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DOD Solar Heating

Objective
Phase I

Our objective is to convene an industry-funded solar hot water (SHW) specialists group, that partners with DoD stakeholders, to initiate and reengineer best practices for global implementation of SHW systems on DoD CONUS and OCONUS facilities.

Initially we have identified four SHW imperatives: technology, monitoring, financing and internal marketing.

Phase II

Predicated on the level of DoD support, we propose to establish a detailed accounting of performance, costs and financing of existing SHW facility installations in order to produce a significantly more detailed SHW DoD business process reengineering. Phase II would therefore include a substantially more structured and comprehensive review of current specifications, and offer actionable parameters.

Phase II would expand the list participants to an industry-wide level.

Focus

The initial phase will examine (and the second phase will expand) technical guidelines, monitoring options, financial structures and internal buy-in recommendations.

Financial structures

For examining finance options, the working group will include 3rd party finance specialists and procurement experts within the industry as well as the DoD to establish workable contract strategies.

Technical guidelines

Technical guidance will come from engineering, construction and manufacturing industry experts, along with DoD stakeholders to provide guidance on specification, equipment selection and contractor and designer qualifications.

Monitoring options

Monitoring and reporting will be guided by DoD – both security and contract specialists – along with industry authorities to establish direction for SWH energy data performance reporting.

Internal buy-in

Internal marketing, intended to create buy-in at the facility level, will include stakeholders from the technical, finance and monitoring groups. Eneref Institute’s expertise and experience in promoting solar heating and cooling nationwide will be integral to the DoD internal marketing strategy.

Stakeholders

Eneref Institute already leads an industry-wide initiative, entitled Solar Thermal Advantage, which is designed to increase adaption of solar heating and cooling in residential and commercial facilities. The Solar Thermal Advantage effort presents detailed case studies of installations of solar hot water, industrial solar process heating and solar space heating and cooling.

Currently Eneref Institute’s Solar Thermal Advantage initiative includes a wide swath of the solar thermal industry, including all major solar thermal manufactures as well as the Solar Energy Industry Association, and various other industry participants.

In coordination with DoD, Seth Warren Rose, Eneref Institute founder, will lead the effort to bring industry stakeholders to the table. Beyond the participants from the DoD and solar thermal industry, contributors will be drawn from other government agencies, including the DOE and EPA.

Initial Steps

Initially, Eneref Institute seeks the endorsement of OSD I&E to implement the industry-funded Phase I of the DoD SHW initiative. Once approved, Eneref Institute seeks to work directly with OSD I&E to (1) establish scheduling and (2) establishing multiagency stakeholders. Independently Eneref will identify and solicit private industry stakeholders.

Rationale
DoD Usage

The DoD domestic hot water (DHW) usage is approximately 50 to 100 MGD, including showers, food service, hospital, equipment maintenance. Solar hot water could meet 30-50% of the requirement (e.g., about 35 MGD). We estimate that 25,000 KSF of collectors would be needed to meet the 35 MGD demand. 5,000 KSF/year are needed to meet EO requirements in 5 years.

Capacity

The solar heating and cooling industry currently ships approximately 1,000 KCF of collectors per year. By Eneref Institute’s estimate the industry as a whole is operating at only 25% capacity. The increased requirements by the DoD would substantially reduce production costs across the industry, perhaps by as much as 50%, while improving industry-wide product quality and innovation. 

Latest DOD SHC News
Pentagon to Work with Eneref on Solar Heating
Eneref Institute to Organize Industry Consortium on Solar Heating for Pentagon I&E.

Philadelphia, PA., June 18, 2012– Eneref Institute announced it is convening a multi-economic sector of the U.S. solar thermal industry to work directly with the Department of Defense office of Installations and Environment.

Eneref Institute’s mission is to provide accurate guidance on equipment specifications/standards, contractor qualifications, third party finance and monitoring practices in order to build a greater confidence for solar heating technology within the Department of Defense. The goal is to expedite actionable parameters for the implementation of solar heating and cooling on DoD facilities worldwide.

Eneref’s initial task is to convene an industry-funded solar heating and cooling (SHC) specialists group to initiate and reengineer best practices for the implementation of SHC systems on DoD CONUS and OCONUS facilities. Eneref Institute has identified four SHW DOD imperatives: technology, monitoring, financing and internal communication.

Beginning with the technical challenges, the first report Eneref provides to the Department of Defense will provide recommendations to determinations on equipment specifications/standards, life cycle cost analysis, energy modeling strategies as well as help to define qualifications for engineers and contractors. Evidence will be drawn from well-established guidelines, including ASHRAE, IAPMO, SRCC, EPA, buildingSMART and USACE.

Eneref Institute already leads an industry-wide initiative, “Solar Thermal Advantage”, which is designed to increase adoption of solar heating and cooling in residential and commercial facilities. In coordination with DOD, Seth Warren Rose, Eneref Institute Executive Director, will direct the effort to bring industry stakeholders to the table. Beyond the participants from the DOD and solar thermal industry, contributors will be drawn from other government agencies.

Managing the effort for Eneref Institute in Washington will be Herb Dempsey, who brings a wealth of executive experience to the project. Dempsey is a long-time consultant with Federal agencies as well as private engineering firms, including such innovative companies as Holocene Energy, a leading provider of renewable energy products and services specializing in the design, installation and financing of a wide variety of renewable energy technologies.

The recommendations for solar heating policies, programs, practices and investments will cover all sectors of the industry – buildings, panels, monitoring systems and finance – and will be designed to invigorate the U.S. solar thermal industry, increase industry competitiveness, and advance the nation’s energy security and environmental goals.

Eneref Institute will create a package of consensus standards and best practices before the end of 2012 for consideration as an energy efficient solar heating blueprint for the all DoD facilities. The industry members invited to participate by the Institute will collectively have expertise across all sectors of the solar thermal industry and represent different perspectives.