APEX Thermal Services, was founded in the
spring of 2006, to provide strong value and
installation quality to its alternative-energy
customers. It has been an interesting five
years, to say the least. We have been
blessed with such wonderful and intelligent
customers, and the opportunity to assist them
toward achieving their goals of reducing fuel
costs and shrinking their impact on the
environment.
Our original focus, in 2006, was to provide
high-quality design and installations of solar
thermal (solar hot water) systems, with
expansion and integration, where feasible,
into space heating systems, such as radiant
floors and radiant slabs. Back in 2006, the
cost and financial returns of photo-voltaic
(solar electric or PV) systems were not very
attractive. Pricing for PV panels have
improved considerably over the past few
years, improving the viability of such projects.
More on this later!
We have learned some lessons, and
thankfully, we have remained true to our
word on the design quality and the
workmanship of the systems we have
installed.
We have established some great
relationships, none finer than the one with
Peter Skinner, PE of E2G Solar (West Sand
Lake, NY). Last year, Pete and I worked
together on the final design and installation of
a solar hot water system, integrated with a
gasification wood pellet boiler at the Wild
Center, Natural History Museum of the
Adirondacks, Tupper Lake, NY. Shortly after
the installation, the project won the Best
Building Integrated/Innovative category in
the 6KC Awards, recognizing the best and
brightest solar projects and industry
champions in the Empire State, by the New
York Solar Energy Industries Association
(NYSEIA). (click this link)
This past March, The Wild Center won yet
another award! This time, the Wild Center's
renewable energy heating system was
named Bioenergy Project of the Year for
Excellence in Renewable Energy at the
Renewable Energy World Conference and
Expo in Tampa, Fla. (click this link). The
project took first place in its category, among
hundreds of National nominees! How cool is
that!
Thinking back, I can recall Peter and I
hammering out some final design changes
late into the night, just before we got started.
The Wild Center Installation was also a Solar
Thermal Training Session, so early on a
Saturday morning, we all got started. We
had a lot of hands on deck, and a lot of
talent at our fingertips, so a good portion of
the installation went rather quickly.
It is so gratifying to be put in a position to work
with great people, and great customers.
Ultimately, with a strong vision and a lot of
effort, the Wild Center has achieved Silver
LEED Certification. We are happy to have
contributed to their success!
Now, basic solar hot water systems don't
typically use a lot of electricity for pumping.
It might cost between $15 and $40 per year,
for $700-$1,250 worth of fuel savings. So I
have always used AC pumps on my systems,
until recently, that is. Again, a great customer
seemed extremely interested in an off-grid
solar hot water system. So, I installed my first
PV-pumped system. The system uses a 12
volt DC pump and a dedicated 20 watt solar
panel. Hearing that DC pump ramp up and
down with the sun and clouds going by is so
cool. I am really glad this customer had this
specific interest. As now, that remains part of
our potential offerings!
More on PV Systems: Last summer, while
assisting one of our vendors, I was intimately
involved with the installation of five photo-
voltaic systems. That was very interesting for
me, you see (even though it was ages ago), 3
1/2 years of my Vocational High School
training was focused on the Electrical Trades.
It was great experience, and it was also
good to follow up on the Ulster BOCES
Advanced PV Installers course I took a
couple of years ago.
Still, I am not quite convinced to shift the
focus of APEX Thermal Services away from
Solar Hot Water, Solar Space Heating, Radiant
Heating and Solar Pool Heating. The return
on investment for PV systems has improved
dramatically over the past few years, but
system costs and returns still don't quite make
it a great buy. The last time I looked, you are
likely to be at or around a 10 to 12 year return
on investment, with all tax credits and
rebates applied, whereas solar hot water will
almost always come in at between 4 and 7
years. Our goal is to deliver the best possible
value to our customers, so for now, we
generally stick with solar thermal systems.
However, for customers with no grid
connections, or a specific need for battery
powered systems, APEX Thermal Services is
designing and putting out proposals for off-
grid power systems. If a home is placed with
no electrical supply nearby, a properly
designed PC / Battery / Wind / Standby
Generator System would be a great
alternative to the high cost of installing
telephone poles or a long underground wiring
run. A home with this type power system
must be designed from the ground up to
minimize electrical consumption. All
appliance selection should also bear this in
mind. People living in such a home will need
an energy-conscious mindset, to get the most
out of their system. It is amazing how many
batteries you need to run home appliances
for extended periods. And the best solar
storage batteries are EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.
Minimize the load first. You will save lots of
money on equipment and batteries!
Contact APEX Thermal Services to discuss
your alternative energy needs. We specialize
in solar hot water, solar space heating,
radiant heating, solar pool heating,high
efficiency boilers and water heaters, custom
controls, standby generators, backup power
systems, and off-grid power systems.
Thank You for your interest and have a great
and prosperous 2011!
Alan J. Paul, CEM, Founder
APEX Thermal Services
telephone: 845 430 5825
e-mail: ajpaul@apexthermal.com
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