New solar collectors on the roof of Richard and Toni Lowden’s home in Reno are providing the couple with hot water and helping reduce their energy costs. Plus, they received a $2,000 rebate for their investment through NV Energy’s Solar Hot Water Incentive program.

The Lowdens are the first northern Nevada residents to be rebated through the program, which was introduced in February, according to John Hargrove, manager of energy efficiency and conservation for NV Energy.

Residential customers, small businesses, schools and public buildings are eligible for solar water heating incentives. Rebates for residential customers range from $2,000 to $3,000 depending on whether they are currently heating water with electricity or natural gas. Rebates for schools and public buildings are capped at $30,000. Federal tax credits are also available for some installations.

 “I’ve been interested in this for some time,” said Richard Lowden. “I’ve always been trying to cut my energy bills. When I was a kid, energy wasn’t that expensive, but now it’s a major part of your household budget.”

 How do solar water heaters work? There are a variety of solar water heating systems. However, typically water is circulated through solar collectors where it is heated by the sun and stored in a tank next to a standard electric or natural gas water heater. If supplies from the solar tank are depleted, hot water is automatically supplied by the conventional water heater.

 In order to qualify for NV Energy’s rebate program, the installation must be completed by an eligible program contractor. For more details, visit RenewableGenerations at NVEnergy.com or email renewablegenerations@nvenergy.com.

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