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Solar water heaters are very old and proven technology, with roots in ancient times. Modern solar water heating collectors can capture about 85% of the available solar energy in a given area. That’s far above the ~20% harnessed by commercially available solar electric panels. A question often asked is whether someone should buy a solar water heater or a solar electric system, but the answer is not always obvious. One of the solar water heaters we sell has a rating of 12.5kWh/day. This rating is based on a particular climate and rating category (relative water temperatures). What this rating tells us is that the collector isRead More →

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My closest friends know I’m a huge Happy Gilmore fan. Back in the day I watched it at least a few times a week. I had ringtones and computer alerts with soundbites from the movie. In the scene where Mr. Larson (played by Richard Kiel) threatens Shooter McGavin, he’s wearing a distasteful pro-gun shirt that reads “Guns Don’t Kill People… I Kill People.” Maybe that’s where I got my favorite solar energy related catch-phrase: “Homes Don’t Use Energy… People Use Energy.” If you think about it for a minute, it’s pretty obvious. While most people would consider electricity a necessity, technically speaking, energy use isRead More →

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I’ve seen homeowners do some pretty crazy stuff with their pool plumbing, but one thing that is quite common is finding valves arranged to slow down the water flow through a solar pool heater. The rationale given by people is that they want the water in the solar pool heating panel to heat up more before it gets returned to the pool. It sounds like a reasonable idea, but unfortunately it’s not the right way to maximize the performance of a solar pool heater! Sure, it’s nice to stand by the return jets in your pool and feel that warm water coming off your roof,Read More →

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I received a question from a potential customer today about power production guarantees for Photovoltaic (PV) Systems. I realized that I hadn’t covered that issue on my blog, so I thought I would copy the question and response here (revised for clarity). Question: Is there a guarantee on the percentage  power output of the proposed photovoltaic system? Answer: The Canadian Solar CS6P-250P modules themselves have a power production warranty that states basically that they will put out a minimum of 97% of rated power at test conditions during the first year and degrade no more than 0.7% per year thereafter through a total of 25 years. ThisRead More →

This typical pool pump performance curve shows that a small increase in head pressure is inconsequential if the pump is sized properly for best efficiency to begin.

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It’s true that FAFCO brand solar pool heating panels, which have a subheader for flow distribution, add a higher back pressure also known as head pressure, to pool pumps. Here are the facts: A FAFCO Sunsaver solar pool heating panel does have five times the pressure loss (also known as head loss) than some competitors’ panels at the recommended flow rate.  FAFCO systems use 2″ panel headers and PVC plumbing versus 1-1/2″ by some competitors, which does help, but there is restriction in the headers that choke the actual header inside diameter down to 1-1/2″. As a rule of thumb, FAFCO systems will typically add about 5Read More →

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The Law of Conservation of Energy is a basic recognized law of physics, and one I occasionally forget when writing and speaking about solar energy. Solar power does not “create energy.” It simply converts energy to usable forms in our everyday lives. For example, solar thermal technologies move heat to where we want it. Photovoltaic systems convert solar radiation into electrical energy that we can use to power electronic devices. If you catch me saying the phrase “create energy,” please pinch me or something. It’s a bad habit that I’m trying to break. I was reminded about this as I spoke to an employee aboutRead More →

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I just read an article published today on the Harvard Business Review blog that misses the point about businesses, specifically banks and other financial institutions, engaging in sustainable building practices. The article focuses on how companies should be less focused on environmental sustainability and more focused on financial sustainability given the nation’s disfavorable attitude toward banks today. What the article fails to regognize is that sustainable building, when done right, is financially responsible and sustainable! Green building techniques have returns on investment associated with them, and some can be extremely favorable, especially when combined with utility and government incentives. Banks often operate on razor-thin marginsRead More →

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Variable speed pool pumps are all the rage. Fantastic energy savings an whisper quiet operation are the two most cited reasons for interest in the product. Comparing variable speed pumps is important because there are a wide range of prices and installation service levels available. All will save you money, but the features and capabilities vary widely. Selecting the right pump for your pool is critical. While not a solar product, per se, variable speed pool pumps compliment solar pool heaters and become an integral part of a solar pool heating system. It’s critical to understand the comparisons to ensure a variable speed pump willRead More →

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Lots of people ask about solar panel efficiency, but I usually find out that they don’t really know what the efficiency of a solar panel means. As it turns out, the definition of solar panel efficiency is pretty clear, but people are surprised to find out that its often not a deciding factor. Why is this? High Efficiency SunPower Solar Panels in Fort Myers, FL Solar panel efficiency simply measures how much solar radiation it can convert per square meter to usable electricity based on a standardized test condition. A particular solar panel might produce a lot more power than another, but that does notRead More →

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I always get a kick out of that local TV commercial for budget priced electric heat pumps for pools. The narrator screams, “The Most Efficient Way to Heat Your Pool in Southwest Florida!” Does anyone believe him? Surprise, surprise… The cheapest heat pumps are definitely NOT the most efficient heat pumps, and heat pumps are NOT the most efficient way to heat your pool in Southwest Florida. When shopping for a heat pump, the key factors are the coefficient of performance (COP), expected life (look for a titanium heat exchanger), price, and warranty. You get what you pay for, as the saying goes. But theRead More →

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Today, December 21, is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Today’s hours of sunlight in Southwest Florida will be approximately 10h 28m, three hours and twenty minutes shorter than the longest day. The sun also reaches is lowest height above the horizon, not even 45 degrees at it’s apex. Compare that to almost 90 degrees overhead on June 21. Based on that, it should be no surprise that December has the lowest monthly solar radiation on average. Solar photovoltaic systems will produce the least energy, and solar pool/water heating systems will generate the least heat. The good news – it allRead More →

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If you’re wondering what’s best, a solar water heater or a tankless water heater, the answer may be BOTH – or NEITHER! If you have an existing gas water heater that is in good repair, you may just want to add a solar water heater with additional storage capacity. If you have an electric storage water heater, you may want to retrofit your existing tank or add additional storage with a solar tank. There is a great article about the choice between a storage and tankless water heater on the Green Building Advisor website here. You should check out this article to learn some ofRead More →

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With the fantastic monitoring tools available today, we can see exactly how much energy production drops on cloudy days and when storms pass by. Tropical Storm Isaac just passed by Southwest Florida, and I’ve been reviewing energy output from many of  the systems we have out there. Saturday and Sunday were completely cloud covered days. Sunday August 26, 2012 was not only cloudy, but it was dark and rainy virtually all day long. Despite the cloud cover, photovoltaic systems continued to put out significant amounts of energy. In general, most systems across Southwest Florida had production cut in half on Saturday and lost almost 3/4thsRead More →

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With new building codes in effect in Florida, I’ve been asked quite a lot about variable speed vs. variable flow pumps, especially with solar pool heating systems. The answer turns out to be a bit complex. The simple answer is that a variable speed pump will give you better trouble-free performance while still resulting in significant energy savings. The whole story is more complex. At first glance, the features of a Variable Flow pump like the Pentair Intelliflo VF seem perfectly suited for a solar pool heating system. The pump would operate at a constant flow rate that is optimal for solar pool heating, adjustingRead More →