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My colleagues will tell you that I am rarely wrong, and my wife will tell you that I rarely admit to being wrong. Well, here it goes. I was wrong! A while back I wrote that all that matters for making a solar electric purchase decision is dollars per watt. I recently attended a Sunpower sales meeting. I was very surprised about what I learned. Sunpower offers some unique technologies that make the total output of its solar modules greater over their lifetime then competitive technologies. Sun power modules result in lower degradation over time and produce more kilowatt hours then competitive modules. Although sunRead More →

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NOTE: See UPDATE at the bottom of this post. Southwest Florida is starting to see all Lamar Advertising’s Billboards getting solar panel upgrades. My frustration level with this project is quite high already, first because I believe it was ill-conceived greenwashing, but also because it was poorly implemented. Here is a picture of a billboard in Fort Myers (which thankfully does not host Fafco Solar’s advertisement). Can you spot anything wrong?   Lamar used cookie-cutter prefabricated steel racks on their billboards. It would have been far more efficient to install all of these 12 solar panels on a single rack system, purpose-built for the billboard. But thatRead More →

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One of my colleagues took these great pictures of a Solar PV (Electric) System during installation in Fort Myers on a new home in Town & River. This is a super looking system using Canadian Solar CS6P-235P solar modules at 235W each, Enphase microinverters, Unirac mounting system, and non-penetrating S-5! clamps on a standing seam metal roof.     This customer will enjoy the best product installed by the best company installing solar energy products in Fort Myers.  

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Solar pool pumps are an option for Southwest Florida pool owners that want to cut a large part of their electric bill. However, there are limitations, and in some instances they are not recommended. A solar pool pump system consists of a pump, solar panels, electrical safety and disconnecting means, and in some cases a controller. An optional AC/DC power supply can be installed to ensure water pumping during cloudy weather or at night to run water features. Battery storage systems are possible, but extremely expensive. Since the average traditional residential AC pool pump can cost upwards of $60 per month to operate, solar poolRead More →

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There is a common misconception that solar pool heating increases the energy needed to operate a pump. That is NOT true! It’s true that solar pool heating systems will increase the back pressure on your pump. On a single speed pump, that means your flow rate will be reduced. However, it also means that your energy consumption will be reduced. Without having a degree in fluid dynamics, you make be wondering how a pump can use less energy if the pressure is increased! The short answer is that the pump is doing LESS work – it’s moving less water. This is a simplistic explanation ofRead More →

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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 →

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Should you do-it-yourself (DIY) for a solar panel installation in Florida? While is is completely permissible and possible to install solar on your home or business, it is not recommended. Ignore our advice and jump right to our DIY Solar Electricity page! I’m a self-taught guy in many disciplines, and I love to do home maintenance myself. Learning new skills is part of who I am. Learning the solar energy trade was not easy. Here are some reasons why you may not want to do-it-yourself:   Solar Electric (PV or Photovoltaic Systems) PV Systems involve dangerous DC voltage and AC voltage electricity. You may beRead More →

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A couple of years ago we had a thriving Florida state incentive program that paid $4 per watt to buyers of solar electric systems in the form of a rebate. At the time, that covered between 40% and 50% of the cost to install solar electric for your home or business. Two things happened with the rebate program: the incentive was shut down due to lack of funding/desire by legislators to spend taxpayer money, and the existing rebate applicants were hung out to dry, many collecting only 52 cents on the dollar. That was the end of state rebates for Florida property owners. So whyRead More →

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Note: Some of the information in this article may be outdated. Learn more about modern solar pool heating panels here. Comparing FAFCO solar pool heating panels to Heliocol is like apples and oranges. Both brands have been around a very long time (FAFCO invented the polymer solar pool heating collector). I’ll break down the numbers, but make sure you read to the end for important caveats. In SW Florida, the most popular Heliocol panel seems to be the 4’x10′ HC-38 solar collector. All manufacturers list a nominal size for their panels, and the closest FAFCO panel is also a 4’x10′ collector, however, FAFCO has three differentRead More →

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The best way to control a solar pool heat system is with an automatic controller. If you do not have one, you are missing out on great convenience, and not maximizing your solar pool heating investment. Most people who do not have a controller just leave their solar pool heating system all the time. That means any time the pump is running, water is flowing through the solar panels. Unfortunately, solar panels can also act like a radiator, giving pool heat back to the atmosphere. On very cloudy days or during rain, you may actually be cooling your pool if you solar pool heater isRead More →

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FPL is in full swing installing Smart Meters around Southwest Florida.I had mine installed last week, but the communications network is a work in progress, so there’s no benefit to me yet. Despite all of the complaints and fears about Smart Meters, I believe the benefits will be great, allowing a granular look at your energy consumption down to your hourly usage, all available from FPL’s website. It’s not as good as some of the energy monitors on the market that can give you a per-second look at your consumption, or even monitor individual appliances or circuits, but it will provide significant insight into yourRead More →