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144 145 Micro-Boilers Modular Panel Systems 800-805-5384 hydroshark@stiebel-eltron-usa.com • Radiant Floor Heating Advanced technology, impressive energy-saving performance, and a compact design make Pro Panels, Master Panels and HydroShark ® Gas and Electric Boilers a great value for homes, garages, and post frame structures. www.hydro-shark.com two-pronged sales strategy–plumbing distribution is one avenue.The other is retail,where they sell through Home Depot,Amazon,Menards,and Lowes. ChrisWetherby,Head of Solar Renewables for Stiebel Eltron,explains,“Whilewe buy90 to 95 percent of items fromour affiliated companies,we do purchase mounting flashing kits fromEco Fasten Solar,an amaz- ing company that started inVermont and nowthey’ve grown toArizona.Theyarewell established in the PV (photovoltaics) industry,but they serve both solar thermal and solar electric.Now,a lot of big installer companies use thembecause they’re affordable.The owner is a professional engineer and designs practical products for themarkets.” For the future,Wetherby sees solar technology working in the direction of simplification.“The absorb- er plates have changed and there have been some improvements,but it’s hard to tell what lies ahead,be- cause there’sanawful lotof competition,evenbetween solar electricandsolarhotwater (solar thermal).The im- provements thatwill last,Iwouldsay,are theonesaimed more towards lesscomplicated installationsand lower costs.The industryisverysensitive tostate-administered rebatesandtherehavebeena lotof legislativeactivists thathavepushedbackanddisruptedthatonastate level. Not everything is all roses out there.” Stiebel Eltron ismoving towards amore active presence in SouthAmerica and the Caribbean–specif- ically,Puerto Rico and Columbia.It alreadyhas well-es- tablished distribution networks in those countries STIEBEL ELTRON and,recently,has been asked to provide solar thermal equipment and small PVsystems.Stiebel clarifies,“At present,we don’t sell PVpanels,we only sell thermal solar equipment,but we’reworking in that direction. We’re themarket leader in Puerto Rico for tankless wa- ter heaters.The business has droppedwayoff,as you can imagine,because of the hurricane devastation on the island,but we’re hoping theyare able to rebuild.” Five years down the road,Stiebel forecasts his companywill continue to growin the tankless electric arena.“We’re coming out with new,more sophisticat- ed products inNorthAmerica–goingmore towards electronics,rather thanelectro-mechanical controls,”he reports.“The tanklesswill alwaysbean importantpart of ourbusiness,butwealsomanufacture theheatpump waterheaters.Weseea lotof opportunities inthat sector; we’realso lookingat spaceheatingheatpumps.Mostly, air towaterheatpumps.Andwewill continue toworkon solar thermal asmuchaswecan.” Wetherbyadds,“Wemanufacture thesolar storage tanksatour facilities inGermanyandSlovakia,whileoth- er components (collectors,pumps,electronics) come from suppliersaroundtheworld.The rackingwemakehere inHatfield.WealsocollaboratewithacompanyinCam- bridge,Massachusettsonenergymonitoringequipment. Thathasbeenverysuccessful,at least introubleshooting, as itgivesus theabilitytoremotelyaffect systemchanges withoutbeingonsite.Wehavebeendoinga lotof creative design insolar thermal,improvingtheproducts,making themeasier to install. Anything inthe renewables indus- trychangesquite rapidlyandyouneedtoreallybeon your toes tostayvalid.” Summing up the Stiebel Eltron best practices and secret to success,FrankStiebel states from the heart: “We are an old familycompanywith a proud heritage of making high qualityproducts that are advanced and energyefficient.In other words,we are awesome.” PREFERRED VENDOR n Hydro Smart Inc. www.hydro-smart.com