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Trinity businessman trying to expand green offerings in Pasco

By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News Published: July 18, 2009

TRINITY - Since this is the Sunshine State, Erik Suojanen, CEO and president of Suojanen Enterprises and the Pampering Plumber, would like to see Pasco County begin utilizing more solar power.

"I personally would like to see Pasco County become a real leader in the green movement," Suojanen said in an e-mail. "I think we can and should do this."

The role Suojanen is beginning to play involves, primarily, his company's offering of solar hot water heating systems to the homes or business of Pasco County.

"We're really getting on the green bandwagon here, promoting solar water heating first and foremost," he said.

Different from solar power installations that generate electricity for a building, solar hot water systems use the sun's energy to either directly heat water or heat a fluid that indirectly heats the water via a heat exchanger, according to a U.S. Department of Energy Web page. Rooftop installations are generally the most common.

The tools Suojanen is using to attract solar customers are an array of state and federal financial incentives that help ease the initial, sometimes pricey, costs of installation.

Residents who install solar hot water systems receive a $500 rebate from the state, a $450 credit from Progress Energy Florida and a 30-percent federal tax credit on the balance of the system. Suojanen is also offering an additional $250 off through the Pampering Plumber.

The Department of Energy Web page says such systems can reduce the use of electricity to heat water by as much as 80 percent. The amount of savings depends on a number of factors, such as the size of the home and usage. Savings also increase exponentially with increasing costs of electricity.

A system's price tag also fluctuates greatly with the type, extent of what's being installed and the supplier. The Department of Energy lists normal costs within the $1,000 to $3,000 range, but notes that the systems will eventually pay for themselves. The aforementioned incentives may in some cases cover over half of the installation fees.

An avowed environmentally conscious person, Suojanen sees the benefits of solar hot water heating as greatly outweighing the costs.

"It would take some real leadership and endorsement form the county government, but I am confident that the community would welcome the opportunity to be recognized as the exemplary county for going green," Suojanen said. "I also think the county is ripe for something like this."

In addition to solar, Suojanen is going green by offering rainwater harvesting and gray water harvesting equipment and low-flow toilets, faucets and shower heads.

For more information to see what options are available, visit www.solarman.net.

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The Pampering Plumber
10720 SR 54 Suite 101
Trinity, Florida 34655
727 232 8400