Use the Bay Area's sunshine to heat your home and your water. We design and install solar thermal systems that integrate with your existing hydronic loops.
Hydro solar uses rooftop collectors to heat water directly, which then feeds your radiant floors, radiators, or domestic hot water. It's a different technology from solar PV, and it's particularly well suited to homes that already have hydronic heating.
Not every roof is right for solar thermal. Here's what we look for.
South-facing roof area with minimal shade for several hours a day is the starting point.
Hydro solar pairs best with homes that already use radiant floors, radiators, or baseboards.
Larger families and homes with high hot water demand see the fastest return.
Solar thermal is engineering, not just installation. We design systems that actually deliver on their promise.
We evaluate roof exposure, hot water and heating loads, and your existing hydronic system.
Collector sizing, storage, controls, and integration with the rest of your system.
Careful installation by specialists, including all the plumbing, controls, and integration work.
We commission the system, walk you through operation, and provide ongoing support.
Solar thermal is only as good as the hydronic system behind it. Afterglow specializes in exactly that, designing and installing radiant and hydronic heating that performs for decades.
Afterglow heating, just go with them. Mniska has those old school values that are harder and harder to find: professional, detailed oriented, consistent and takes a lot of pride in everything he does.
Great experience with Afterglow: Mniska is very knowledgable, describe the work order in detail and answer questions.
Our service was impeccable. They came within hours of calling with an issue, communicated extremely clearly and was very transparent with pricing. We even signed up for the membership program which already paid off! Highly recommend.
Mniska installed our system about seven years ago. It's been problem free and very efficient.
After hearing an increasingly loud hissing sound in my kitchen wall, I gave Afterglow a call, worried it was a gas leak. Mniska was prompt, professional and focused. He also took time to explain what steps he was taking to hone in on the problem. He was able to fix the leaky hot water pipe in my wall skillfully and smoothly.
Mniska taught us about our system, reviewed all of our options, and helped us decide how to proceed. His work was excellent. We are warm in our apartment for the first time in 9 years.
Solar PV panels generate electricity. Hydro solar uses thermal collectors to heat water directly. For homes with hydronic heating, thermal collectors are often more efficient at delivering useful heat than converting electricity through a heat pump.
Yes, very well. The Bay Area gets enough usable sun year-round to make solar thermal an effective contributor to both space heating and domestic hot water.
In most cases yes. Solar thermal is designed to work alongside your existing heat source, providing free heat when the sun is out and letting your backup take over when it isn't.
It varies based on system size, your hot water and heating use, and available incentives. Many Bay Area installs pay back within 8-12 years and continue producing free heat for two decades after that.
Minimal. Annual inspection of the collectors, fluid, and controls is enough for most systems. Quality installations can run for 20+ years with simple periodic service.
From Craftsman bungalows in North Berkeley to Tudor Revivals in Rockridge and the grand Colonials of Piedmont, we know these homes and the systems inside them.”
We'll assess your roof, your existing hydronic system, and your goals, then give you a clear answer about whether solar thermal makes sense. Honest expertise, no sales pressure.
