Homeowner Julia Roberts may not be as famous as her Hollywood namesake, but she’s certainly become more well-known in the community of Nelson since she installed her solar hot water system.

"I have had people stop by,” says Roberts, "and I’m hoping it sets an example that we can be using renewable energy – that it’s not just a way of the future."

The install of her Globe Solar system system was carried out mid-March by SolarBC registered installer Jenergy Technologies.

Roberts met Jenergy's owner Jennifer Stephenson during an open house. "It was at the Building Tree, a store in Nelson that promotes green materials," says Roberts. After talking with Stephenson about her interest in solar hot water she decided to get the system installed.

Roberts met Jenergy's owner Jennifer Stephenson during an open house. "It was at the Building Tree, a store in Nelson that promotes green materials," says Roberts. After talking with Stephenson about her interest in solar hot water she decided to get the system installed.

"I’ve wanted to install one for about 30 years," she says. "I guess because I really feel that we need to be using more renewable energy, and there were grants available."

She said her install experience was excellent and the installers provided her with thorough information and instructions for the system. "The beauty of the globe solar system is that it's super simple," says Stephenson. "You just plumb it in series with your existing hot water tank. No moving parts, no heat exchangers, no antifreeze required."

Because of this, the cost of installation is lower than with other systems and ongoing operation is straightforward. Stephenson says that draining the system for the winter does require the homeowner to get on the roof to open up the release valve. "But it gives them a chance to see life from a different perspective!"

Roberts agrees that this maintenance is not a difficult process, and did not dissuade her from installing the system. She also doesn’t think she’ll be loosing out on the few weeks of -20 weather, when the city is at its most cloudy. "The biggest challenge will be to watch the weather and know when to drain," says Roberts, who laughs and adds: "I’ve now have the Nelson weather on my home page."