Heliodyne, Inc. - Richmond, California

Дмитрий ?.

Trucker from I-80 use only central ave to leave freeway, this facility got only one dock from s50th st. Truck gate on this street too but you need backing by right side. Short trailer is better for this facility.

Glen E.

We've had a fairly positive experience with our Heliodyne solar hydronic system. Eight months into its operation, the Heliodyne componentry has proven to be reliable and just whirrs along. They could improve is the WiFi interface -- you have to connect to the unit's own WiFi transmitter, rather than interfacing via your regular network, which in this case means you need an older version of Windows that can be dedicated to talking to the hydronic system. I just use an old laptop that I keep around for this.

Having said all of that, my experience has been that solar hydronic systems are not for the feint of heart. I've had to sort through a number of installation errors (so now I know more about my system than the installers did), and the piping relies on flexible stainless steel piping with o-ring washers that are prone to failure if the fittings are over-tightened. And naturally, if you get a plumber involved in the interface with your system, then he's probably going to over-tighten the fittings -- so in our case we've had a few leaks spring up, and it took some effort to find a source for replacement o-rings (McMaster Carr, look for chemical and heat resistance). Can't blame the leaks on Heliodyne though.

We have both a large PV system and the hydronic system. Of the two, the PV is definitely the one that is most painless and seamlessly functions (although we've had a couple of flakey inverters, so it's not like there aren't issues on that side of the solar world as well). But when the sun is shining, it's pretty fantastic to feel the heat coming into the house from the hydronic system, and to watch the heat rise in your storage tanks, and then to know that your teenager's hour-long shower is "free" (assuming you've written off the cost of the system, which is a whole 'nother story).

Jonathan G.

Update 11/2021: About two years ago, we finally had an amazing tech who Heliodyne recommended come out and take a look at our system and he found several installation errors that the the installer (Advanced Home Energy - now out of business) and others had not yet identified. It now works like a charm. If you are having problems with your system and live in the SF Bay Area, contact Heliodyne and ask for good techs - they know who is qualified to fix it.

As a conservation scientist working to advance climate change solutions, I LOVE the concept of all things solar, and this past summer, we installed PV for electricity, and a Heliodyne solar hot water system. The PV has been AWESOME - not a problem, and bye bye electric bills.

The solar hot water, however - very different story... More than six months after the install, I can honestly tell you to DEFINITELY NOT BUY A HELIODYNE solar hot water system!!! It has been time consuming, stressful problem after problem -- we had no hot water several times, sensors have failed, our main controller unit failed and had to be replaced, and now the monitoring system that tells us whether the system is functioning properly isn't even working. It seems that anytime one thing is fixed, something else breaks.

Folks at the company seem to be trying to help, but at this point, I feel like I am getting the runaround and would rather have my money back so that I can purchase a system from a company who knows what they are doing!

If they can get this thing working, and going without problems for a prolonged period of time, I will gladly update this review! I certainly wish I had more positive things to say, and hold out hope that I will sometime in the near future...

UPDATE 12/2017: Three and a half years after installing the Heliodyne, we have again been dealing with a period of very inconsistent hot water for the last 1-2 months. We have had no hot water all day today -- just luke warm. This was the last straw -- so here I am updating my review.

Unfortunately, the installer, Advanced Home Energy, has gone out of business. The company at this point says they can no longer help and I need to pay somebody else to figure out what is wrong, and they'll look at whether any warranty still applies.

Since we have hot water SOMETIMES, it seems the problem is not the hot water heater itself, but rather the Heliodyne controller (which I have heard are notoriously problematic). Update to come. But as of right now, I continue to advise that if you are installing a solar hot water system, AVOID those manufactured by Heliodyne..

MEGHAN C.

Daniel P.