Solar Water Heating in Illinois

HarneTech LLC (Arlington Heights) has partnered with EnerWorks Inc. (Ontario, Canada) to bring solar water heating solutions to commercial, industrial and institutional customers in the Chicagoland area of Illinois. Solar water heating has some of the quickest payback periods in the renewable energy industry today.  EnerWorks is a leader in the industry, with over 10 years of experience with proven installations and realized savings calculations.  Under the terms of the agreement, HarneTech will manage system sales and site design while working with local contractors to install the systems.

"We did extensive research on EnerWorks and other solar thermal companies with quality products that would work in Chicago's climate...Enerworks' was the best," said Jeff Davis, VP of Business Development for HarneTech. "When we met EnerWorks at the USGBC's Greenbuild Conference in Boston, our research was confirmed. We were thoroughly convinced by the quality of the EnerWorks system and its applicability to the Midwestern Climate." 

The benefits of the quality and efficiency of Enerworks' Solar Water Heating system are already being reaped here in Chicagoland. Fremd High School, Palatine, IL, is currently using the Enerworks Panels to heat its indoor Olympic-sized swimming pool year round.  Current estimates show a financial payback period of less than 4 years.  To date, Fremd High School has the largest solar water heating system in the State of Illinois.

David Wilmot, Director of Business Development for EnerWorks for Western Canada and Northwest USA, welcomed the opportunity to partner with HarneTech. "By partnering with HarneTech's expertise in marketing and energy management, we are confident our products will save customers significant amounts of money. We look forward to many new solar water heating installations in the Chicago area in 2009."

Solar thermal technology (water/air heating) is not the same as solar panel, or photovoltaic (PV), technology.  Solar thermal electric energy generation concentrates the light from the sun to create heat, and that heat is used to run a heat engine, which turns a generator to make electricity. Solar hot water produces over three times the thermal energy of solar electric (PV) per dollar installed, which has a direct impact on decreasing energy costs.

"Combined with the strong engineering and research support from the Enerworks team, we can provide the best available product with the most aggressive return on investment to our clients," said Davis. "We feel this is going to be a fruitful, long-term relationship that will be very beneficial to our client base."