Domestic hot water (bathrooms, employee kitchen, lab, and tasting room sinks) is provided by 40-gallon domestic water heaters, not connected to the solar thermal system.

SunWater’s “Polysun” analysis of the system shows that the winery can expect it to heat 650 gallons of water on an average day, approximately 182 million BTUs (equivalent to 2,000 gallons of propane) per year. With the cost of propane in Sonoma County hovering at $3 per gallon in 2010, Williams Selyem will save $6,000 annually on propane costs, and even more as fuel costs increase.

“The winery system is eligible for a 30% federal Investment Tax Credit,” explains Justin Weil, President of SunWater Solar. “Winery owners may also be able to take advantage of accelerated depreciation tax breaks. The system may also be eligible for the CSI-Thermal commercial rebate,

expected in Fall 2010. When the rebate calculator for commercial solar thermal systems is announced, we will have a better idea of the rebate’s value.”

“It was an honor to help the Kunde family advance their sustainable winemaking practices,” says Smits. “Their solar water heating system provides a model to other wineries wanting to reduce their utility bill and use the energy savings to pay for the system.”

“We chose to install a solar thermal hot water system because of its efficiency and short investment payback,” says Bob Cabral, general manager/ winemaker at Williams Selyem. “I would recommend that all homes, businesses, and wineries seriously look into this cleaner energy source as our future. We felt that if everyone started doing a little

bit at a time, we could hopefully break the oil usage cycle and secure a cleaner future for the next generation.”