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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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While all of our installers do great work, I can often tell which installer did a job by the plumbing. Sometimes it’s the valve manifold at the pool equipment pad and sometimes it’s the roof work. While he likely trained the person doing the actual work on the roof, I’d call this a “Danny job,” recently installed in Cape Coral, FL. Because two lengths of solar pool heating panel were combined in this system, it required that a “common high” be installed. This entails making sure that the water leaving the shorter panels reaches the common high point in the system, which equalizes pressure andRead More →

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One of the subjects that often comes up at the start of a solar electric (photovoltaic) system conversation is whether the utility company will “allow” a solar energy system to be installed. Is Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) solar friendly in Cape Coral, Sanibel, Marco Island, and the other areas they cover? While there are challenges, utility companies are generally bound to Public Service Commission Rules, including Florida’s Met Metering Rule, which give consumers fairly broad power to install customer owned renewable generation equipment. LCEC is no different, and it’s actually quite easy to get a residential or small to medium commercial system installed. In fact,Read More →

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I’m in Las Vegas learning and sharing with colleagues, and let’s just say I’m feeling lucky… not just in the Sports Book, but because of the valuable information and face time we will get this week. This is the time of year we all get a good status check and go over trends in the industry. Serious meetings – with a little fun sprinkled in. 😉 Naturally I was reflecting on the plane about the “gamble” of going solar. Is it a safe bet? What is the risk/reward trade off? If I head down to the Casino and drop $100 on red, there is aRead More →

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The 2014 solar pool heating season is in full swing, and our team is working hard to meet an aggressive installation schedule. This is our busiest time of the year – the combination of a high seasonal population in Southwest Florida and cool pools with great outdoor weather makes for a lot of phone calls. If you want solar pool heating for the best part of the swimming season, NOW is the time to get on our schedule. One of the big innovations we have embraced in recent years is the availability of affordable variable speed pumps. These pumps are huge money savers, and workRead More →

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It has been extremely exhausting, but I finally completed installing a 10kW photovoltaic (solar electric) system at my home in Fort Myers, FL today. The final interconnection was done by my electrician and we fired up the system. To my delight, even with dense cloud cover, my meter started spinning backward! I see this happen many times each year, but now I know the feeling of producing my own energy. I now understand why customers are so antsy and anxious about their installation schedules. It’s EXCITING to be your own power plant! I now understand why people want it, and more importantly, why they wantRead 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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I was introducing myself to someone at a birthday party this weekend, and the subject of the viability of solar energy in Florida came up. The person I met was clearly an accomplished and intelligent person, and definitely interested in environmental conservation and renewable energy. I was surprised when she hypothesized that solar energy hasn’t taken off in Florida because of “all of the clouds.” Despite Florida being called the Sunshine State, there is still this misconception that solar panels do not perform well where clouds exist. It’s true that our summer days are punctuated by billowing clouds and violent thunderstorms, but several factors allowRead More →

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I am seeing an uptick in requests about Alternating Current Photovoltaic (ACPV) Modules. ACPV solar panels are traditional solar electric panels that have an inverter affixed to the back. The module assembly is UL listed as a complete assembly, and is essentially an appliance. Rather than output DC power that needs to be converted to AC for use in your home, the appliance puts out AC energy that can be connected directly to your home’s wiring system. Despite what manufacturer’s may say, these are not the same as the “plug-and-play” solar panel concept, which doesn’t really exist. ACPV modules are still required to be connected toRead More →

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For the fourth year in a row, Fafco Solar will provide free solar energy to power the stage at the Earth Day event at Koreshan State Park in Estero Florida. Using its mobile solar generator designed an built by Jason Szumlanski, Fafco Solar will demonstrate the power of the sun and provide solar electricity for musicians and the PA system. Join Fafco Solar and all of the supporters of Earth Day this Saturday, April 20, 2013.    Read More →

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Tonight I was invited to part of a panel before a public group at the Naples Community Hospital. I guess you could call it a Solar Panel. Here is the text of my brief speech: “I would like to address the most common misconception about solar energy: Solar energy is expensive and cannot survive without government and utility incentives. The most common solar product installed in Southwest Florida is not solar electric or solar water heating for the home; it’s solar pool heating. Solar thermal energy has been effectively heating pools for four decades in Southwest Florida, and forms the bread and butter of the localRead More →

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It’s amazing how solar spreads in neighborhoods. The common call is, “My neighbor purchased a solar pool heater from you, and I would like to get a quotation for a system.” What could be better from the dealer perspective?! Just looking at Google Earth around Southwest Florida will show you that neighborhood solar is incredibly common. It is not unusual to spot four or more homes in a row with solar heated pools. Why does this happen? Simply put – people LOVE their solar heated pools! The picture above shows several different panel configurations. Customers often ask why we need to come out to takeRead More →

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Courtesy Solar Hydronics Corp. See this video on Facebook A solar pool heating system uses your existing pool filtration pump to send cool pool water to solar panels that heat the water. The heated water then returns to your pool. A diverter valve is installed to bypass your solar pool heater when your pool is warm enough, or when the climactic conditions do not permit the solar heater to work effectively. An optional electronic control panel can automate the operation of your diverter valve. If you have an existing pool automation system, the solar pool heating system will work with it!  Read More →