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My wife will tell you that I was screaming at the TV last night while watching an episode of CSI. I’m one of those guys that points out every little factual mistake in TV dramas. The crack team of CSI agents were trying to determine which home in a neighborhood was using inordinate amounts of energy to identify a drug grow house. They had obtained the “energy” usage of a neighborhood of homes, and identified a home that consumed 5,300 “kilowatts” in one month – a sizable amount of energy supposedly. The problem is, a kilowatt is a measure of power, not energy. It’s beenRead 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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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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  Learn how to use Sketchup 3D CAD Software! Sketchup is a 3D computer aided drafting (CAD) program that anyone can learn and use. Whether you are an architect that wants to start creating rich 3D presentation and construction drawings, a woodworking enthusiast needing to plan and visualize projects, a video game or animation artist, or just want to have fun creating in 3D, Sketchup has something for you! This will be a full day interactive event, starting with demonstrations in the morning on how Sketchup 2013 Free can be used for a variety of industries and hobbies. If you choose to stay for the afternoon session, youRead More →

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I receive monthly energy production reports from every one of our customers that has an Enphase microinverter based solar energy system. It’s great to see at a glance if systems are performing as expected, especially relative to the prior month and relative to other systems of similar size. It’s already April, and the numbers for March are in. There is a link below to a typical monthly energy report that I get via email. This is a summary report that has a lot more data available behind it on the Enphase Enlighten portal online. Monthly Energy Production Report It shows what I’m seeing across theRead More →

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The solar industry is relatively young and many new contractors entered the market in the last several years. It’s not uncommon to find the wrong parts used in a solar electric installation. I get to see plenty of solar energy systems installed by other contractors after they are long gone. Some mistakes are understandable (and common). Others are comical (from my point of view). Some are downright dangerous. There are a number of reason this occurs: Inexperienced solar contractors simply do not know what parts exist, so they use a common incompatible part. Electrical contractors may not be highly experienced with DC electrical components. SpecializedRead More →

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NOTE: This post is now obsolete and this site is no longer actively updated. Permit costs may be different now, and Charlotte County does now require permits for solar pool heating. Solar permitting is not a small cost in most Southwest Florida cities and counties. Typical solar pool heating permit costs range from $53 in Fort Myers to $226 in Collier County, with only one jurisdiction having no charge (Port Charlotte and Charlotte County). Solar water heating permit costs are similar. Solar electric permit costs can exceed $400.00 for typical residential solar permits in some jurisdictions like Naples, with most permit fees in the rangeRead More →

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The solar boat Ra has docked in Fort Myers on its 6,000 mile “adventure powered by the sun.” Captain Jim Greer and crew are taking the solar powered vessel around the Great Loop of the United States while filming the entire journey. I went down to see the boat this evening and snapped a few pictures of the Ra. It looks like a boat equipped for an adventure, outfit with 15 solar panels and a cockpit perfect for viewing the scenery along the way. I’m hoping to meet the crew tomorrow and learn more about the inner workings of the solar energy system. I getRead More →

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SUMMARY: On August 9, 2012 Fafco Solar, a Cape Coral solar company, will host a Learn About Solar Energy event in order to provide answers to the public’s questions about solar power and it’s available technologies. CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA (July 12, 2012) Before America was even considered a country, Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure, in 1764, discovered solar radiation; capturing the sun’s light and heat for use as an energy source. Then in 1839, a French physicist named Becquerel identified the photovoltaic properties of the sun’s energy which lead to further discoveries between the sun and its uses in generating electricity. The spirit of these pioneers continues today. Advances inRead More →

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I realized that I have not been posting many pictures of solar energy installations around Southwest Florida. I’ll get back into that habit. This is about as basic a solar pool heating panel installation as you will see. These are FAFCO Sunsaver panels on a shingle roof, strapped to meet 160 mph design wind speeds required by the Florida Building Code in this particular area of Fort Myers. Notice how we get around vents in the roof.    

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I recently set up a Wattvision meter on my Fort Myers, FL home to evaluate its effectiveness. I have to say, I love it! It definitely clues you in to how much energy you are using, when you are using it, and what appliances cost to operate. The device pays for itself by identifying power hogs. For example, I cut down the time my pool lights come on each night because they were consuming 600 watts! On the other hand, I decided to run my fountain longer each day because it uses next to no energy. The charts on the Wattvision website are excellent. YouRead 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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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 →