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Solar Water Heater | Know What You Are Buying

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I was recently contacted by a homeowner in Georgia who was seeking my advice about a product they had introduced to them by a solar dealer. The product was called a solar dome. I didn’t really know what it was at first, so I set out to research the product and it’s performance. The product is intended to heat and store …

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The Solar Electricity Buying Process

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The solar energy buying process can be intimidating. Most of our clients have bought a few cars, which are in a similar price range to many solar energy systems (without the awesome tax credits). The car buying process is well known, and you probably have at least some practice. Solar panels are often a once-in-a-lifetime purchasing decision, and most of …

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Solar Pool Heater: Best Flow Rate

In Education 4 Comments

Experts say that the optimum temperature for drinking tea is 60ºC (140ºF). We have all experienced the joy of a hot cup of tea in cold hands and the pleasant and quick warming effect it has. Our hands warm up quickly because the temperature between the cup and our hands is significant. As our hands warm up, the rate at …

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Solar Air Conditioning in Florida

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The phrase Solar Air Conditioning has been used very loosely in recent years. From the consumer’s perspective, you probably want to know if solar power can be used to run your air conditioner. Several products are on the market that are advertised as using the power of the sun to cool your Florida home. They are usually called solar air …

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Off-grid Solar With Battery Backup

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Yesterday was a pretty good day at work.It featured a boat ride, an exclusive remote island, some old school solar stuff, and a bright sunny day. Sure, I had to sweat it out in a 100 degree battery room, but it’s all worth it when there isn’t an alternative for power and you can help out a new friend. When we …

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What to Expect at Your Solar Panel Pre-Installation Inspection

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One of the services Florida Solar Design Group provides is to perform a technical site inspection between the time you sign a contract to install solar panels and the installation itself. The decision to install solar panels can be overwhelming to some clients. Solar panels are a relatively large investment, and and investment that you will likely make only once every …

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How the Tesla Powerwall Battery Works with Solar Panels

In Education 4 Comments

Solar Electricity and Battery Backup The battery is the heart of a battery backup system, regardless of whether it is charged with solar panels, wind generators, utility power, or a generator. Battery backup systems have been around for a long time, but the Tesla Powerwall battery has sparked a huge amount of consumer interest. I have already written about what …

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Buy Solar Pool Heating Panels Online

In Education, Opinion 1 Comment

You can buy solar pool heating panels online, but not here. Nonetheless, if you are looking to buy solar panels online, keep reading. Note: I’m not really going to try to talk you out of buying solar panels online. I listened to a great podcast today from Nora Young called Spark.  One segment was on the growing phenomenon of what’s …

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iSwim, FAFCO, Heliocol, Solar Industries – Comparing Solar Pool Heating Panel Ratings

In Education 6 Comments

The best represented solar pool heating panels in Southwest Florida are iSwim™, FAFCO Sunsaver™, Heliocol™, and Solar Industries (Aquatherm). The de facto rating agency in Florida is the Florida Solar Energy Center. They publish solar thermal collector ratings that list a solar pool heating panel’s output in thousands of BTU per square foot of panel per day. In this article we …

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How Do I Know How Many Solar Pool Heating Panels I Need?

In Education 2 Comments

There are some rules of thumb that will tell you how many solar pool heating panels you will need. The answer varies based on a few assumptions, and the number of panels is determined based on several factors. Don’t assume that your neighbor’s system will perform the same way for your home, and your budget is also a consideration. Assumptions …

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Reduce Your Electric Bill With Solar Panels

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I chuckle a little when I get my electric bill. It makes me think about the naysayers that claim “solar power doesn’t work.” Those people are out there — still! Well, solar panels do work. My most recent electric bill just came in (April 2015), and it was $23.16. My home is over 3,000 sq ft, I have a pool, …

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Solar Pool Heating Companies in Southwest Florida

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You may think we’re crazy by listing solar panel manufacturers we don’t represent, but we’re that confident that we can earn your business. More importantly, we want to help and educate clients, and you would be surprised at how many people don’t know who their solar pool heating company is. They don’t know the brand of the panels, nor the …

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FPL Historical Energy Mix in Florida | Electricity Generation

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Florida has become much more reliant on natural gas recently. This dependence puts us at risk of price fluctuations in the Natural Gas market. The infographic below shows the change in energy source for electricity delivered by FPL, the state’s largest electricity generator. As a state, we have done little to hedge against fuel price fluctuations by diversifying our energy …

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Solar Panel vs. Microinverter Rating

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We recommend and install systems frequently that use solar panels rated much higher than the rating of the microinverter (or inverter) to which they are connected. Microinverters take DC current generated by the solar panels and convert it to usable AC current for your house. Clients are often confused about this rating discrepancy, thinking it might waste electricity, or they …

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Pitch Solar Panels On My Roof | Is it Necessary?

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The conventional wisdom is that you want your solar panels pitched to the angle of the sun. When selecting a roof for solar panels, the orientation and pitch are important factors. But how much does pitch really matter, and should you mount your solar panels parallel to the roof surface or pitch them? In Southwest Florida, the majority of residential …

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Top 5 Energy Using Appliances in Your Home

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If you are an FPL customer, you may have received an email recently that answered the question, “what are the top 5 energy users in my home?” FPL’s energy expert accurately explained how five things are the major drivers of the average utility customer’s electric bill. Those five things are: Air Conditioning Pool Pump Water Heater Lighting Clothes Dryer Well …