cloudy day, and not at all at night. Solar PV averages about six hours a day, over the course of a year. The SunPump system is a game-changer because it can produce solar thermal on demand and has a built in 10 kW Thermal Battery, plus an electric backup, to act as a primary system. The combination of 24-hour energy and solar storage allows SunPump to completely replace the need for a boiler or furnace. Our Vision is a compact and economical SunPump appliance that provides all the power, heat, cooling, and hot water for a Net Zero Energy or Passive Plus building.”
tial levels using off-the-shelf HVAC components.” The SunPump system can be compared to a geothermal system, but instead of circulating water for ground source heat, a new Photon panel directly evaporates refrigerant on the roof. “Because our fluid is so cold SunPump can harvest energy from the wind, rain, snow, or any atmospheric conditions,” says Mr. Gray. “That heat differential can then be transformed by a heat pump compressor for any application, from space heating, to domestic hot water, to air conditioning, to heating a pool.” Because the SunPump panel draws heat from the Sun or the ambient environment allowing it to produce day and night, the system is extremely cost-effective. “The downside to solar PV systems and wind and other renewables is intermittency,” says Mr. Gray. “In other words, a solar panel works when the sun is on it, but not on a
SUSTAINABLY-RUN BUSINESS In addition to the sustainability benefits of SunPump’s product, the way the company is run reflects a long-term approach to doing business. SunPump is employee-owned and engineer-driven. “It makes good business sense, actually,” says Mr. Gray. “We invest in our people and make sure they’re rewarded for doing their job well, and then because they love what they’re doing, their passion spreads out virally to the customers and continuous by word-of-mouth. After one system gets installed, even in a really small town, pretty soon afterwards the Dealer starts getting calls for estimates. Our goal was to have 100 really, really happy customers.” SunPump have taken a series of measures to ensure that its operations are run with an eye towards environmental sustainability. The first SunPump office is located by Mount Arrowsmith, which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. “It’s a remarkable place,” says Mr. Gray. “It’s has
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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