We just finished a great install in Burley, ID at a large modern dairy farm. The install consisted of a 30 panel solar thermal system. The system has 1500 gallons of solar thermal storage capacity. The system is designed to provide 1000 gallons of water a day at 165 degree temperature.
Each one of the solar panels offsets 1 ton of carbon emissions per year or 30 tons in total each year and 600 tons over the life of the project. The economics of the system estimate that the net payback should be accomplished in less than 1 year. The project was assisted int he installation with grants from the USDA REAP program and from the US Treasury 1603 Grant.
The project is up and running as designed.