FAFCO Inc, Company Profile
FAFCO, Inc., is a California based manufacturer of polymer heat exchangers with annual sales exceeding $18 million. Our staff of 80, working in our facility in Chico, California handles all engineering development, manufacturing and quality performance testing.
We pride ourselves on providing high quality, long lasting products that help our customers save money on energy costs and reduce the environmental impact associated with traditional energy sources. FAFCO pioneered the application of innovative new materials for heat exchangers when we replaced expensive and difficult to install 100 year old copper technology with inexpensive and easy to install polymer.
The main applications for FAFCO products are using solar energy to heat swimming pools and providing heat exchangers that allow customers to efficiently cool buildings. We have hundreds of thousands of solar pool heating systems installed in the field, some as old as 30 years, that are providing clean, efficient energy for our customers.
FAFCO Revolutionized the Solar Pool Heating Industry and now Solar Hot Water
FAFCO was founded in 1969 by Freeman A. Ford and Richard O. Rhodes. When the company was launched, the solar pool heating industry was based on expensive, difficult to install copper glass collectors. Despite significant drawbacks, copper glass collectors had dominated solar thermal heating for a 100 years. FAFCO's vision was to replace copper glass with inexpensive, easy to install polymer collectors. FAFCO's initial vision spawned an entire industry and, today, FAFCO is the oldest and largest producer of solar pool heating panels in the United States. FAFCO has also applied our polymer expertise to thermal energy storage (TES). FAFCO TES systems allow customers to buy inexpensive off-peak electricity at night, store the energy and then use it to cool the building in the day when electricity costs peak. In addition to saving our customers money on HVAC costs, FAFCO TES systems allow utilities to reduce peak load saving the costs associated with building new capacity. FAFCO's most recent research and development has led to the application of FAFCO's solar technology to it's newest product line of domestic solar hot water heaters. |
Company Milestones
1972 FAFCO incorporates
1976 FAFCO begins compounding and extruding materials in its own manufacturing plant
1982 FAFCO installs a half a million heat exchangers
1986 FAFCO receives its 21st patent, international and domestic
1994 FAFCO celebrates 25th anniversary
1995 FAFCO introduces SunSaver™, a solar panel for Solar Pool Heating
1996 FAFCO installs one millionth solar panel and introduces the Revolution™ Solar Panel, the highest thermal rated solar panel in the industry
1998 FAFCO introduces the SoloTube, a solar panel with independent tubes that installs easily on tile roofs and around roof obstructions
2000 FAFCO moves into a custom-built, state-of-the-art solar research, design and production facility in Chico, California
2004 FAFCO introduces "Do it Yourself" SunGrabber Solar Pool Heaters
2006 FAFCO installs 1.5 million panels worldwide
2007 FAFCO introduces Domestic Solar Hot Water Heaters
2008 FAFCO introduces SunGrabber Domestic Solar Hot Water Heaters
