Friends and neighbours had a lot of questions when Denis Nessman was building a solar hot water system into his new home in Cowichan Bay, BC. While most of the queries revolved around the technology and cost benefits one person in particular wasn't too sure about the system's performance potential.
"One grumpy neighbour was skeptical about it," says Denis, good-naturedly. "But he was eventually won over when I told him about the difference in my hydro bills."
While it's too soon to see exactly how much he's saving Denis says that compared to the house he and his wife Elaine lived in before, a similar sized single-family home, the hydro bills have been significantly lower. "I get a real kick out of looking at the temperature on the hot water tank," he adds. "Especially on a sunny day."
The Nessmans decided to incorporate solar hot water into their new build in part because they knew they'd be in the home well into retirement. They were also prepared to pay the initial cost upfront in order to recoup those costs as they made themselves comfortable in their long-term home.
"We knew BC Hydro's intentions," he says. "Those utility costs will continue to go up. They're never going down!"
As much as the install was about investing in the sun, it was also about "doing the right thing" and reducing their carbon footprint. Denis, who is a carpenter for the Maintenance Department with School District 79, explains that his initial interest and knowledge in the renewable energy option came from having been part of his school district's solar hot water install. He called up Scott at Terratek, the company that installed the system on Cowichan Secondary School, and got a price – which was cheaper than the normally higher cost of a retrofit.
In terms of the build itself, incorporating the system into the build process proved to be both straightforward and tidy. "It was an easy thing to do," he says. "In my case it was quite simple, I had my hot water tank planned in a closet in the laundry room so I made the closet a bit bigger to accommodate the solar hot water tank."
Now that they're living with the Enerworks system, Denis says his favourite aspect is that it's completely unobtrusive, as well as the knowledge that when the pump turns on they know they're relying on the sun, rather than a utility company. "I just wish the government, or BC Hydro, had more rebates to encourage homeowners to put them in. If the concern is to save energy why not offer a rebate or incentive, or at least pay HST?"
Without incentives Denis says his son-in-law and daughter, who are also in the process of building a home, can't afford to install the system. So in keeping with the bylaw in place in Duncan, as well as 35 other BC communities, Denis is encouraging them to build "solar ready" and get the infrastructure in place to incorporate a system. For others who can’t fit it in the budget at the moment he says, "Investigate it, find out what you need to do like have south facing roof space. At least prepare for it down the road."
For those homeowners who can afford the upfront cost and are thinking about going solar, Denis encourages them to do so. "I would also encourage them to use Terratek. I have nothing but good things to say about them. The installers were efficient, cheerful and positive people to have work in our home. It was an enjoyable experience!”
Find out more about what Terratek can do to help you build with solar on our Builders and Developers page, and click here to view the Solar Hot Water Ready Regulation, including the list of 36 municipalities with the regulation in place. For more info on the regulation guidelines, which clarifies some of the more complex aspects, click here.