Collier County Building Department has recently reduced permit and inspection fees for solar pool heaters. Fees are now approximately 1/3rd less than previous rates! The jurisdiction previously had the highest permit fees in the Southwest Florida area. We never understood why the fees were so far out of line with other building departments, and it seems they have realized the same …
Do Heated Pools Cause More Evaporation and Water Use?
Heated pools do result in more evaporation, so more make-up water is required to refill heated pools than unheated pools. Whether using solar heating, heat pumps, or gas heaters, heated pools do require more water. But how much will the increase in water usage cost? We have heard just about every question imaginable when it comes to solar pool heating. …
Pentair Introduces Intelliflo VSF Variable Speed/Flow Pump
The Industry Leader Gets Better Pentair has combined the features of its variable speed (VS) and variable flow (VF) pumps into one model that does both. The new model is the Intelliflo VSF. This is the first swimming pool pump on the market that can perform variable speed and flow functions in a single unit. We previously recommended the Pentair …
Progress at Mirada – Southwest Florida’s First All Solar Community
With our partners at Urban Solar, we have completed over two dozen homes at Mirada, Lennar Homes’ community where 100% of the homes will get solar power. Slated for over 100 homes, Mirada is Southwest Florida’s first community where every home will be powered by a photovoltaic system. The homes are built to be energy efficient in the first place. …
FSDG Earns Best of HomeAdvisor Honor
Florida Solar Design Group has earned the Best of HomeAdvisor award for 2017. This shows our commitment to satisfied customers and a solid track record with the nation’s premier contractor referral service. If you haven’t heard of HomeAdvisor, you probably don’t watch television or listen to the radio. They promote their service heavily to consumers looking for construction services of all …
Finance Your Solar Pool Heater
Solar Loans and Deferred Payments For Every Budget We are pleased to announce a new financing option for our valued solar pool heating clients. Through a manufacturer relationship we can now offer low payments on solar pool heaters starting at just $50 per month. Enjoy Your Pool Without The Up-Front Cost! Pay Less Than a Traditional Heater For less then the …
Utility Talks From Both Sides of Mouth
FPL is proud of their solar power plants, and they should be. They are a leader in utility scale solar power (which they are not calling universal solar for some reason). I’m happy to give credit where credit is due. But they talk from both sides of their mouth when it comes to small scale solar. In case you missed …
Cape Coral’s Largest Solar Pool Heating System
Florida Solar Design Group has completed Cape Coral’s largest single-family residential solar pool heating system. This 768 square foot solar pool heater has sixteen solar panels, each 4 feet by 12 feet. Aerial Video of Cape Coral’s Largest Solar Pool Heating System Solar Pool Heaters Dominate Cape Coral Pool Heating Scene Installed in the Southwest Cape on a new home …
Sanibel Captiva Community Bank Solar Panels (Library Way)
Sanibel Bank Goes Green with Solar Panels Participating in the SanCap Solar Connect Solarize initiative, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank (SCCB) purchased a solar electricity system for it’s branch location at 2475 Library Way on Sanibel Island. This 70 panel system has a 18,200 watt rating, and will reduce the bank’s utility electricity use. Solar Panel Investment Solar panels are a …
Amendment 4 Results By County – Florida Primary, 8/30/2016
Amendment 4 Florida Election Results by County The results are in, and it’s great news for the solar energy industry in Florida. Amendment 4 passed in the August 30, 2016 Florida Primary Election with well over the 60% vote required. Over 2.7 Florida voters cast a ballot for the Amendment, with almost 2 million voting to approve. In total, 72.6% of …
First Contractor in Southwest Florida to Earn UAS License
Solar Contractor To Use UAS (Drones) For Commercial Use Florida Solar Design Group’s Jason Szumlanski will become the first contractor in Southwest Florida to earn an FAA Part 107 Commercial UAS License. Small Unmanned Aerial Systems, commonly known as drones, require an FAA license to operate for commercial purposes. Szumlanski, who also holds an FAA Part 61 Private Pilot License for …
DOE Approves National Efficiency Standards for Pool Pumps
One of the biggest energy hogs in a home is a swimming pool pump. The DOE has been working on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) for Energy Conservation Standards for about a year by way of the Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC). What this means for the solar pool heating industry is that it will probably become …
Pentair IntelliValve Actuator for Solar Pool Heating
Florida Solar Design Group is happy to announce that we are the first solar pool heating dealer in Southwest Florida to offer the Pentair IntelliValve motorized actuator to control solar pool heating systems with new and existing automation systems. This revolutionary valve has LED indicators of valve positions and requires no dis-assembly of the valve to adjust the valve stop …
New iSwim Solar Pool Heater Dealer in SW Florida
FORT MYERS, FL – DECEMBER 14, 2015 — Florida Solar Design Group (FSDG), a state certified solar contractor, has become the exclusive dealer/installer for iSwim brand solar pool heating panels. Effective immediately, the company is offering the solar panels for sale and installation. The iSwim solar pool heating system is manufactured in Odessa, FL by Solar Hydronics Corporation (SHC) and distributed …
Charlotte County PACE Financing for Solar Panels
Attention Charlotte County, Port Charlotte, and Punta Gorda home and business owners: PACE financing is available for funding your solar panel installations! PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy, and it is a financing mechanism that allows you to finance energy efficiency projects with no money down. The payments are made through your property tax via a non-ad valorem assessment. …
Event: Learn About Solar Pool Heating | October 21, 2015
Pool heating season is here! As temperatures begin to drop out of the 90’s, outdoor living in Southwest Florida gets busy as pools get cooler. Learn how to heat your pool to extend your swimming season with the power of the sun. Solar pool heating is the low cost alternative to traditional pool heating, and it works great! If you …
Hire a Licensed Solar Contractor
In case you need a reason to avoid unlicensed contractors, here is a scary story about a shady solar “contractor” that took money from people and didn’t do the work. It’s people like this that give us honest and hard working Florida Certified Solar Contractors a bad name. If you want to check out anyone’s contractor license, use this link. …
Last Chance for Rebates on Solar Water Heaters
This is just a quick reminder that the FPL Solar Rebate Pilot Program expires on September 30, 2015 and all applications must be in by that date. If you live in FPL’s service area and have any interest whatsoever in heating water for your home with a solar panel, there will never again be a better time to make it …
What Solar Energy Buyers Can Learn from the Tesla Model S Computer Hack
There has been lots of news recently about hacking of computers in automobiles. The first major breach was reported in Chrysler’s Jeep Cherokee. It was only a matter of time before researchers and hackers set their sites on the venerable Tesla Model S. Sure enough, this week we heard news that Tesla, maker of the Tesla Powerwall Home Battery, was …
Florida Solar Design Group Opinion on Microinverters in Solar Pro Magazine
Florida Solar Design Group’s Principal Solar Designer was asked to contribute to the July/August 2015 publication of SolarPro Magazine, the leading trade publication for solar professionals. In the article Integrator Perspectives on Module-Level Power Electronics, Szumlanski offered his perspectives and opinions on microinverters, which appear below as an except of the full article. Module Level Power Electronics (MLPE) are devices that …