People have many reasons for living off of the utility grid: No access to utility power or expensive to bring power to the site. Desire to be independent. Need for reliable supply of electricity or redundancy. Reduction of fossil fuel sourced electricity (green agenda). Protection against civil unrest or grid failure. The feeling you get from being your own “power …
Introduction to Off-Grid Living
Living off the utility grid has its rewards and its challenges. While the sense of independence and inherent reliability of off-grid living can be very satisfying, not everyone can successfully transition to a situation in which there are real limitations regarding their energy use. Redundancy and backup systems can reduce the challenges of powering a home using solar, wind, or …
Solar Electricity Output Based on Tilt and Orientation
Dominick and I have our assistant Christie to thank for collecting 180 data points to help our clients visualize the difference in solar energy production depending on the tilt angle and the orientation (north, south, east, west) of solar panels. The chart below shows how much energy a 1 kilowatt solar panel array would produce annually along the vertical axis. …
Solar Electricity Calculator for Photovoltaic Systems
Florida Solar Design Group has released a consumer-oriented solar energy calculator that will help you find out how may solar panels you need based on a set of inputs that you enter, site information, weather data, and various assumptions. It will calculate system energy output and provide a return on investment analysis personalized based on your inputs. This calculator is …
Solar Pool Heating Problem – Bubbles in the Pool (Video)
The following video explains a very common issue reported with solar pool heating systems. Solar pool heaters rely on adequate flow for proper operation. If the flow rate gets too low, air is let into the system through the vacuum relief valve, which allows air into the panels when a vacuum exists to protect the panels and plumbing from collapsing. …
Charging Tesla Powerwall – How Many Solar Panels Are Required?
First, let me be clear – unless you’ve already bought one, you are not getting a Tesla Powerwall in the next 18 months. They are simply not available. There are plenty of other battery options out there, but this article focuses on the Powerwall because of the media buzz that has been generated recently. With that said… In short, there is …
Can I Put Solar Panels on My North Roof in Southwest Florida?
Sure you can… but you shouldn’t put solar panels on your north roof if you have an option. We get a surprising number of people claiming that their north roof gets more sunlight than their south roof in Southwest Florida. It simply isn’t the case (save for shading issues). The sun does rise and set north of due east and …
Energy Independence With Solar Energy
It’s Independence Day, so it’s a great time to bring up energy independence! The term energy independence has several meanings. From whom (or what) are we declaring independence. The Utility Companies The most obvious entity that has us locked down in chains is our own utility company. We are beholden to the monopoly that is charged with providing us with …
Solar Electric System in Cape Coral, 33993
Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Cape Coral, FL 33993 PRODUCT(S) Solar Electric (Photovoltaic) BRANDS Hyundai, Enphase NOTES Sometimes one side of the home is off-limits due to homeowner concerns about looks, so on this Cape Coral, FLhome we met the customer’s solar energy needs with solar photovoltaic panels on the east and west roofs. In …
Florida Public Service Commission Requests Comments on Solar Energy
The Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) staff is gathering information regarding enhancing development of solar technologies in Florida. Florida Solar Design Group responded to the April 23rd Memorandum as follows, answering the FPSC’s questions in an email: Dear Lee Eng Tan (FPSC Senior Attorney, Office of the General Counsel), In response to the subject Memorandum, I offer the following response …
Small Solar Pool Heater in Bokeelia (Pine Island)
Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Bokeelia, FL 33922 PRODUCT(S) Solar Pool Heater BRANDS FAFCO Sunsaver NOTES This home in Bokeelia already has an electric heat pump to heat a small 12’x12′ pool. A small solar pool heater is all that is required to reduce heating costs, and because the homeowner does not want to use the front of …
The Perfect Roof for Solar Panels | Chasing a Dream
In the solar pool heating industry we all dream of that perfect roof — the one that has ideal pitch and orientation, no shading, no obstructions, and plenty of space to meet the heating requirements of the pool. It also helps if the pool equipment is ideally located for plumbing requirements. Sadly, very few roofs are perfect, and many are …
Solar Pool Heaters | Roof Penetrations | The Truth
The truth is that regardless of the brand of solar pool heater you choose, to secure them to your Florida roof properly a solar installer must use screws to achieve resistance against wind uplift. This strikes fear in some people, but the risk of roof leaks is extremely minimal. Dealers (and the industry as a whole) would not survive for …
Cape Coral, FL – Solar Panels for Pool
Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Cape Coral, FL 33914 PRODUCT(S) Solar Pool Heater BRANDS FAFCO Sunsaver NOTES This home with a beautiful tile roof in Cape Coral, FL is getting a solar pool heater installed. The south roof is the perfect size for an 8-panel system, which is pretty typical for pools slightly above average size. This system …
Solar Electricity – Fort Myers, FL – Design Layout
Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Fort Myers, FL 33905 PRODUCT(S) Solar Electric (Photovoltaic) BRANDS Hyundai, Enphase NOTES Florida Solar Design Group has recently been getting a lot of inquiries about solar electric systems in the Fort MyersShores to Alva area along the Caloosahatchee River. This area is served by Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC), whose electricity rates …
Photovoltaic or Solar Pool Heating Panels | Design Challenge
Sometimes we are presented with challenge when a client does not know if they want solar pool heating or solar photovoltaic (electric) panels, or if they want both. Often we have to make judgment calls about which roofs to use for each technology. Sometimes there simply isn’t enough roof space to accommodate the solar panels a homeowner wants. We were …
Solar Photovoltaic Panel Efficiency | What You Need To Know
Everybody wants the best solar panel available. The first thing clients often tell us is: “I want the most efficient solar panels available” There is a big difference between the most efficient solar panel you can buy and the most efficient solar panel you should buy. Before we get into whether you really want the most efficient panel, let’s define efficiency in …
Getting Around Roof Vents with Solar Pool Heating Panels
Sometimes we are faced with a roof that has multiple roof vents where we want to install solar pool heating panels. Getting around these vents is an important key to achieving the coverage needed to heat a pool in many cases. Fortunately, solar panel headers can be bridged by sections of PVC pipe. An adapter is installed to couple the …
Cape Coral Solar Pool Heater Avoids Roof Vent
Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Cape Coral, FL 33914 PRODUCT(S) Solar Pool Heater BRANDS FAFCO Sunsaver NOTES This Cape Coral, FL home has a roof vent right in the location of where we want to put a solar pool heater. We decided to straddle the vent with panels on either side with just enough room to …