Solar Hot Water at the Automatic Car Wash

Clean up with clean energy at the solar car wash in British Columbia

Finally – a simple and straightforward solar power solution for one of our most pressing needs…. a clean car.

The energy it takes to run an automatic car wash can really add up, especially during summer months when lots of vehicles return from dusty campgrounds and bug-covered road trips.  Washing your car at home isn’t the answer either, as soapy runoff isn’t good for groundwater and streams.

Fortunately, RCI Solar has installed a solar car wash system that uses the power of the sun to help clean your car!  Skogies Car Washes of British Columbia, Canada includes a solar hot water system to increase the water temperature during the car wash’s soap cycle, without the need for gas or electricity.

Solar hot water systems are increasingly being used in commercial settings – from breweries to garden nurseries, even at dairy farms. If you need hot water for your business, it only makes sense to use sunlight to heat the water.  At Skogies Car Wash in Kelowna, they estimate a 60% savings in hot water heating costs, slashing the average operating cost of $10,000 per month during the peak car washing season in half.

A solar hot water system

The solar hot water system is perfect for automatic car washes, which require a lot of hot water!  And, the hotter the water, the fewer chemicals are needed to degrease dirty vehicles (which further saves both money and the environment).  Even during cold winter months, solar hot water systems can keep water at an average of 70 degrees F.  Minimal electricity or gas is then required to finish heating the water.  Of course, during summer months, no additional power is needed!

Perhaps the “coolest” aspect of using solar hot water at the automatic car wash is that the solar loop can also be used to feed into a radiant floor heating system at the entrance and exit of the wash bay.  This can prevent dangerous ice build-up, without the need for salt or chemicals.

Skogies Car Washes are excited about the new solar car wash system.  They expect to upgrade other car washes in the chain with the eco-energy solar car wash in the future!

Tags: eco-energy solar car wash, rci solar, solar car wash, solar hot water, solar hot water system, solar panels, solar power