Achieving success in business is not an easy task today, and often times what appears to be a smooth sailing ship is the result of a steadfast captain who has been through the raging storms, the rocky shoals, and stuck in the water with no wind, but continues to press on.

Terry Moag, owner of the Radiant Store, Inc. of Malta is such a captain.  His enterprise is leading the charge toward a clean energy future that captures the power of the sun that hits our planet every day.  The Radiant Store specializes in solar thermal energy for domestic hot water and radiant space heating applications.  Anybody who has followed the solar industry knows that it’s been a business of ups and downs.  It’s a ride that Terry Moag knows all too well, but just like the roller coaster, it’s been worthwhile ride. 

Out of adversity, hope springs eternal

Moag’s leap into the solar industry came rather reluctantly, when the company he was working for got bought out by a larger firm. He didn’t like where things were going with the new company.  He wanted to be part of something new, something that made a difference.  He saw that other countries were embracing the solar thermal technology, and he thought, why not here in upstate New York.  Only thing was, there were no companies doing anything in solar hot water.  So with leverage from credit cards and his small 401K savings, The Radiant Store, Inc. was born in 2005.  “I risked everything to start this business,” recalls Terry.    Why?  “It’s a product that has presence all over the world, except for the US,” he said.  “We need to make it part of our culture and a part of our sensibilities.  I feel that it’s damn important for someone to figure out how to utilize these alternative energy technologies.  There’s a lot of talk but very little action.  You can make a really big difference when you organize a group of people do what needs to be done, and that’s what I think I’ve done with this.”

Heating water with the sun

Solar energy is an unlimited resource, and by using the sun to heat the water in your home you can reduce both your monthly utility bill and your family’s energy consumption. Solar energy does not produce harmful emissions and is delivered every day to your home by the sun, regardless of how cold it is outside. This means a solar water heating system can perform effectively even here in the northeast.
•    Solar energy does not produce harmful emissions or rely on transportation, pipelines, or coal like electric energy does.
•    Solar water heating systems installed in the U.S. help reduce our household energy consumption and the nation's reliance on fossil fuels.
•    Solar water heating systems will work anywhere in the U.S.-  not just in sunny states.
If your household relies on a traditional electric or gas water heater, you’re paying hundreds of dollars a year on energy that a solar water heater would provide for free.

The relatively simple process has significant economic and environmental benefits:
•    Lowers your utility bills year-round
•    Payback can be realized in as little as three years, thanks to generous federal, state, and local tax credits and incentives,
•    Reduces your share of harmful greenhouse gas emissions
•    Lets you enjoy greater energy independence and peace of mind
•    Works in all climates

The average American household uses a lot of hot water. In fact, between two 10-minute showers, a load of laundry, a dishwasher cycle and four minutes of running the hot water faucet, a family of just two can use over 60 gallons of hot water every day. With a solar water heating system, the amount of energy consumption of heating water can be reduced up to 80 percent.
The technology behind Solar Water Heating is simple, effective and reliable. The Sun’s free light energy is converted to heat energy and transferred into the water. This process will continue to deliver economical Hot Water year round. Obviously these Solar systems work on hot summer days, but they are also designed to work effectively on a cold, but sunny winter day. Outside the temperature may be below freezing, but a properly designed system will provide 100 plus degree water.

Going green with solar is expensive, right?

It’s a common misconception that solar power is a luxury technology. Installing a solar-thermal system in your home may deliver significant savings in the long-term, but at what initial cost?  Terry Moag breaks it down very simply:
For New York residents, installing a new solar-thermal system usually costs less than $4,000.
Thanks to current federal and state tax incentives, prospective solar customers can expect to pay about 1/3 of the initial cost for a new system.  For example, take a 2-panel system costing $10,000.
NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research & Development Authority – offers both a tax rebate and a tax credit to residential solar customers. The rebate is good for $1.50 per kWh displaced annually, up to a maximum of $4,000.
Because the Radiant Store only installs top-quality, highly efficient systems, their customers are almost always eligible for the full amount.
Right away, we can reduce the effective cost of the system by 40%, to $6,000.
Now let’s consider the NYSERDA tax credit, distinct from the rebate, which is good for 25% of the cost of the system (after the rebate has been applied).
Combined with the 30% federal tax credit, we can further reduce the cost of the system by 55%.
So, to recap:
$10,000 (initial cost)
- $4,000 (NYSERDA rebate)
= $6,000
- 55% (NYSERDA & federal tax credits)
= $2700 total.

Solar-thermal systems are the most efficient way to harness the power of the sun, and tend to pay for themselves within 5 years.  After that the system pays you!

Commercial Applications – saving energy is good for business

Any commerc ial application can benefit from solar heating system.  The new NYSERDA incentives almost make it a no-brainer, says lead sales technician, Gabe St inson..  “If they’re zoned commercially, they can get up to $25,000 from the state incentives.” 

One of the first to see this potential was the Vischer Ferry Fire District.  Having just built a new fire house with a radiant heated slab, Gabe was able to show them how installing a solar thermal system on their roof would be able to offset their traditional gas boiler system so that they could get free heat.  Being funded by the taxpayers of Clifton Park, the Board quickly saw that the system, with its generous incentives, would pay for itself in about three years, and after that, the savings would become a cost reduction to the taxpayers.  A no-brainer, indeed.

Gabe said these kinds of savings are available to most any type of business that uses hot water.  Hotels and Motels, Restaurants, Schools…the possibilities are endless.  And many commercial building have flat roofs and unobstructed southern aspects – perfect for a solar thermal installation.  “We are working with several businesses in Saratoga Springs right now,” said Gabe.  “We’ve even got someone who doesn’t own the building, but sees the benefit over the long run, so is requesting permission from the landlord to have a system installed on the roof.”  

Farming the Sun in more ways than one

Beatrice Berle has a dairy farm in the town of Hoosick in eastern Rensselaer County that recently had a hot water system installed by the Radiant Store.  She had already taken the leap into photovoltaic solar for electricity, so when the new incentives for solar thermal became available, she jumped at the chance.  As a farmstead cheese and yogurt maker, the Berle Farm had some unique challenges as well as opportunities for the Radiant Store team.  Lots of hot water is used, not only for cleaning and sterilization of the equipment, but it is also used to bring the milk up to the proper temperature for cheese and yogurt making.  The oil-fired system was retrofitted and several efficiency tweaks were integrated into the solar heating application.  Beatrice was thrilled with the completed job.  Working with Terry and his team made the whole project fun.  “They were professional and clean, and wonderful to work with,” she exclaimed.  “I think that the folks at the Radiant Store have such creativity – they were able to work with my very complex plumbing and put in an amazing system.”

Beatrice is looking forward to not having the regular oil deliveries.  “Fossil fuels are inconvenient,” she explained.  “It’s a big mess.”  The weight of the trucks required her access road to need special maintenance.  The oil fired boilers are dirty and leave a persistent odor in the air.  She is so happy to have all that behind her now, and the solar hot water is opening up new possibilities that were not an option with oil.  We’ve wanted to move towards re-useable glass jars for our yogurt, but we resisted because of the huge cost of heating water with oil for sanitization.  “Now with solar hot water, we are thrilled to be able to heat the water for basically free,” she said. “I can’t wait to see the results of the system after the first year!”

The whole oil economy is something that the Berle Farm is trying to get away from.  They see themselves and the Radiant Store as the model of what sustainability can be.   Everybody is talking about the down economy, but these businesses are the leading new economy that we have been wanting - the one that utilizes the natural resources all around to create sustainable abundance. 

“These are the folks that we want to support,’ exclaimed Beatrice of the Radiant Store. “We all need to jump in. This in the new energy wave.”  She added, “We are soil surfers, riding the energy wave of photosynthesis and converting it to high value food.  The folks at the Radiant Store are surfers, too, riding the heat energy wave to capture the power of the sun.”

Whether you choose to go solar for yourself or not, chances are, you are paying for it already, in a way.  New York has created a dedicated fund called PON 2149, which comes from money that all customers pay in their utility bills.  It’s designed to get New York more energy efficient over the next few years, and $25 million has been set aside for the incentives.  It’s a huge opportunity for the Radiant Store, which has the team and expertise already in place to capitalize on it.   “The commercial business is about to explode,” said Terry.  “All my struggling to keep this business going up to this point is about to payoff.”  His persistence in the face of adversity, knowing he is doing the right thing...it’s a lesson we could all  learn from.
The Radiant Store, Inc. is located in the Saratoga Technology and Energy Park in Malta.  Call (888) 767-5309 or find them online at www.theradiantstoreinc.com