Solar Southwest Florida

As a University of Florida graduate, I usually spend my time gleefully mocking Florida State University. I’m torn on this one.

It seems like a completely silly concept – using Ziploc bags to concentrate solar on a tube to heat liquids. Can this really be efficient? What about storms, vandalism, and other physical/structural perils? And, plastics are not exactly the green product of the century.

However, there may be something to this. Most importantly, the cost of this technology could be very low, benefiting countries and societies that cannot afford the raw materials required for relatively complex solar thermal systems. People have been heating water with darkly colored vessels for millenia. Although science and technology has improved solar thermal heating quite a bit over the last several decades, there isn’t much magic to heating water with the sun. This could be simple and effective enough for some circumstances.

If you want to learn more, here is some more information:

http://www.research.fsu.edu/techtransfer/technologyopportunity/documents/energy/winger2.pdf

FPL has announced that the remaining 2012 solar rebate funding will be released on May 3, 2012 for solar photovoltaic (electric) and solar water heating systems.

If you want any chance of getting in on the best solar rebate in Florida history, you need to act NOW. Call your favorite solar contractor (hopefully Fafco Solar) and they will walk you through the application process. Because the rebates are highly competitive and the amount available will be very limited, it is likely that the funding will run out in the first 10 minutes. The online application process requires advance planning and detailed information about the system you intend to install.

FPL Solar Rebates can cover over 30% of the cost of a solar electric installation up to $20,000 for residential and $50,000 for commercial systems. Paired with a 30% Federal Tax Credit and the lowest component costs in history, the total installed cost of a solar energy system has never been lower.

Utility electric rates in Southwest Florida vary quite a bit depending on how much electricity you consume. I created a spreadsheet to calculate what your utility electric rate would be with different utilities depending on the amount of energy consumed.

What you will find is that the effective rate for LCEC is higher for typical residential customers because of the higher fixed customer charge. Another interesting fact is that LCEC netmetered customers with solar electric generation pay more that regular LCEC customers until they consume at least 1,342 kilowatt hours (net). Again, this is because of a higher customer charge.

The rates are current as of April 16, 2012 and include all charges, fees, and taxes.

Note: The Franchise Fee will vary by municipality. I have used 3% to provide a reasonable approximation and comparison. For example, the Lee County fee is 3% and the Cape Coral fee is 3.173%.

SWFL Utility Rate Comparison

Fafco Solar just released a short promotional video on the Pentair Variable Speed pool pump.

The variable speed pump is a perfect match for solar pool heating systems, especially when an automatic controller is used. Without a controller the pump can be scheduled to run at optimum solar circulation speed when solar energy is most likely to be available. Adding a controller adds the capability of changing the pump speed based on the availability and demand for solar heating.

With or without solar energy, the variable speed pump will pay for itself with energy savings. You can cut pumping costs up to 90% with this great technology while getting a far quieter and longer lasting pool pump.

Look through the MLS and you will find many Southwest Florida homes that have solar energy systems installed, especially solar heated pools. Solar energy is more than a selling point – it’s a feature that adds value to a home. Residential real estate appraisals have not traditionally included solar energy products in the valuation.

It has always been difficult to appraise the value of a solar electric system. The purchase price is not a good indicator because of varying rebates and tax credits. The energy output alone does not take into account all relevant factors. The property appraiser does not include solar energy products in the taxable appraised value. The true value of these systems is somewhat abstract.

A new spreadsheet tool named PV Value™ has been released by Sandia National Laboratories for real estate appraisers, mortgage underwriters, credit analysts, real property assessors, insurance claims adjusters and PV industry sales staff. The model uses future income and expenses to capitalize the current value of a solar electric system. By plugging in facts and assumptions, we can get a reasonable appraisal value.

My initial observations of the tool are positive. It is flexible enough to enter a variety of factors that influence the value of a solar electric installation. Since there are quite a few assumptions are made, it nice that it calculates a low, average, and high appraisal value to provide a reasonable range. In most cases the appraised value exceeds the purchase price for new systems when rebates and tax incentives are taken into account.

I would like to see some additional graphical representations. It would also be helpful to show the future expected value of the system, not just the current appraisal value. A PV system is not necessarily a depreciating asset – it can increase in value for a period of time due to escalating energy rates. Because some systems now come with 25 year warranties on all major components, the expected maintenance costs can be next to nothing. Fortunately the inputs allow for adjustments to the default settings.

If you are a real estate or mortgage professional, I highly recommend that you take a look at this new tool. The solar energy industry needs the real estate industry to be familiar with and accepting of solar energy system appraisals, and this tool should add legitimacy to valuations.

More information is available on the Sandia National Labs page here.

Pentair has released a new solar pool heating controller called the SolarTouch. This great controller fills a gap between a simple analog solar controller and the Pentair SunTouch pool automation system.

A simple analog solar controller uses a dial and an on-off-auto switch to control the operation of a solar pool heating system. The SunTouch is a digital controller that has advance pool heating control for a pool/spa combination and with multiple heating sources (solar and auxiliary heater). It can also control additional relays for features and lighting and has an optional remote control.

The SolarTouch does everything that the analog controller does except it has precise control with a digital readout. It can also control Pentair’s Variable Speed and Variable Flow IntelliPro pumps. That means you can increase the pump speed when solar pool heating is required and drop the speed back down to normal filtration speed when no solar heating is required or available.

Our first SolarTouch controllers will be installed soon and I will report back with the verdict. I am quite certain that this will become our “go-to” controller, particularly because of the attractive price, digital control, and ability to control a variable speed pump.

Here is the marketing information from Pentair and a SolarTouch Brochure:

 

Announcing the new SolarTouch™ swimming pool solar controller, which offers full digital control for the most precise, efficient swimming pool heating possible!

Now pool owners can control their pool temperature with the touch of a button. Just set the digital thermostat and SolarTouch will monitor the temperature of the pool water and solar collectors. SolarTouch also integrates with IntelliFlo® and IntelliPro® Variable Speed Pumps, so customers can enjoy unparalleled efficiency, unbeatable digital precision and ease of use. SolarTouch is the smart, easy, efficient way to go solar.

SolarTouch features include:

• Digital calibration of water and solar temperature sensors allow more precise measuring. Temperature control can be set in one degree increments.
• Digital touch controls eliminate the imprecise settings and moving parts of mechanical dials.
• Customers can set their pool temperature and solar temperature differentials with the touch of a button.
• Solar valve automatically drains the solar collectors when the pump shuts off. Durable PTFE seal is maintenance-free for years of dependable service.
• Savings up to $1,500 on your energy bills when you combine SolarTouch with an IntelliFlo® or IntelliPro® Variable Speed Pump.
• LCD display gives sharp, clear readings of air and solar collector temperatures.
• LED indicator lights confirm that SolarTouch automation is working. Service indicator LED indicates when attention is needed.
• Motorized valve actuator is built to last with sturdy steel gears, a highly efficient low-voltage motor, service switch for flow direction and a weatherproof composite enclosure.
• Includes nocturnal cooling and recirculation freeze protection, with filter-pump timer override. 3-year warranty.

SunPower is just getting ready to ship the first E20 series panels to dealers in about a week. There is a lot of hype around the most efficient and best performing solar module in the industry for residential and commercial applications. The new E20 Series modules are currently rated at 327W and boast a 20.1% efficiency, an improvement from the 19& efficient E19 series.

My first 3D computer model just came out with the new SunPower modules. They look great!

 

 

 

It’s pretty obvious that longer days and the sun higher in the sky would make solar energy production better. Did you know that March typically shows the best improvement over the previous month in Southwest Florida?

Here is an example of an energy production report from a solar photovoltaic (electric) system in Fort Myers:

 

If you are looking at your solar output comparison for the last two months, you might be surprised at how much better March was. This is normal, and you will continue to see increases as we approach summer, especially for solar panels with low tilt angles.

If you have questions about your solar energy system’s performance, contact Fafco Solar or me directly!