Product: Solar Water Heating Solutions Company: Chromagen Start of Development: 1964
One of the most recognizable features adorning Israeli rooftops is Chromagen solar water heaters. In 1962, a factory was established on Kibbutz Sha’ar Ha’Amakim to chromize ferrous metals, a process in which chromium is added to the surface of metal, turning it into stainless steel, which is resistant to high temperatures, moisture, corrosion, and chemical reaction.
The name of the company, Chromagen, describes this process: chromium + magen, the Hebrew word for shield. In Israel in the 1960s, the use of solar water heaters had just begun, and the commercial manufacturing of these systems was in its infancy. Chromagen recognized the commercial potential in the emerging domestic market, and decided to start manufacturing metal solar water heaters in the kibbutz factory.
Today, roughly 85 percent of homes in Israel are equipped with solar water heaters and panels, with an estimated consumer market of 250,000 units a year.
Chromagen surveyed solar water heater technology around the world, and discovered that enamel was the most effective interior coating in the manufacturing of high-quality storage tanks. The company decided to develop the idea and to apply it to its solar water heaters. Ever since, Chromagen has worked on developing, manufacturing, and marketing advanced solar water heating systems that offer clear benefits for consumers and for the electric power grid industry.
Over the years, Chromagen has become a leader in the field of manufacturing electric water heaters, solar water heaters and panels, and providing water heating solutions for complex projects in Israel and worldwide. Chromagen is Platinum Certified by the Standards Institution of Israel and by many international standards organizations. The company attributes great importance to the development of technologies based on renewable energy for environment preservation, energy saving, and sustainability.
The company’s headquarters are in Kibbutz Sha’ar Ha’Amakim. There are two manufacturing sites: one in Kibbutz Sha’ar Ha’Amakim and the other in the Ziporit Industrial Area, employing a total of 250 people. The company has two subsidiaries in Spain and in Australia. Chromagen products are sold in about 40 countries, with annual revenues of over 100 million dollars. Thanks to its advanced technologies and its stringent production and control processes, Chromagen is considered the leader in the field of solar water heating systems in Israel and across the globe.
