The California Energy Commission (CEC) has awarded a $284,500 Building Energy Research Grant to Harpiris Energy for the development of a low-cost solar storage tank. The primary goal of the Harpiris Solar Storage Tank (HSST) project is to develop a tank that matches or exceeds the performance of existing solar storage tanks, while selling for one-half the wholesale price.
Field trials are scheduled to begin in 12 months, with commercial sales planned for late 2010. The HSST proposal was ranked No. 1 out of 27 proposals received by the CEC.
‘The HSST project will benefit the California economy on several levels,’ states Eric Lee, president of Harpiris Energy. ‘California citizens will see a reversal in the rising costs of solar water heating systems, 350 green collar jobs will be created throughout the state by 2020 and our economy will generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions, helping to meet the state's obligations under AB32.’
The HSST project will create engineering, manufacturing and marketing jobs at Harpiris Energy, as well as outsource-proof installation jobs statewide, the company notes. Harpiris Energy is a 2008 start-up firm created to commercialize the SunCache solar water heating system, which was developed by Davis Energy Group with support from the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
SOURCE: Harpiris Energy
