“People think that water is an endless resource, but it isn’t,” he said. “We can come out and do a ‘water audit’ at a home and see what things can be put into place to save money. We can tell you what upgrades can be installed that pay for themselves in a relatively short period of time.”
Besides conducting a water audit with a qualified expert, Mansfield residents can reduce their water consumption by taking advantage of free information offered through the Texas SmartScape program, which is supported by the city.
The SmartScape program encourages the use of native and adapted plants (plants that originate from areas with climate conditions similar to North Texas) when designing landscapes.
According to the organization’s Web site, SmartScape landscapes are attractive, easy to maintain, require less water and chemicals and attract local wildlife like butterflies and hummingbirds.
Howard Redfearn, the city’s stormwater manager, said that the city hosts a SmartScape demonstration garden at Julian Feild-Serenity Gardens, a city park located on 1531 E. Broad St.
“We wanted to give residents a visual, something that they could look at and see what the SmartScape plants look like,” he said.
“Also, every March and October, we have a series of SmartScape classes at the Mansfield Activity Center,” he said. “There’s always something new for the residents to learn.”
Mansfield residents consume about 3.3 billion gallons of water a year, according to Joe Smolinski, the city’s assistant director of utilities.
“If each household would make some changes, it would make a major difference,” Woolheater said.RHONDA AGHAMALIAN
For the (Mansfield) News-Mirror
Innerline Plumbing
1906 Lone Star Road, Suite A
Mansfield
(817) 477-5202