I use several software tools to help design solar energy systems. One of the important tools is Bing Maps. Bing offers aerial views that are not just satellite overhead plan views, but angled views of most homes in Southwest Florida. Aerial views can help determine suitability of a home or roof surface for solar energy products. I can see potential shading issues, and estimate roof sizes (I can get more accurate size information using other tools, which I will highlight in later posts). Sometimes we can see vents, satellite dishes, power lines, and other roof obstructions that may pose problems. Google Maps also recently startedRead More →

The job at Naples Botanical Garden is nearing completion, and one of the best features of this project is the use of S-5! clamps. These clamps attach to the seam of many types of metal roof. If you have this type of roof, and it is installed with adequate strength, one of the best options is to use this clamp to avoid roof penetrations. My colleagues are masters at roof penetrations, having installed hundreds of thousands of leak-free roof attachments over the years. Every once in a blue moon a roof leak may show up in one of our jobs, usually very small, and alwaysRead More →

A very smart friend asked me today how much power a solar panel makes. He was looking at a picture of a large commercial solar electric system in Naples, FL. I told him 230 watts. He asked if that was each panel or the whole system. The system was over 40,000 watts! It really strikes me that the typical person has no concept about how much power solar panels produce. That is the power production side of things, but the bigger picture is our understanding of energy use. All we really pay attention to is the dollar amount in the bottom right corner of ourRead More →

The law is clear in Florida. A homeowner association cannot prevent you from installing solar energy products. This is governed by Section 163.04, Florida Statutes. You have a right to obtain energy from renewable resources on your property Condo associations similarly cannot prevent you from installing solar energy products on your property. Unfortunately, the roof of a condo and the areas outside your walls are rarely considered your property. Courts have upheld this law in favor of homeowners to a great extent. The law event extends to clotheslines that use the sun and wind to dry clothing, again, as long as it is on yourRead More →

The day started off beautiful! It was a little wet on the roof before the sun burned the dew off, but we were able to get the remaining solar modules mounted by the end of the day and much of the wiring conduit is complete. Tomorrow we will pull wire and be very near completion.

Today was frustrating. I visited the site of a solar electric installation that we narrowly lost to a competitor earlier this year. I’m not going to mention the competitor, nor the job. When I first approached the system, I was quite impressed by the outward appearance. The design concept was actually better than I had proposed. The products used were high quality. But upon closer inspection, there we so many things wrong! The details are where this competitor failed, and the details are where competitors start to differ. In today’s solar electric market, installing the major components has become easier. Modules have snap together connectors,Read More →

You don’t want one. Well, maybe you do, but I’m going to try to talk you out of it. I’ll still sell you one if you want it, but you are going to have to convince me, first. You can have a grid-interactive solar photovoltaic system, the ability to sell energy back to the utility company, and the luxury of battery backup. They make equipment for that. It’s nicely integrated and seamless. These have been around for off-grid applications for quite a long time, and many of the first and most popular grid interactive inverters were capable of battery backup. My contention is that itRead More →