Solar Water Heater Rebate Program:
System Requirements

1. Professional Installation: SWH systems must be installed to meet these System Requirements by an Authorized Installer working with a licensed plumber. The Installer who contracts for the installation must have a minimum $50,000 of liability insurance. Product literature, system description, schematic, and maintenance instructions must be provided to the customer in the form of an owner’s manual. Self installations are not eligible to participate in the rebate program. The solar energy system must comply with all applicable federal, state and local codes and obtain the appropriate permits. Installation requirements may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Plumbing connections between potable and non-potable water must be performed by a licensed plumber. You must notify BRE if there are deviations to the System Requirements as this may make the SWH system ineligible for a rebate.
   
   
2. Collectors: All solar collectors (panels/tubes) must have OG-100 certification by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) or the equivalent rating (GP-5-80) from the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC). There should be labeling indicating either SRCC or FSES certification on the flat plate panels or evacuated tubes as well as a certification number. Collectors must have a minimum five-year warranty from the manufacturer. Flat plate panels must have tempered glass glazing. Home built systems are not eligible.
   
   
3. SRCC 0G300 Pre-Assembled Systems: Entire systems rated by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) and assembled by the manufacturer may be installed as received from the manufacturer in lieu of the System Requirements for those components. It is highly recommended that the overall solar water heating systems have SRCC OG-300 certification. This latter requirement may be necessary to obtain rebates from the North Carolina Energy Office and qualify for specific federal and state tax credits. It is the responsibility of the Member to determine if the system installed qualifies for any other rebates or tax credits. The OG-300 system rating is NOT required for the BRE rebate.
   
   
4. Collector Orientation and Mounting: Collectors must be oriented to face within 45 degrees of due South. Collectors oriented East, West or that are flat mounted, must be correctly sized using a corrective factor formula as determined by the Authorized Installer. Collectors must be mounted at an angle of at least 35 degrees but no more than 60 degrees from horizontal. Collectors must be securely fastened to their mounting structure. In some cases it may be necessary to reinforce the roofing structure. If a tilt rack raises the top of the collectors above the roof, the mounting hardware must be bolted to reinforced framing members in the roof or rafter where the bolt has a minimum of three inches grab (if reinforced framing is less than three inches, bolts must have nut and washer). If it is not possible to reinforce the roofing system, a rail may be added to the top of the roof, the rail lag bolted to the roof rafters and the collectors bolted to the rail.
   
   
5. Comply with all Applicable Codes: The SWH system must be installed, operated, and maintained in accordance with all applicable codes, laws, ordinances, and rules, and all necessary permits must be obtained prior to installation.
   
   
6. Shading: A solar shade analysis must be completed as part of a system performance calculation to show that the system produce no less than 80 percent of the annual output of a system with optimal placement and orientation.
   
   
7. Secondary Water Electric Water Heating Tank: If the SWH system incorporates a two tank design, the use of existing electric hot water storage tanks will be allowed if the tank is less than five years old at time of installation. Tanks over four years old must be flushed prior to system activation. If the tank is in good operating order and older than five years, a hot water heater wrapper/jacket is recommended and will satisfy this requirement.
   
   
8. Labeling: At minimum, the following system components must be labeled: potable water and non-potable pipe. Include a schematic with the owner’s manual and with this application.
   
   
9. Pressurized Systems: All piping between the collectors and the heat exchanger and return piping within 10 feet of the collector must be copper or stainless steel and insulated with insulation rated to withstand over 250 degrees and jacketing capable of withstanding moisture, ultraviolet radiation and environmental exposure. The balance of system piping may be either copper, stainless steel or cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) (rated to at least 200 degrees F at 100 pounds per square inch) and insulated with insulation rated to withstand 200 degrees F and jacketing capable of withstanding moisture, ultraviolet radiation and environmental exposure. All piping must be supported every eight feet for copper, stainless steel pipe and aluminum PEX pipe or every three feet of PEX pipe. A back check valve must be installed in the solar loop to prevent thermosyphoning. All fittings, valves and gauges must be copper, bronze, stainless steel or brass. The closed loop must be fitted with the following components: pressure relief valve, expansion tank and pressure gauge. A pressure relief valve must be installed in the collector loop in the mechanical room on the collector side of ANY shut-off array valves. System pressures must not exceed 75 pounds per square inch.
   
   
10. High temperature propylene glycol antifreeze solution must be used. To reduce risk of health hazard and to protect system components from corrosion and freezing, high temperature rated propylene glycol, mixed with distilled or de-ionized water must be used in all pressurized systems. The heat transfer fluid must provide burst protection to at least -60 degrees F for pressurized systems.
    
    
11. Drainback Systems: All piping between the collectors and the heat exchanger must be copper, stainless steel and insulated with insulation rated to withstand over 200 degrees and jacketing capable of withstanding moisture, ultraviolet radiation and environmental exposure. The balance of system piping may be either copper, stainless steel or cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) (rate to at least 180 degrees F at 100 pounds per square inch) and insulated with insulation rated to withstand 180 degrees F and jacketing capable of withstanding moisture, ultraviolet radiation and environ-mental exposure. All fittings, valves and gauges must be copper, bronze, stainless steel or brass. All drainback piping to and from collectors must have at least a ¾ inch inside diameter and be mounted with at least a ¼ inch drop per foot. The collectors must also have a ¼ inch drop per foot. All piping must be supported every eight feet for copper, stainless steel and aluminum PEX pipe and every three feet for PEX pipe.
    
    
12. Balance of System: The SWH system must incorporate back-up electric water heating. The domestic hot water piping must be fitted with a thermostatic tempering valve to limit the maximum temperature of the hot water delivered to a set point of 120 degrees F (adjustable). A temperature monitoring gauge must be installed at the outlet of the storage tank on the feed to the back-up water heater and downstream of the tempering valve. The system must use a double wall heat exchanger.
    
    
13. Two-Year Installation Warranty: The SWH system must include at least a two-year installation warranty that covers any defect in the workmanship of the installation at no charge to the owner.
    
    
14. One-Year Equipment Warranty: All major SWH system components must have at minimum a one-year warranty. Collectors (panels/tubes) must have a minimum five-year warranty.
    
    
15. Consumer Education. Installer must provide system owner with instructions, a maintenance schedule and information about how to know whether the system is working properly. An owner’s manual specific to the system must be delivered to the Member in order to receive a rebate.
    
    
16. Performance Testing. BRE reserves the right to test systems prior to the rebate and for up to two years if required to do so in order to meet any future requirements mandated by the either the North Carolina Utilities Commission as part of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards (REPS) compliance or the North Carolina Energy Office as part of their requirements of a proposed SWH Rebate Program. They SWH system must be tested between 10AM and 2PM on a mostly sunny day to verify that the system is in service. Performance testing will be provided at no cost to the Member and will consist of checking those items set out in the System Requirements. If the SWH system does not pass, the Member will be notified immediately of the deficiencies and given 60 days to correct deficiencies (and still be eligible for the rebate). The second performance test will be at the Authorized Installers expense. Eligibility for the BRE rebate after 30 days will be at the discretion of BRE. In addition, BRE may request system performance information from the Member for up to seven (7) years through surveys and interviews.

Please sign and mail your completed Application Form to the following address:

Blue Ridge Electric
Attn: SWH Rebate Program
P. O. Box 112
Lenoir, NC 28645-0112

Program Description

Eligibility

Suggested Site Requirements and Anlysis

Renewable Energy Certificates Assignment Agreement

Authorized Dealer List

External Links

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