Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Cape Coral, FL 33914 PRODUCT(S) Solar Pool Heating BRANDS FAFCO Sunsaver™ NOTES This home in Cape Coral, FL has a large pool, so we wanted to maximize the southwest roof with solar pool heating panels to achieve the maximum coverage. Since solar pool heaters are sized based on pool surface area, …
Solar Panels With Homeowners and Condo Associations (HOA) in Florida
Being good neighbors, most of us are concerned about what neighbors may think when we endeavor to install solar panel on a home. We are frequently asked the question, “Can my Homeowners Association (HOA) or Condo Association prevent me from installing solar panels or tell me where to put them.” Generally speaking, the answer is NO, a homeowners association is …
How Much Does It Really Cost To Run A Swimming Pool Electric Heat Pump
Because we are in the solar energy business, people often want us to compare a solar pool heater to an electric heat pump. There really is no comparison, because solar pool heaters work every day, and you wouldn’t leave an electric heat pump running unless you really wanted to swim every day — it’s too expensive! “But wait,” you say. …
Photovoltaic (Solar Electric) Systems With Battery Backup
Most solar energy systems installed today are “grid-interactive,” meaning that they work in tandem with the utility grid to supply energy to your home. If you want your solar energy system to work when there is no utility grid power available, you need batteries.* Batteries allow you to store energy and use it when grid connections fail, like after storms …
Naples, FL Solar Pool Heater Installation
Here is a picture of a second-story roof installation of a solar pool heater in Naples, FL on a tile roof. This is a small system providing supplemental heating to a traditional heater. We call this a hybrid solar pool heater.
LED Pool Lights Cut Energy Use
LED swimming pool lights are a great innovation. The provide clean, white light (or colors) and the same or more brightness at a fraction of the energy use. I replaced my two incandescent pool lights a year ago, and I am extremely happy that I did. I previously had my pool lights on a timer running three hours a night. …
Florida’s Energy Mix is a Concern for the Future
Florida is heavily dependent on natural gas for electricity production. In fact, Florida’s largest utility points out that over 70% of electricity generated in Florida comes from natural gas. While new plants based on this fuel have made electricity cheap today and relatively clean (compared to coal plants being replaced), the risk for Florida is the natural gas prices do …
Cape Coral, FL Solar Pool Heating System Design Above Pool Cage
Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Cape Coral, FL 33914 PRODUCT(S) Solar Pool Heating BRANDS FAFCO Sunsaver™ NOTES This home in Cape Coral, FL has a huge tree in the front yard, shading the best south roof. As a result, we selected a west roof and smaller south roof to minimize shading impacts and maximize solar pool …
Southwest Florida Solar Electricity (Photovoltaic) Investment Calculator
This is a simplified calculator to estimate annual energy production and return on investment for a solar electric (photovoltaic) system installed in Southwest Florida. It is not a substitute for a professional analysis of your home or business. You can use this calculator to determine estimated system performance based on the assumptions in blue. This calculator is for use in …
Community of Solar Pool Heating Systems in Fort Myers, FL
Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Fort Myers, FL 33913 PRODUCT(S) Solar Pool Heating BRANDS FAFCO Sunsaver™ NOTES It’s not uncommon for solar pool heating to spread like wildfire in neighborhoods. Once one neighbor installs a solar pool heater, many others often follow suit. Recently several owners in a community in Fort Myers, FL decided to …
Valuation of Homes with Solar Panels
Note that this article on valuation of homes applies to solar electric (photovoltaic or PV) systems, not solar pool heating or solar water heating systems. The solar energy industry’s marketing gurus have ample rule-of-thumb estimates for how much value solar panels add to homes, but that’s all just speculation unless someone is actually willing to pay more for your home …
Solar Electric Photovoltaic System Design in Rotonda, FL (Port Charlotte Area)
Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Rotonda, FL 33947 PRODUCT(S) Solar Electric (Photovoltaic) System BRANDS Hyundai Panels with Enphase Inverters NOTES This home already has a solar pool heating system on the south roof, so we had to select from the west or east roof. While east is slightly better in Southwest Florida for annual energy …
Cape Coral, FL Solar Pool Heating Design with Possible Shading
Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Cape Coral, FL 33914 PRODUCT(S) Solar Pool Heating and Solar Water Heating BRANDS FAFCO Sunsaver™ and SunEarth Empire Series NOTES This roof in Cape Coral, FL is heavily shaded, so we depicted solar pool heating panels and a solar water heating panel as high as possible on the roof to …
Solar Pool Heating is Very Popular in Southwest Florida
In case you didn’t notice, tens of thousands of homes have solar pool heaters in Southwest Florida. It’s is rare to find a community that does not have a home with a solar pool heater, and some are absolutely chock full of warm pools year-round. I came across the golf neighborhood of Long Meadow in Rotonda, FL, just north of …
Solar Pool Heater in Marco Island
Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Marco Island, FL 34145 PRODUCT(S) Solar Pool Heating BRANDS FAFCO Sunsaver™ NOTES This home has a great Southeast facing roof, but to maximize heating performance we showed two panels wrapping around to the Southwest roof to get adequate coverage for a sizeable pool.
Solar Pool Heater in Punta Gorda, FL on SE and SW roofs
Solar Energy System Design by Florida Solar Design Group LOCATION Punta Gorda, FL 33983 PRODUCT(S) Solar Pool Heating BRANDS FAFCO Sunsaver™ NOTES This home has a Southwest and Southeast facing roofs, which provides the best of both worlds for morning and afternoon pool heating. A staggered configuration on the SW roof is possible, but this layout will provide the best …
Pentair SunTouch — Product Spotlight
The SunTouch is one step up from its little brother, the SolarTouch. It is a surprisingly capable complete pool automation controller for the money, featuring the ability to control a pool and spa combination, an auxiliary heater (gas or heat pump), and other pool functions. In fact, even if you don’t have a solar pool heater, the SunTouch is something …
Pentair SolarTouch — Product Spotlight
The SolarTouch is a basic solar pool heating controller with a few nice features. It is easy to use with a simple, customer-friendly interface. The end user generally needs only to select the desired pool water temperature. The controller uses a roof and water sensor to check when solar heating is both needed and available, and turns a motorized valve …