Blog

Is it time for a change?
The first big cold snap is on it’s way to the Treasure Valley this week; with the long cold months ahead it’s an opportune time to look at your water heating costs.

Fossil fuels were good for their time, and a long time trusted means of providing the heat you need, but with the advent of newer technologies like solar HVAC the time of the dinosaur has come and gone! Why you ask? It’s simple! The SAVINGS! Beyond that, the efficiency!

Our SEER heat pumps operate at 97% efficiency and can improve your overall energy costs for your home by as much as 40%!
With the hot water heating costs for a home making up a large part of your total energy expense you can supply all of your hot water needs with nothing but the energy supplied from the sun.  Just one 20 tube solar thermal panel creates 65 gallons of hot water on a clear winter day – regardless of outside temperature!

Put Old Man Winter in his place! Go green with solar hot water from Renewable Energy NW LLC!!

No more shoveling snow! No more slippery, icy, dangerous walk ways!
We are SO excited to be able to share with you our latest Solar hot water heated ra!diant snow melt install!

NNU in Nampa, Idaho is a great non-profit university that offers over 60 areas of study and who have been helping educate people in Idaho since 1916! It was a real honor to get to spend some time on the campus, see all of the great people, and know that our work would be serving them for years to come!

Snow and ice covered paths are one of the least liked parts of Winter here in Idaho. Whether it’s just because of the time involved in keeping them clear, or the back strain that goes into doing so, just imagine how great it would be to be able to see the snow falling and smile!

We can even install radiant solar for your driveway too!

It’s been a crazy busy month! In addition to our NNU project we also recently installed a great solar HVAC system for a local assisted living center!
You may have also seen the Renewable Energy NW LLC team at the recent Canyon County Fall Home show – be sure not to miss us at the Boise Fall Home show this weekend as well!

What’s the Renewable Energy Northwest team been up to lately? Glad you asked!
Things really heated up towards the end of Summer! (pun warning) And are falling into full swing as Winter is on it’s way.

The RENW team just finished a GREAT project. 4 – 30 tube solar thermal panels and a hydronic unit heater with 2 in-wall mount hydronic heaters that deliver heat to the owners shop and garage – from the sun! That’s FREE energy!

With colder temps on the way I want to be sure and mention our radiant solar flooring and walkways. Plenty of people know that we do solar hot water, and that makes for warmer hot tubs and happier dairymen, but they may not know that we also can provide solar snow melt like we just did for NNU. Their new system should cost less than $50 a year to run and best of all: No shoveling snow! No icy sidewalks!

Now that’s how you make for a cozy Winter! We love helping our customers improve their energy costs and enjoy more sustainable living all over Idaho!
Please pick up the phone and call or even send us questions on our Facebook page!

Solar water heating is still a new concept to many people. Essentially solar water heaters are systems that use energy from the sun to heat water, which is then generally placed into a storage tank for use when it is needed – much like your traditional water heating systems, but without the cost of establishing and maintaining the temperature with electricity or gas.

While some older systems struggled with efficiency in colder months, or under cloudy conditions, our technology does not suffer from these draw backs and can help reduce your overall water heating costs. These systems are not just for warming up the water in your shower however! Solar water heating is great for a number of residential applications like radiant floor heating as well as larger commercial uses like heated water for car washes and dairies.

Sunlight itself, which comprises the majority of the systems power, is completely free so once the initial installation is complete the savings on energy can be seen immediately. In addition solar hot water is a green and renewable method of reducing your carbon footprint without having to overhaul your lifestyle.

Is this kind of thing popular? Yes! And gaining traction! More than 1.5 million homes and businesses currently use solar water heating in the United States, providing a capacity of over 1,000 megawatts of thermal energy. With another 400 megawatts likely to be installed over the next 3-5 years, solar water heating is sure to be in high demand for home builders and businesses alike.

Do you have questions about how our solar hvac solutions can help you?
I would love the opportunity to learn more about your needs and show you how Renewable Energy NW can help!

It was really great to see so many faces new and old at the West Idaho State Fair recently!

The weather was great and brought in lots of sunshine for all of our visitors – giving us a perfect chance to show off our solar hot water solutions! Truth is though, I don’t mind overcast or even slightly cloudy days when I’m out doing trade shows because it gives me a chance to demonstrate the fact that our solar technology works great – even in the shade!

The look on people’s face is great when I take one of our tubes that has been under the shade and ask them to put their finger inside just to test it; they look surprised every time that in fact it’s heating!

The other big surprise of course is the fact of the big savings on energy costs they can expect when switching to solar hvac!
Many people don’t know that Idaho offers low interest loans for families and business to install renewable energy – $15k individual and $100k for businesses.

Do you have questions about implementing solar into your home?
Give us a call for a no obligation consultation by phone – we’d love to hear about your solar needs and help you find a solution that works for your home and your budget!