In the Morning News.... 1st Solar Car Wash!!

Mark Eatherton

NOT!



Here's alink to the article

<a href="http://www.solarserver.com/solar-magazine/solar-news/current/2011/kw17/first-solar-thermal-car-wash-in-united-states-goes-operational.html">http://www.solarserver.com/solar-magazine/solar-news/current/2011/kw17/first-solar-thermal-car-wash-in-united-states-goes-operational.html</a>



(Thanks Dan. I look forward to your email every Thursday morning)



I have no idea where these guys got their information, but back in about 1976, the Colorado Solar Energy Association did a formal survey of all operating solar thermal systems in Colorado, and I know for a fact that there was a solar powered car wash (I'm not even sure IT was the first one....) in Arvada Colorado that had the whole roof covered with FP solar collectors.



I know this, because I was the volunteer surveyor who was on the roof measuring and counting the collectors when a gust of wind blew my aluminum extension ladder down...



I spent an hour yelling at the top of my lungs, trying to get the customers attention in the car wash bays below to put the ladder back up so I could get down. The roof had a mansard gable on it, so I really couldn't get to the edge, in view of the users, to get their attention.



I eventually got the attention of the maintenance man by yelling down the back up boilers vent stack, and he reset the ladder for me so I could get back down...



I think I may have set a record for the LONGEST solar survey...



ME

R Mannino

That's Still Better

than setting the record for shortest survey...................and nobody got hurt!

Fortunat

facts have no place in marketing...

It is pretty surprising that they'd make a claim like 'first solar car wash' when a google search for that phrase brings up about 4 Million pages.



here is our recent solar car wash:



http://www.revisionenergy.com/blog/black-dog-car-washs-new-dover-location-shines/



but it isn't thermal, it's PV. Because apparently around here, most of the car washes use cold water in the summer, which makes solar thermal a bum deal.



~Fortunat

www.revisionenergy.com

DanHolohan

I stand corrected!

And not just by you, ME. I got bombarded with e-mail. I think those guys may have meant the first in their state, but now I don't even trust them on that.



Sure is nice to know so many folks are reading my Thursday musings, though, and writing back. What a bright audience this is! And it's more than 5,000 strong now. Thanks.  ;-)

Slimpickins

hardly the 1st

Back in the early 80's I worked for AHS, (Alternative Heating Systems) a subsidary of Novan Energy of Boulder, CO. and we installed a thermal system on a car wash in Colorado Springs. It was located at the corner of Hancock and Delta and was owned by a guy named Louie and we did a DHW system on his house as well.  Last time I was in the Springs I drove by and the panels were gone. Oh well. I've always thought laundry mats were an ideal application.