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You may have seen my recent post on how Florida utility companies are trying to spin the argument against Netmetering, the method by which millions of solar energy systems interconnect with the utility grid. The gist of the argument is that people who use less energy shift the cost of the grid’s infrastructure onto others. Of course, they don’t say it that way, but that is, in fact, what they are saying. I installed a solar water heater at my home yesterday. This solar energy product does not produce any electricity. It heats (or preheats) water to reduce the amount of energy used by anRead More →

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Let me start by saying that the solar energy debate has nothing to do with solar pool heating or solar water heating, which are traditionally the bread and butter of solar energy products in Florida. This debate is about solar electricity (photovoltaic panels). There has been a rash of articles recently describing a brewing battle between utility companies and the solar energy industry in Florida. Things reached a boiling point when the Public Service Commission refused to hear PUBLIC comment on issues that affect the solar industry. (read that again – it’s true – and it’s shocking). On one side we have the investor owned utilityRead More →

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Integrity Florida, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute and government watchdog whose mission is to promote integrity in government and expose public corruption, has just released a scathing report on how utility companies influence the Florida legislature and utility regulators. While it’s not shocking to discover that big business uses big money to influence lawmakers, it does paint a picture of an incestuous club of cronyism that results in harm to the Florida energy consumer. Full disclosure: my company is currently embroiled in a battle with FPL over interpretation of the “Net Metering Rule,” 25-6.065, F.A.C., Interconnection and Net Metering of Customer-Owned Renewable Generation. I have requested informal assistanceRead More →

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Unlike the southern tip, the northern end of North Captiva, FL, not accessible by land vehicles, actually has utility electric power available. Just like any mainland homeowner, this one wanted to offset increasing utility bills with solar energy. Working on an island is obviously a challenge, but our amazing crew pulled off this 4.6kW SunPower solar photovoltaic system in two days. This system is comprised of fourteen SunPower 327W modules, among the most efficient modules commercially available. Paired with a SunPower branded SMA SB-5000US inverter, this system is expected to cover the majority of this homeowner’s electrical consumption. The system was installed to meet theRead More →

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Net Metering, the concept and laws that allow solar electricity producers to connect to the grid and sell back energy, is under attack in the United States. Florida has been spared from the recent trend of utility companies working publicly to repeal or amend Net Metering laws. Utility companies in other states have taken various public and well-funded measures to repeal Net Metering laws or to make Net Metering less attractive to solar energy customers. For example, Arizona utilities recently succeeded in adding a fixed charged for solar producers based on photovoltaic system size. While it was opposed by the solar industry and the finalRead More →

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I just received my FPL Solar Rebate check for the solar photovoltaic system I installed at my home. Needless to say, I’m a happy man today. FPL has a highly competitive rebate program that grants funds to about 300 lucky residential customers per year. The maximum rebate amount is currently $20,000 for a 10 kilowatt rated solar energy system, covering about half of the typical cost. The Federal government kicks in another 30%. The bad news is, the rebate funds are exhausted for 2014. The good news – plummeting PV prices have made photovoltaic systems reasonable investments without utility rebates!

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Did you notice your latest bill from FPL hit you a bit harder in the pocketbook? Effective January 2, 2014, FPL raised rates for residential customers by about 5%, caused mostly by increased fuel charges. This change, approved by the Public Service Commission, also increased the non-fuel base electricity charge slightly. The fixed customer charge remained the same. Bills with the higher charges are arriving in mailboxes now. Want to fight back? Fuel and non-fuel consumption is reduced by conserving energy or by producing your own energy with solar energy or other renewable energy sources. The best part about solar energy is that you shaveRead 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 →

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Fafco Solar just completed a 38.25kW Solar Photovoltaic System for FMI Hansa Medical Products in Naples FL. The rooftop solar array is comprised of 153 solar modules from Canadian Solar rated at 250W each. The microinverter-based system uses 153 Enphase M215 microinverters mounted beneath each solar module. FMI Hansa representatives contacted me less than a month ago after realizing that the original company contracted to install the solar panels was not meeting its obligations. The owner had a strict November 20 deadline for a ribbon cutting ceremony at their beautiful new facility at 3511 Plover Ave, Naples, FL. Based on what I observed, the contractorRead More →

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I’ve been relatively quiet about the 10 kilowatt solar electric (photovoltaic) system that I am installing at my home in Fort Myers, FL. Normally I would be writing incessantly about something like this, but honestly I didn’t think it would go the way it did. I decided that I would learn what the hard working men of Fafco Solar endure every day on rooftops while installing solar energy systems. In particular, I wanted to experience the roadblocks that come with installing a solar photovoltaic system, the most complex product Fafco Solar offers. Photovoltaic systems require the most planning, integration, skill, and physical labor of anyRead 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 →

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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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If you’ve never been to Naples Botanical Garden, I have one word for you: go! I was introduced to this amazing facility almost two years ago when FGCU’s Kapnick Education and Research Center at the Garden’s campus was slated to get a solar electric system installed. Fafco Solar was fortunate enough to win the job, and we subsequently installed 164 solar panels in a 40kW Photovoltaic System. The same sun that powers the building powers the biological process that make the Naples Botanical Garden amazing. I didn’t visit the Gardens proper during the solar installation, but I recently took my wife for a day of explorationRead More →

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With so many people in Southwest Florida preparing to head north for the summer, We are getting lots of calls from people with solar panels. How do you get your solar pool heater ready for summer? If you are not planning to use your solar pool heater in the summer, the most important thing you can do to protect your system is to drain and isolate it completely. Most of the systems installed by professionals have isolation valves that allow you to stop the flow of water into and out of the solar panels and roof plumbing. Just closing the 3-way solar bypass valve isRead More →