Solaris Thermal, LLC
Our primary business is installing solar energy systems throughout the New England area.
Special Offer!
We service homeowners, commercial, and industrial clients that are looking to cut their fuel bills and help improve our environment.
In addition, we work closely with builders and architects to help insure every new building is efficient as possible given the project budget. We also provide design, consultation, and installation services to others in the solar industry.
- Solar Energy and Wind systems
- High efficiency boilers and furnaces
- Energy efficient products
- Energy Audits
- Weatherization and Insulation
Our goal is to help you cut your fuel usage and reduce your impact on the environment.
Our challenge is knowing that education is key to growing the solar industry in Maine
Our reward comes from each of our satisfied customers
Solar Energy is Limitless and Free
Before considering a solar energy system is it important to insure the building and systems are efficient as possible. The quickest return on your investment will be to properly weatherize, insulate and replace any old heating equipment. To help with this process we offer energy audits, all types weatherization services and installation of high-efficiency heating equipment.
In industrial applications, careful review of the existing production and building systems and their efficiencies is key to insuring you do not pay for a larger solar system than necessary.
We are happy to help you through the education process and we will assist you with the many incentive programs that can help with the installation costs. You can count on our staff to be knowledgeable, helpful, and dependable. We are all excited to be working in an industry we are proud of and enjoy.
A bit of solar history
The first commercial solar water-heating device sold in the US was patented in 1891. Florida always had many solar water heaters, but until the Arab oil embargo in the 1970’s, low fuel prices allowed Americans burn fossil fuels with few financial consequences. When we saw our fuel cost rise to rates more equal with Europe, panic sent many people towards solar. A new industry developed along with the normal growth pains of product development. Along with many quality products, unreliable, under tested components hit the market. Government tax incentives stimulated a boom. As energy prices dropped, incentives were discontinued, leaving installers and manufactures stranded. In the 1980’s Ronald Regan had the solar panels removed from the White House (Unity college in ME has them now, still running) and the solar industry crumbled. Thankfully for us, the rest of the world, with high fuel prices, marched forward.
While the US has had their “head in the sand” other nations refined solar products and in many locations they are considered mainstream, not “alternative” and are required on new buildings. Solar thermal evacuated tubes are a prime example. In the 1970’s all we had were flat plate collectors. Evacuated tubes were designed for cold northern climates and make solar hot water feasible even in the most unforgiving locations.
Reliability is no longer an issue in many countries. Unfortunately, as in the 1970’s, there are many new manufactures jumping into the US solar market to make money. There are installers with too little knowledge, and plumbing supply houses now distribute solar even though they have insufficient knowledge on how to configure a system. Once again, the US is finding itself in a buyer-beware situation. Proper research will show that there are many high quality reliable products to generate heat, hot water, and electricity to choose from. Their output is proven around the globe every day.
Why solar energy is so important today
Solar can help us become less dependant on foreign supplies. When the majority of your power comes from solar, unstable fuel cost have less of an impact on your budget. Most people feel better being self-reliant. Plus, the environmental costs of burning fuels are no longer tolerable.
Solar Thermal heats water that can heat your home and supply your hot water needs.
- PV-Photovoltaic makes electricity, as do wind turbines.
- Heat pumps use temperature differentials from the air or ground to heat and cool your home.
- There are Solar hot air sheets that generate hot air.
- Passive solar design takes advantage of properly sighting a home, and normally provides a mass to store heat collected in the day.
- If you are building a new home the biggest reduction in your heating costs will come from passive solar design.
- In new home construction a properly designed solar system will generally pay for itself in five years, after that you can expect minimal fuel bills.
- In retrofitting an existing home the payback is a bit longer, especially if you have a small family/low fuel bills. But in either case the positive environmental impact is significant.
The average solar thermal hot water system will prevent the generation of over 400kg of C02 per year. Electricity is more pollutitive than oil or gas. So, using PV or wind for your electricity has a huge impact on our air quality. Charging an electric car with dirty power (coal is the largest fuel source) from the grid is not environmentally friendly.