Warming up: Jacob Gooze heads Acme Green Technologies, a company specializing in the design and installation of solar-powered radiant heating systems.

THE green construction industry has been heating up in Southern California over the past several years and that's just the way Jacob Gooze likes it.

The founder of Acme Environmental Group, Gooze designs, manufactures and installs roof-top solar-powered radiant heat and hot water systems--and businesses is, well, hot.

The three-year old Santa Monica company has seen revenues jump to $1.2 million over the last two years from just over

$300,000 as Gooze has installed his system in every type of residence, from hillside mansions to suburban tract homes.

"I've spent thousands of hours studying these systems and how they work," Gooze said. "But that's the only way you can truly understand these systems and how they work--each system is unique and has its own challenges."

Acme's radiant systems absorb solar energy and use it to heat water that is circulated through tiny plastic tubes imbedded into the foundation of the house--essentially turning the concrete, wood or tile floor of the house into a giant, low-temperature radiator.

The systems cost between $7 and $15 per square foot to install, depending on the materials and type of site. Industry proponents contend the systems can pay for themselves in less than a decade, especially in cold climates with large winter heating bills.

This type of heating was invented by the Romans centuries ago, but in recent times companies such as Acme have refined the systems, which have become popular with local architects such as David Hertz and Warren Wagner.

Now, it's not only the ultra-modern homes of green-minded millionaires that are moving toward eco-friendly and efficient radiant heat, but also smaller tract homes in Southern California and elsewhere--thanks to the rising cost of a gas, oil and electricity--and a $2,000 federal tax credit

According to the Radiant Panel Association, a non-profit advocacy group for radiant heat and solar systems based in Loveland, Colo., the market has surged and demand has nearly tripled since 1999.

"Radiant heating systems have been popular in cold-weather states for decades," said Larry Drake, the executive director and founder of RPA. "And recently we've seen more and more contractors in warm weather states, like New Mexico and California, including radiant heat systems in the homes they're building."

Intricate installation

The systems involve the installation of solar panels that heat water and run it through plastic tubing imbedded into the slab of a house in loops running 8 to 12 inches apart. The tubing also can be installed as a retrofit, though that is far more costly.

The concrete slab is said to be 40 percent more efficient than traditional heating systems, typically providing about 70 percent of the owners' heating needs. That can cut energy bills by as much as 50 percent. The tubing water also can be used to take a shower.

Gooze got his start in green heating as a general contractor in the L.A. area about 10 years ago. He helped a friend integrate a solar heating system from a sailboat in to his vacation home in Wyoming. After Gooze installed that system, he would periodically check back with the owner, especially when it was cold, and didn't find any problems.

Convinced of the systems' advantages, Gooze began to install more and formally started his business three years ago. Last year, he hired another two workers to bring his total number of employees to eight, allowing him to handle up to two dozen projects at a time.

Currently, Gooze is installing a retrofit system in the home of Mandeville Canyon homeowner Al Rosen, who said he learned about radiant heat right after finishing some renovations on his 4,000-square-foot structure.

"We weren't satisfied with the performance of our forced-air heating system, which ironically we had just installed," Rosen said. "So I did some research and found that radiant heat was more efficient and performed at a higher level."

Rosen, like a lot of Southern California homeowners, liked the environmentally friendly aspect of radiant heat and already had solar panels installed on his roof for his domestic water heater. Adding the radiant system "made perfect sense," he added.

"The only downside was the price," Rosen admitted. He would not disclose what he was paying. "But I have huge expectations based on what I've heard from others who have the system installed."

Industry growth

Though nearly 75 percent of the market is still residential, the systems are also appealing to businesses, resorts and other commercial enterprises.

The Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point recently installed one of Acme's systems in its outdoor dining patio, moving away from the portable gas heat lamps traditionally used.

The radiant heat business measures growth in the amount of cross-linked polyethylene--or "Pex"--tubing, which is used to transmit the heated water throughout a structure. In 2004, the most recent year for which numbers are available, close to 350 million linear feet were sold, enough for about 100,000 homes or a $467 million a year market.

Drake believes that the market will grow by several multiples over the next five to 10 years, helped by a $2,000 federal tax incentive on any new solar heating system, though that credit expires after Dec. 31, 2007.

The credit is convincing homeowners without seven-figure salaries or who are not dedicated to a green lifestyle to consider installing the systems.

"In the summer, you can heat virtually all of your hot water with one of these systems," Gooze said. "In the winter, they can be Used in conjunction with a gas-powered boiler and virtually pay for themselves in a matter of a few years."

However, one of the biggest challenges hindering the growth of the industry is a shortage of qualified contractors, Drake said.

"Right now you have a lot of plumbers installing hydronic radiant systems," he said. "Unfortunately, most don't have the proper training or knowledge of these complex systems so sometimes customers are getting faulty systems installed, and that is a major setback."

For now, though, that's fine with Gooze, who said he so bombarded with work that he and his crew are handling all they can.

"The only thing limiting me is me," he joked. "I only have the time and wherewithal to manage 30 or so projects at once and demand far exceeds that."

Acme Green Technologies

Year Founded: 2003

Core Business: Installing and designing traditional and solar-powered domestic hot water and radiant floor-heating systems

Employees in 2004:4

Employees in 2005:6

Goal: To make between $1.2 million and $1.5 million in revenue this year

Driving Force: The desire by homeowners and business owners to have energy-thrifty heating systems

ALLEN P. ROBERTS JR.

Staff Reporter