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Should I Mount My Solar Panels Landscape or Portrait Orientation

In Education, Solar Design, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

You might notice that some solar panels are mounted in landscape (horizontal) and some are mounted in portrait (vertical). Why is that, and how should you mount yours? The answer might surprise you, and it’s actually quite important. We see a lot of contractors mounting solar panels in landscape orientation because rectangular panels just fit better on a triangular or …

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Solar Pool Heating Alternative

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Solar pool heating can be a great way to heat your pool, but there is an alternative. I once heard the phrase that pool heating is one letter away from pool hating. Heating a pool can be expensive, so deciding the best way to do it is an important decision you need to make to ensure that you enjoy using …

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Photorealistic Solar Panel Layouts | Solar Panels Superimposed on Imagery

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For mission-critical solar energy projects, when visualizing the outcome is critical, we have you covered. We have the in-house capability to take aerial imagery with drones and superimpose photorealistic solar panels on the imagery. We can even do this with motion video. What can’t we do?!  For those of you that don’t know, our solar contractor is an avid commercial …

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Enphase IQ7 Versus IQ8 Microinverters

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The IQ8 series of microinverter has been out for a while now, and it has proven to be another great product from the leading microinverter manufacturer, Enphase. But is the IQ8 better than the IQ7 series? You might be very surprised when comparing the IQ7 versus the IQ8. When considering the variants of each, the power output ratings are the …

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What Battery Mode Is Right For Me?

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Most solar panel with battery backup systems have options for how to use your batteries. There is often confusion around this because some of the modes of operation sound great. However, in most cases, there is no benefit to Southwest Florida residents to use anything but “Full Backup” mode. Battery and inverter system manufacturers call the various modes by different …

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Pentair Variable Speed Pump Over Current Alarm

In Education, Service 2 Comments

If you have a Pentair variable speed pump and receive an Over Current Alarm, this can be caused be a variety of issues. Sometimes this is accompanied with an error number F90059. Here are some reasons this might have occurred: Your pump impeller is clogged with debris. Your pool service professional will need to determine if this is the case. …

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Enphase 5P Battery Released

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As part of the Enphase IQ family of products, the company has released its Enphase IQ Battery 5P. This battery offers some improvements for select clients in Southwest Florida, all at a similar price to the existing 3T and 10T batteries (for equal storage capacity). The Enphase 5P battery has just half of the battery capacity of the existing 10 and …

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Enphase Encharge Battery Backup System

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We are the local leader in solar energy systems installed with Enphase microinverters. You can add battery backup to your grid-interactive solar panel system to provide seamless power to your home. We can provide solutions that backup only critical loads or your whole home including air conditioning! Watch our promotional video below to see the components of an Enphase Encharge …

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Who Makes Tier 1 Solar Panels

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Everyone is getting in on the ChatGPT craze. If you don’t know what this is, it’s an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI. It is expected to yield huge changes in the way we search and learn online. Students are even cheating by writing papers using this tool. It can produce human-like responses with great information, but the problem is, …

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NABCEP Certified PVIP Photovoltaic Installation Professional In Southwest Florida

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People engaged in skilled trades seek certifications to show the public that they are vetted as competent persons in their craft. For example, air conditioning has NATE, auto mechanics have ASE, and electricians can become Journeyman. In the solar energy industry, NABCEP is the de facto standard for certifications. But they offer a wide array of certifications and it’s important …

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How Enphase Lifetime Free Solar Monitoring Works

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Enphase provides world-class solar monitoring and unparalleled customer support. When you purchase an Enphase microinverter based solar electric system from Florida Solar Design Group, you will automatically get access to Enphase’s Enlighten solar monitoring platform and app. We will install a data monitoring gateway that connects to your home Wi-Fi network and sends performance data to the Enphase Cloud where …

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Utility Interconnection Tiers Explained

In Education 2 Comments

The Florida Administrative Code is where we find the Net Metering Rule for Florida. Utility companies are bound by this law, and each has an interconnection agreement form that is approved by the Public Service Commission. FPL and LCEC are the two utility companies in our service territory. Both have interconnection Tiers 1, 2, and 3. Tier 3 is only …

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Ground Mounted Solar Panels

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People ask us sometimes if we do ground-mounted solar panels. Solar photovoltaic systems can be mounted on traditional solar rails with engineered racking systems. And, YES, we install solar panels on ground racks. But NO, we do not recommend them in Southwest Florida. Why You Should, Or Shouldn’t, Consider a Ground Mount It might seem like a great idea at …

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What Florida’s Net Metering Law Changes Mean

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THIS LEGISLATION WAS (THANKFULLY) VETOED BY GOVERNOR DESANTIS. It was never passed into law. This article remains in place for historical reference. Original Article: In case you missed it, the Florida legislature passed a significant change to the Net Metering laws in Florida. These are the rules that allow solar energy producers to “sell” excess energy production back to the …

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How Much Space do Enphase Encharge Batteries Require?

In Education, Installation Photos Leave a Comment

Solar energy with battery backup is increasing in popularity as technology evolves and systems become less expensive and more consumer-friendly. Enphase’s Encharge batteries, part of the Enphase Ensemble system, are a go-to option for consumers who have or are considering Enphase microinverters. The undisputed leader in microinverter technology for solar photovoltaic systems, Enphase dominates the local market. One of the …

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Business Electricity Rates and Solar Panels

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Demand Charges Change the Calculus I think you will agree – most people don’t really understand how utility companies charge for electricity. That is doubly true of business owners and executives because businesses are often billed in more complicated ways than residential customers. It’s hard enough to understand bank charges and cell phone bills. Electricity billing is often a nebulous …