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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 waterRead More →

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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 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 toRead More →

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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 asRead More →

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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.

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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 inRead More →

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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 itRead More →

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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!      

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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 questionsRead More →