The Pentair Intelliconnect pool automation system was introduced in 2018. We are starting to see it in the wild here in Southwest Florida. This product is intended to fill a small niche market for pool only scenarios (no spa). It’s for pool owners need only control a couple of features and want online control via an app. It covers only …
Be Careful Hiring a Solar Contractor in Florida
At least once a week we get an offer from someone claiming to be a solar contractor who wants to do our installations. They are offering subcontracting services. Some are licensed, some are probably not. One thing is for certain – the answer is NO! Unfortunately, the solar energy industry has become a money-grab for people and companies who are …
Header Brackets – Another Myth Busted
We have published many posts on the myths, inaccuracies, and outright lies that some competitors talk about during sales presentations. When we bust the myth, they tend to move on to another scare tactic. Here one you might hear that has been used extensively recently: “They use a plastic header clamps and ours is metal.” So? Yeah. And? I guess …
Free Solar Panels for Your Home Advertised
Our phones have been ringing off the hook due to advertisements for free solar panels (not ours). These ads say you can get solar panels installed at no cost for your home. They are billed as special programs to get more people to install solar energy. The claims are amazing! There is only one problem: It’s totally fake news! The shady …
Continuously Improving Solar Pool Heaters
Most of the solar pool heating clients we visit immediately realize that we have a better product. But we are never satisfied just because we have the best solar pool heating system on the market, installed using the best methods and components. To be absolutely clear, while the panels themselves are important, the entire system is equally important. This includes …
Pool Heat Pumps Use Lots of Electricity
Despite the claims of heat pump sellers that say all kinds of crazy things, heat pump are not cheap to operate. Our favorite is that heat pumps “cost about a dollar a day to operate.” Let’s be clear: it’s not true. At a minimum, it’s very misleading. You see, there are all kinds of caveats to these claims about when …
Why You Need A Local Solar Contractor
I recently received a request from a friend of a friend to provide advice about installing solar panels at her new home in Denmark. I am a people-pleaser – always one to help. But solar contracting is so specific to the country, state, and even city in which you live. I was able to provide some general help, but ultimately …
PV Shopping Quick Tip: Ask The Right Question!
When shopping for solar electric panels (photovoltaic or PV), most clients first ask what brand of panel we offer. While it’s a legitimate question, it’s not the most important question they should be asking. Solar panels have become extremely reliable and purchasing from an established source should yield good results. Solar panels are solid state devices with no moving parts …
How NOT to Use Solar Panels to Market Your Business
I love Kettle Brand Potato Chips. It’s the kind of love that let’s me empty a whole bag in one sitting. I picked up a bag of the Backyard Barbeque flavor today at Ada’s Natural Market in Fort Myers, and when I got home I noticed that they advertise their use of solar panels on the back of the bag. …
Florida Solar Co-op Information
Solar cooperatives, or co-ops, are organizations set up to empower neighbors to get the best prices and products when buying solar panels for homes and businesses. The concept is that pooled interest will result in lower prices, peace-of-mind in selecting a contractor, and pre-screened products. There are advantages to solar co-ops in Florida, but there are also serious potential drawbacks …
Enphase Microinverter Advantage: Fire Safety
Among the many advantages of microinverters, fire safety is a real selling point. And I recently had the opportunity to see first hand how a traditional, non-microinverter based solar energy system can result in a fire. High voltage DC wires found in traditional string inverter systems have the potential for high-intensity arc faults. Operating at voltages of up to 600 …
The Battery Backup Frenzy
The frenzy of interest in batteries for home solar energy systems continues. Amid constant news about large-scale utility battery projects and small-scale home battery innovation, everyone seems to want battery backup. It doesn’t hurt that we just had a hurricane barrel up the Florida peninsula. There are just a few problems. Consumers are woefully misinformed about what batteries do. They …
Putting The 30% Solar Panel Tariff Into Perspective
The sky is not falling. Sunlight is still shining. President Trump signed an order introducing a 30% tariff on imported solar panels. While it’s a boneheaded move in our opinion, and detrimental to the industry, what does it really mean for you as a consumer? The answer is… probably not much. Editorial Note: This article applies only to solar electricity …
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 …
Home Batteries Don’t Pay
With all of the recent hype about battery based electric cars and home battery systems coming out from Tesla and other manufacturers, it’s no wonder we get lots of battery backup inquiries. But home batteries don’t pay – at least not in Florida, not now. It reminds me of the hilarious SNL skit about the new Mercedes AA Class – …
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 …
How We Stack Up Against Competition’s Years in Business
Solar Pool Heating Competition Let’s come right out and say it. Our business was officially started in 2014. That makes us a young company by most definitions. Our competition would like you to think that we are inexperienced and don’t have the credentials to install your solar pool heater. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. So how do we stack …
Our Opinion on Amendment 1
On November 8th Florida voters will go to the polls and will be presented with Amendment 1. This is our opinion on that Amendment, which would be devastating to the solar energy industry in Florida. We currently have a system that is law that allows individuals to buy solar panels, connect to the grid, use as much solar energy as …
My Pool Builder Does Not Recommend Solar Panels
Every once in a while it seems like we get a spate of clients telling us that their pool builder or pool service company does not recommend solar panels for heating their pool. They are often told that they should install an electric heat pump. We want to tell you why this happens and dispel the myths about solar pool heating panels. …
Google Project Sunroof – Can You Trust It?
For those of you that haven’t heard of Google’s Project Sunroof, it is a fantastic free service from Google that shows the rooftop solar potential of home in almost every state. It seeks to estimate how much solar energy you can produce at home. It goes one step further and helps you find an installer. The tool will help you …