This BBC article discusses how the not only this initiative will provide jobs, but it will provide energy from the sun to power over 70,000 homes WHILE cutting carbon dioxide emissions.

Good news!

If you’re thinking solar, or renewable energy, be sure to give us a call at (239) 574-1500, or visit our Web Site at: www.FafcoSolar.com.

Enjoy!

- Dan

Special Thanks to Jason Szumlanski, our Operations Manager, for this blog post!

Being energy efficient is critical to saving money, but reducing power is only half the battle.  Some changes that may seem energy efficient on the surface may not save any energy at all.

For example, you might ask about replacing an existing 1-1/2 horsepower pool pump with an “energy efficient” 3/4 horsepower pump.  The smaller pump would definitely use less power – in fact, about half the amount of power. Unfortunately, to circulate the same amount of water, you would need to run the smaller pump for more than double the amount of time each day, ultimately using more energy!

A better strategy would be installing a photovoltaic (solar) pool pump that runs using energy from the sun, eliminating the utility electricity consumed by your circulation pump.

Some items are inherently inefficient, and power savings are simply not a viable option.

For example, a curling iron will use essentially the same amount of power to reach the same temperature as any other brand. The only way to reduce energy used in your daily hair care regimen may be to work faster!

Conversely, if you want to watch television, it’s hard to reduce the time it takes to watch American Idol (except with a DVR!)

The best way to reduce your energy use with this appliance is to buy an energy efficient model, which saves energy by using less power.

Some items that can be more efficient by using less power to do the same job are televisions, computers, and air conditioners. Some items that simply need to be used for shorter periods of time are water heaters, hair dryers, and irons.

The bottom line is that saving energy with one appliance may require a different strategy than with another appliance.

Don’t bother shopping for a toaster that uses less power, and you won’t find a light bulb that shines when it is turned off.

Understanding the relationship between power and energy (efficiency and time) is critical to reducing your overall energy use.

- Jason

Special Thanks to Jason Szumlanski, our Operations Manager, for this blog post!

However, these terms represent very different, but related concepts.

Power is the rate at which energy is consumed, expressed in watts or kilowatts.

Energy is the amount of power consumed, expressed in watt-hours or kilowatt-hours (kWh).

To understand energy use, and consequently our utility bills, we must factor in the amount of power devices and appliances use and how long we use them.

Let’s look at the example of a typical light fixture outside your front door with a 60 watt light bulb. Sixty watts is the amount of power the lamp consumes, or the rate at which the lamp uses energy. If you run a 60 watt light bulb from dusk to dawn for 12 hours, you will consume 720 watt-hours of energy (or 0.72 kilowatt-hours).

In Southwest Florida we currently pay around 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, so that light bulb would cost 7.2 cents per night, or $26.28 annually.

If you look at your utility bill, you will see that you are charged for the number of kilowatt-hours (KWH) that you consume.

This is the amount of energy consumed between meter readings. To reduce the energy you use, you must either reduce the amount of power you use, or the amount of time you use that power (or both!)

Energy  =  Power  x Time

Going back to our light bulb example, you could install a light bulb that uses less power, or you could reduce the number of hours it runs. Both courses of action would reduce the energy used and save you money. Here are three different ideas to save energy and money.

1) Replace the bulb with a 13W compact fluorescent with equivalent light output (reduce power).

Energy Saved:                   0.56 kilowatt hours daily, or $20.58 saved annually

2) Put the light on a timer and run for just 6 hours nightly (reduce time).

Energy saved:                  0.36 kilowatt hours daily, or $13.14 saved annually

3) Do both of the above (reduce power and time).

Energy Saved:                   0.64 kilowatt hours daily, or $23.43 saved annually

While power and energy are intimately connected, they are not the same.

Understanding the difference can help you save money!

In my next article, I will take this concept one step further and explain why you think twice when trying to be “energy efficient.”

- Jason

PS – Be sure to check out our information on “TED – The Energy Detective” to monitor your energy usage!

…saving a LOT of money on your electric bill, then you’ll probably be very interested to hear about Hybrid Solar Air Conditioning .

Recently, John & Dominic, stopped by Fox4’s Morning Blend, and talked about our Hybrid Solar Air Conditioning product, be sure to watch the video above to learn more.

Our Hybrid Solar Air Conditioning system uses a roof mounted solar thermal collector panel to assist a high-efficiency compressor. By using the power of the sun, we can significantly reduce your electrical consumption.

Benefits:

• Reduce your electricity consumption
• Efficiently cool your home
• Enjoy the comfort of air conditioning at a lower cost

Different than solar electric systems, which produce electricity, hybrid solar air conditioning systems use evacuated tubes to heat a transfer fluid in the solar collector. This fluid superheats an environmentally friendly refrigerant to make the cooling process more efficient. The hybrid solar air conditioner reduces the amount of electricity required to cool your home.

Learn more about How Hybrid Solar Air Conditioning Works, or give us a call at (239) 574-1500.

Currently, our Hybrid Solar Air Conditioning product is available in most of Southwest Florida.   Call us at (239) 574-1500 if you want to assure it’s available for you.

- Dan

…to our product offerings!

What is Zep?

The Zep system eliminates costly and cumberson aluminum rakcs by integrating the rails WITH the solar modules.   It also provides the most reliable electrical grounding system WITHOUT separate grounding wires.

Zep is simpler, easier, and cleaner – the best part?  It’s less expensive, too!

What does this mean for you?

• Dramatically shorter installation times on our solar panels,
• Elimination of mounting rails and clip hardware,
• Elimination of separate grounding hardware,
• Ultra-reliable hyper-bonded grounding matrix,
• Ultra low part counts – 3 parts for the entire array,
• Enhanced aestetics – low-profile, straight and level!

Learn more about Zep on our Web Site, or by giving us a call at (239) 574-1500.

- Dan

…our new Hybrid Solar Air Conditioning product (see video above).

You can learn more about our Solar Air Conditioning solution, along with all of our Solar & Renewable Energy solutions on our Web Site.

If you have any questions, contact us, or give us a call at (239) 574-1500.

Enjoy!

Dan

..about using our Hybrid Solar Air Conditioning product.

They excitedly talk about using Solar Energy to cool their Dental Office, reducing their electric consumption (as well as their demand on fossil fuels), while harnessing the power of the sun to help them succeed.

A great story, indeed!

Enjoy,

- Dan

PS – Our solar air conditioning solution is available in Charlotte, Collier, Sanibel Island, and Cape Coral at this point — very shortly, we’ll have approval in Lee County & the City of Fort Myers as well.

Learn more by visiting our Web Site at: www.FafcoSolar.com, or by giving us a call at (239) 574-1500.

www.toptenusa.org.

Their mission is to help residential and commercial users find and purchase the most energy efficient products in the U.S. marketplace.

TopTen is part of a global effort, first launched in Europe (www.topten.info) to accelerate world-wide competition among manufacturers to save energy and stabilize the climate.

Sounds like a good idea to me!

- Dan

…one of the most common questions people have is:

“How Do I Power My Home From the Sun?”

The answer is with a Solar Electric Photovoltaic System.

Solar Electric Photovoltaic Systems, sometimes referred to as PV Systems, have many benefits:

• Reduce your electric bill.
• Take advantage of tax benefits and rebates.
• Help our country become less dependent on fossil fuels.
• And – Watch your meter spin backward (we never get tired of this!)

Be sure to learn all about Solar Electric Photovoltaic Systems on our Web Site, and visit our Learn More section to see the common questions people have as well.

Enjoy!

…here are 3 Ways to Properly Dispose of Old Electronics:

1. www.Gazelle.com buys old cell phones, digital cameras, laptops. camcorders, and other electronics.  After confirming the status and value of your item, you’ll get a check, PayPal payment, or Gift Card.  An iPhone 3G 8 Gigabyte version fetched $103, recently!
2. www.BuyMyTronics.com allows you to price out what you’ll get before you sell by answering a few questions about your item (and the accessories you have for it).  You can sell anything from iPhones, iPods, to software, and eBook Readers!
3. www.Flipswap.com gives you the ability to sell your old phone for cash (or a donation to a charity of your choosing) — you can even trade it in for credit at a store that sells cell phones!  At the high end, Flipswap pays out an average of $160 for old BlackBerrys and $220 for iPhones.

Remember, most electronics have some form of toxic chemicals in them, and even if you don’t sell them, or donate them — you should dispose of them properly (BestBuy has a great recycle program, be sure to check it out!)

Peace,

Dan