Solar Hot Water Heating for Commercial Use
Cut overhead expenses up to 50-80% for your commercial business, apartment building, school or city facility by installing a solar water heating (solar thermal) system. Reduce your carbon footprint while saving money.
Featured Commercial Solar Hot Water Installation
Marlton Manor, owned by Mercy Housing, provides provides safe, quality low-income housing and affordable resident services for those in need. When they asked Occidental Power if we could design and build a solar hot water (solar thermal) system and store the water for domestic hot water use, we jumped at the chance. For the project, we used Heliodyne solar collectors connected to 1200 gallons of stored domestic hot water.
At the same time, we built a solar electric (PV) system for the building. The system was used as a backdrop for former governor Gerry Brown to introduce national incentives for solar energy (see below).
Examples of our work
Solar hot water (solar thermal) installations for commercial, non-profit and multi-family apartments
Potrero Hill Apartments, San Francisco
The first solar thermal system on a multi-unit apartment building in the United States was designed and built in 1976 by the California Solar Center. Several of these employees went on to found or work for Occidental Power. The installation continues to supply hot water today.
U.S. Coast Guard at San Francisco International Airport
Occidental Power designed, built and currently maintains the solar thermal system at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station located next to the San Francisco International Airport. This location was the winner of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) design contest.
Nob Hill Tower
Occidental Power built the commercial solar thermal installation on this executive suite apartment building in San Francisco.
Multi-Family Property, Laurel Heights
Located in the Laurel Heights community of San Francisco, this solar thermal installation supplies multiple units with hot water.
Westlake Christian Terrace, Oakland
Occidental Power designed, installed and currently maintains this large solar thermal heating system for a senior living highrise in Oakland's Uptown area. Westlake Christian Terrace provides 200 apartments and measures 138,224 square feet.
St. Francis Square Cooperative
The solar installation at the St. Francis Square Cooperative was considered one of the largest solar thermal installations in San Francisco in the 1980's. We installed a solar electric system for the 299 unit housing complex in 2013. We continue to provide maintenance for these installations today.
Multi-Unit Property, Russian Hill
Occidental Power installed a commercial solar thermal system for a 8,865 square foot apartment building in Russian Hill.
Multi-Family Building, Mission District
A commercial solar thermal array in the Mission District of San Francisco installed by Occidental Power.
University of San Francisco
At the time this photo was taken, USF had the largest solar thermal system in San Francisco, designed, constructed and maintained this solar installation which supplies the majority of hot water for 3 student dormitories, heating over 13,000 gallons of water.
Rainbow Grocery
Located in the Mission neigbborhood, Rainbow Grocery receives half of their hot water through a solar thermal installation. Rainbow’s electricity is also powered by the sun. See our solar electric installation for Rainbow Grocery.
Apartment Building, Van Ness Avenue
Water storage in a Van Ness Avenue apartment building with a solar water heating system installed by Occidental Power.
Apartment Building, South San Francisco
A commercial solar water heating system that uses ten thermal panels for an apartment building in South San Francisco.
Environmental Projection Agency
Occidental Power designed and built a state-of-the-art, evacuated tube, solar hot water system for the Environmental Protection Agency in San Francisco
Cosmopolitan Apartments
This commercial solar thermal system for a multi-family property in downtown San Francisco has 63 solar thermal panels heating 2,000 gallons of water. We rebuilt this system 40 years later.
Multi-Family Property, Lower Pacific Heights
A solar water heating system installed on the roof for an apartment on Pine Street in the Lower Pacific Heights.
Multi-Resident Property, Berkeley
A solar hot water system installed on the roof of a Berkeley apartment building.