 
Ron Kamen of EarthKind Energy (center) is welcomed to TechCity by President Daniel Wieneke (l.) and Owner/Developer Alan Ginsberg (r.)Â Ron is standing in front of a solar heating panel.
Most people know that electricity can be derived from solar energy. But it is perhaps surprising that an even more efficient application for solar energy has been largely overlooked. Solar thermal devices to heat buildings and to heat hot water are popular in Europe and about to make inroads in this country, according to Ronald Kamen a founder of EarthKind Energy, Inc., one of New York state”™s leading solar thermal technology firms.
While breakthroughs may be needed for wide use of solar electricity, the age of solar heating is already here, Kamen said this week, after it was announced the company has signed a lease to locate office and warehouse and light assembly space at TechCity in Kingston.
EarthKind will consolidate office and warehouse space from Rhinebeck and elsewhere, initially occupying approximately 2,500 square feet of office, warehouse and light assembly space. The company will finalize preparations to move into 5,000 to 10,000 square feet of warehouse and manufacturing/assembly space to provide New York-made, advanced solar heating products. And while the start is modest, the promise is expansive.
Kamen, who is also senior vice president of business development for the company, said that last year in New York state, some 500 solar thermal systems were installed to use sunlight to heat water and to heat buildings. He said that several years ago, that was the same number of installations as occurred in all of Europe. But as Europeans grappled with the implications of climate change and oil dependency, the number of installed solar thermal units in Europe surged, from 500 to 20,000 in just three years, and has continued expanding. Currently 15 percent of single family houses in Austria use solar thermal heating. Â
Kamen said the same solar surge can be expected in this country and that his company, consumers and the country at large will benefit. “The Northeast provides a solar thermal market larger than Germany, where more than 150,000 solar thermal installations per year generate $2 billion in economic activity and support over 20,000 jobs,” Kamen said.
“Exponential growth, that”™s what we believe we”™re at the front of the wave on,” Kamen said. “In terms of cost, climate protection, energy independence, we”™ve been talking solar electric, but the real key is solar thermal.”
The systems are simple and require no breakthroughs to prove immediately effective at cutting costs and reducing carbon output. More than half the energy used in New York state is used to heat water and heat buildings.
A solar water heater is installed on a roof or other structure with copper tubes set inside a solar collector, heating the water which is then piped to a hot water heater. Since most hot water is now heated using cold water, having a higher starting temperature will reduce the energy consumption and cost needed for the complementary conventional system to heat the water.
Heating a building with solar thermal heating is remarkably simple. A portion of a building facing south is lined with perforated framework extending perhaps eight inches from the current exterior wall and covered with dark materials to gather and absorb the heat from sunlight. This warm air is stored in the eight inch layer and blown either into the buildings interior through ducts or used to pre-heat the air that is heated by conventional HVAC means, again saving energy and cost by providing free warmth as a baseline instead of needing energy to heat cold air.   Â
“The technology is here, it”™s just a matter of being aware of it,” said Kamen.
Currently available tax breaks up to 60 percent of the cost of solar thermal equipment can be recouped. Energy savings are the bonus.
The company was founded in 2007. In 2008, EarthKind and its dealers sold and installed an estimated 20 percent of all solar thermal systems in New York state, still a small market, but one the founders are confident is poised for rapid expansion
EarthKind provides fuel-free solar heat and hot water solutions directly to commercial customers, as well as residential solar hot water products through a network of dealers and installers. Its contracts include the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the SUNY Binghamton, and Ronnybrook Farms. The Web site is EarthKindEnergy.com.  Â
“EarthKind is excited to be the first solar energy company to move into TechCity,” said John Smigelski, CEO of EarthKind Energy. “This is our first step toward establishing a regional center that can provide solar heat and hot water products to the New York and Northeast market place. Solar thermal is the lowest-cost renewable energy for residences and businesses.”
“EarthKind is a perfect example of the type of companies we want to attract, and help to grow and prosper here,” said Dan Wieneke, president of TechCity Properties. “Our own development plans include the extensive use of solar and other alternative forms of energy, and the attraction of companies that produce advanced green products and green-collar jobs.”
TechCity”™s recently released master plan envisions the site transformed into a 21st-century eco-village through the re-use of former industrial buildings, the installation of clean energy systems including solar panels and green roofs on the property”™s existing large-area, flat-roof buildings. For more information, visit techcityny.com.
