Here it is 2010, and residents of the Western United States-like the lion's share of the rest of the country-still heavily rely on natural gas, oil, or electricity to heat their water for drinking, cooking, bathing, or for heating. 
   In a way, that's a pretty disappointing statement. For years, we've allowed solar energy, which we enjoy in abundance, to be more or less wasted. Sure, there've been some people who have installed various and sundry solar systems on their residences or businesses. You can see them when you drive through residential neighborhoods-every once in a while you'll see a house with a black, glass-topped enclosure on the roof and mysterious pipes running down the side of the house. 
   In another way though, it's an exciting time to be a plumber in the West. Once again we find ourselves in the throes of a trend spasmodically exploring all things green and eco-friendly. Plumbing hasn't escaped as it shouldn't. But this time, experts say, it's not going to be a short-lived distraction like it was during the 1970s and during a brief resurgence a decade later. 
   Seth Masia is the Denver-based deputy editor of the American Solar Energy Society's publication, Solar Today magazine. He said a lot of solar systems were installed during the 1970s, and they didn't work all that well. As a result they were allowed to sit and corrode. But this time isn't going to be like that because the energy situation is a little different now. 
   "The price of coal has doubled to the utilities over the past four years. That's something the coal companies don't want you to know and a lot of the retrograde utilities don't want to talk about it, but it's a fact," Masia said. "And we all know what's happened to the price of oil. Any energy source with stable pricing, and right now that amazingly includes natural gas, is going to do well over the next five- to 10 years and going forward indefinitely. There's no question we've passed Peak Oil and we've probably passed Peak Coal in this country because the stuff that's left in the ground is harder to get and harder to transport." 
   There are some external factors present today that just weren't around before driving the current resurgence in interest in solar. While a strong green consciousness has taken root with many consumers, cash trumps green altruism as the most important motivator holding sway in the solar marketplace. Governments have been putting tax dollars into incentive programs aimed at subsidizing the installation of energy-saving and/or renewable appliances. Check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency's Web site to see what's available from each state and from Good Ol' Uncle Sam himself. 
   Even utilities are getting into the act. Masia tells the story of how a rural utility co-op in Nevada last year put together a group buy program to install solar hot water among its customers. "It's a big deal," he said. "Nevada is turning out to be a very progressive state for solar in general, and it's easy to track it there because the population, especially in rural counties, is so small that relatively small projects have a big impact. They may have done as many as 500 systems. They did a deal with one of the manufacturers to provide systems at a very good wholesale price and the utility pitched it to their clients with good success."   
   Mark Wilhelm, a principal at Green Ideas, Inc., a Phoenix-based LEED-accredited building consulting firm, agreed. Wilhelm, who is also chair of the Arizona Department of Commerce's Solar Energy Advisory Council, credited incentives at every level for helping to get more solar installed. 
   "For so many years it was an issue to go in and try to convince anyone that solar is the thing to do. Usually they'd agree with you but then it became that 'high say/low do' kind of response," Wilhelm said, noting that a solar panel on a roof has also become something of a status symbol for the new millennium. 
   "Then they'd realize it was going to cost them something. Now in some states like Arizona the incentives can probably drive the costs down to one-third or something in that range," Wilhelm said. "I think there are some folks who are reacting to the reduced cost of the systems. And it has become something of a status symbol to be [perceived as] caring about the environment. It's the whole approach, including regulations that prevent homeowners associations, for example, from prohibiting the installation of solar panels." 
   Ward Gilbert of Gilbert Plumbing in Mesa, Ariz., knows all about installing solar panels. He started with it during the 1980s and, today, it's a regular part of the 40-year-old company's product mix. In addition to a collection of educational videos on its Web site, the 30-employee company has a presence on both YouTube and iTunes, the videos being used to answer common questions an homeowner may have about a plumbing system: "When we first started doing them we targeted the new homeowner to help them understand something about their plumbing system," Gilbert said. "They've been pretty popular on YouTube. I've actually just shot and am putting together a solar water heating video." 
   Gilbert agreed that rebates from local utilities, coupled with state and federal tax credits and other incentives are proving, "huge" for solar in his area. A lower installation cost also means consumers will see payback on a system in a most prompt manner. 
   "With a solar water heating system, they're bringing payback into the 1- to 3 1/2-year range, which is really good," he said. "On top of that you have a lot more awareness [owing to] talk in the media. Then, of course, watching rate increases and the cost of energy rising has also helped raise public awareness." 
   There are, Gilbert said, a number of retirement communities in the area, and he's seen a surprising amount of business-both solar water heating and solar electricity-from the golf carts-and-tapioca crowd. The big driver there, Gilbert said, is spiraling energy costs: "They want to protect themselves against future rate increases," he said, adding business is picking up from attending home shows and talking about solar. One of the most common questions from attendees at these events is along the lines of, "How come every house here in Phoenix doesn't have solar?" Gilbert said, surprisingly, there aren't really that many houses there that have it, "but people are starting to recognize they ought to." 
   Cash and tax incentives are great-everybody loves them. But another gripe from the old days centers on the need to have a "regular" water heater as a backup and the issue of taking up additional space with storage tanks. Those aren't the ones Gilbert said he hears today. Instead, surprisingly, even with the presence of very attractive incentives, Gilbert said some sales objections-or at least logistical hurdles-seem to remain financial. 
   Finance companies, you see, are pretty tight with the dinero these days and financing is tough to put together for folks at lower income levels: "They figure, if they get it now and start generating savings, and then next year they get their tax credit...a lot of these people need financing for a year and it's difficult and expensive to get right now." 
   Gilbert said another problem he's encountering out there is a whole host of opportunists who see a market and jump in without proper training. Gilbert said he gets many calls from customers confused by misinformation being tossed around by ill-trained installers. 
   "We got a call like this just this morning," he said. "He was so frustrated he was about to give up. We spent and hour and a half with him and then he bought it because he just needed the information. In the past month and a half I have filed more than a dozen complaints with the Registrar of Contractors against companies that aren't licensed who are advertising, selling and installing solar. They either have no license at all or the improper license or they're just scammers. A couple of them have gone out and gotten the correct license, but that is a problem right now." 
   Another challenge-or opportunity, depending on how you look at it-deals with the industry rumblings that perhaps the solar, radiant heating, geothermal and plumbing industries are heading toward an intertwining that may well change the face of all of them. Gilbert said that is, indeed, "one possible scenario," depending on how the economic recovery moves along: "The economy is the biggest driver of this. If you're forced to do it to survive, to consolidate so there's enough business to support what you're doing," he said. 
   Green Ideas' Wilhelm said the industries are heading toward a convergence more than it ever has before: "You have some scenarios now in which it's less of a catch-as-catch-can market," he said. "It's more of a sustainable market that is starting to grow and it's attracting attention of some others who may be able to come up with a more elegant solution. We need to get to the point where [solar is] more of an appliance." 
   Wilhelm suggested taking advantage of any credible educational opportunities that may present themselves as a great way to prepare for a convergence if it indeed starts to shake out that way: "It's also appropriate, I think, for someone involved in the plumbing industry to say, 'Look, there are multiple ways of doing this and, as energy prices rise, there seem to be some more logical solutions out there'," he said. "I think it's a great place to develop some expertise. There have to be folks who know how to design them and there have to be folks who know how to install them properly so you don't have warranty problems. That's all critical and I think the smart contractor is going to look in that direction." 
   Masia reported the solar industry is facing a shortage of qualified installers, very much like the plumbing industry. "I'd talk to the manufacturers and get involved in their training courses, he said, noting the American Solar Energy Society's annual conference, Solar 2000, is set for Phoenix May 17-22 [Check out the May print issue's Calendar of Events on page 24 for details.-Ed.] 
   "A licensed plumber already knows 80 percent of what he'll need to know to put this stuff up and sell it successfully," he said. "Most of the training there will focus on photovoltaics, but all the big water heating manufacturers will be exhibiting there and some of them may have programs. The best bang for the buck, when it comes to solar for small businesses or residential is with water heating. A solar water heater collector can be 50 or 60 percent efficient, whereas the best of the photovoltaic modules is only 20 percent efficient and way more expensive. In most places in the U.S. a good solar water heating system can displace 60- or 70 percent of the cost of heating water year-round. And that's 90 percent in the summer and 30- or 40 percent in the winter." 
   Gilbert agreed getting as much education as possible on the converging technologies is a great course of action for both experienced plumbers as well as the up-and-comers in apprenticeship programs today. 
   "As far as their future jobs are concerned, I think they should learn as much as possible," Gilbert said, adding one of his employees is a former environmental analyst who's packing a degree in environmental science. "He likes this job because he's learning a lot of new stuff. We're teaching him plumbing, but he's also involved in the solar end of it. There are a lot of people out there who are moving into this field from other fields. Whether it's getting lots of training through manufacturers, taking classes and seminars online or partnering with other companies that are already doing it, you've got to explore the avenues that are available to you."