Solar Hot Water: Good Enough for Alaska

Californians have been using solar energy to heat their household water for more than a century, and up until 30 years ago or so you'd see as many solar water haters on Californian rooftops as you would photovoltaic panels. But with the burgeoning photovoltaic market of the last few years, it might seem that soaking water in rooftop sunshine is a bit antiquated. But a utility in northwest Alaska is pushing rooftop water heating lately, using it as a lifeline for its most vulnerable customers. Which raises the question: is there anywhere solar won't work? Even above the Arctic Circle on the shores of the Bering Strait, solar thermal water heaters -- which run water through a series of tubes that absorb solar heat -- turn out to be an efficient way to reduce fuel use not only to heat water, but to keep your living quarters warm as well.
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