Minnesota-based solar-powered furnace manufacturer and a solar installer, Rural Renewable Energy Alliance may be getting a new manufacturing partner in Vermont. The alliance, organized as a non-profit, has developed solar-powered furnaces for the northern U.S. and is aimed primarily at low-income homeowners.

“We started our organization in 2000 to advocate for the inclusion of solar heat in energy assistance homes,” said founder Jason Edens. “About midway through our history, we decided to make our own, because we were shipping from all over the world and there was a lot of room for improvement. We now are manufacturing our solar thermal collectors,” he said.

While Rural Renewable started out in the low-income and assistance-based residential space it also does commercial installations and has distributors across the country. “We can deploy two collectors on a home or 100 on a commercial building,” Edens said. For instance the organization has installed  its furnaces at its 15,000 square foot manufacturing facility. The furnaces provide doing 65 percent to 70 percent of its heat load.

The organization’s forced-air system uses a flat plate collector design, which is German engineered and made in U.S. “We’re trying to promote jobs here,” Edens said.

The technology we make is most relevant for space heating application, according to Eden. But it could be deployed just about anywhere, he said. Other applications for the technology include commercial heating and other applications like in agriculture. By heating the soil in a greenhouse or high-tunnel house Rural Renewable’s system has been able to extend the growing season in Minnesota by two months, for instance.

Now the technology and mission is appears to be headed toward Vermont. As part of its mission, the Vermont group will also pursue installing the furnaces at low-income homes. “We’ve got a bunch of project partners interested in using this technology for low-income in Vermont,” Edens said. “I don’t think they’re organizing as a nonprofit. I can’t give a hard date, there’s still a lot more questions than answers,” he said. However, he anticipates that it will happen within the next year.