Lewis Family Apartments Case Study
"Residents like the solar system – they never run out of hot water."
– Jeff Lewis, property owner
"Residents like the solar system – they never run out of hot water."
– Jeff Lewis, property owner
annual decrease in GHG emissions
annual energy savings
simple payback
Like most apartment building owners, the Lewises supplied their tenants with hot water for personal use and the shared laundry room as part of their lease agreements. Then they heard that a solar thermal system could provide savings on their property’s natural gas bill.
They were able to take advantage of California Solar Initiative – Thermal program rebates, federal tax credits and accelerated depreciation to decrease system installation costs and reduce on-site energy consumption.
Installation of the solar thermal system on the Lewis property included insulation of exposed piping, low flow aerators and shower heads installed in all units, and expansion tanks added to the hot water heaters. Building tenants appreciate reliable hot water, and the property owners are able to market the environmental aspects of their apartment complex when leasing vacant units.
The systems have an anticipated lifetime of 25 years and provide an annual energy cost savings of more than $2,500. As an added benefit, the energy saved reduces the property’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by 75%.
System Owner: Jeffrey and Marsha Lewis Trust
Location: San Diego, CA
Site and System:
Project Savings:
System cost: $35,520
Rebates: $12,641
1603 Grant: $10,655
Total out of pocket: $12,224
Annual energy savings ($1.14/therm): $2,410
Simple payback: 5 years
Ready to install solar water heating? Learn how to bring solar water heating to your property.
If you'd like to learn more about solar water heating and available rebates, join us for one of our free Solar for Businesses workshops.
Start your journey to cleaner energy. Use our find a contractor tool to locate an eligible contractor in your area.