Go Solar Energy For Life

“Imagine fuel without fear. No climate change. No oil spills, dead coal miners, dirty air, devastated lands, lost wildlife. No energy poverty. No oil-fed wars, tyrannies, or terrorists. Nothing to run out. Nothing to cut off. Nothing to worry about. Just energy abundance, benign and affordable, for all, for ever.”

Wow! These are the opening lines to the preface of “Reinventing Fire”, the latest book from Amory Lovins and his team at Rocky Mountain Institute –

To me, the key word here is “imagine”.

Reread the lines and feel what it would be like to live in such a world.

It’s coming. 

I know it is.

I’ve made it my mission to make it happen. (I hope that makes you feel as good as it makes me feel.)

I’ll be sharing more quotes from this inspiring book with you in the future, but, in the mean time, if you want to light your own fire, I suggest you get cozy with your own copy… or better yet!… Connect with www.fafcosolar.com to learn how Fafco Solar can light your (reinvented) fire!

- Dan

PS – If you have a moment – be sure to watch this very inspirational video as well:

In my June 3, 2009 blog post, titled “Changing My Mind on a Dime” – I talked about using the sun to power cars soon….

Well, guess what?  It’s here!

Earlier this year, Ford, and Sunpower agreed to a partnership that will allow purchasers of Ford plug-in vehicles the ability to charge their cars.

Sunpower’s president and CEO, Tom Werner, says “This is taking solar power mainsteam” – and I think he’s right!

The Ford-Sunpower “Drive Green for Life” program will install enough panels on a customers roof to satisfy the energy demands for an electric vehicle that drives about 1,000 miles per month.

Learn more about this wonderful advancement in this PC Magazine article.

Good times ahead, that’s for sure!

- Dan

Every time I receive an update from the Rocky Mountain Institute, I find it very inspiring, and…

…they seem to be on target all of the time.

Recently, they published the 10 Facts About Our Energy Landscape, which are:

1. The US burns 13 millions barrels of oil a day (half imported) at a cost of $2 billion!
2. The US’s 120 million buildings consume 42% of the nation’s energy.
3. We spend more than $400 billion a year to heat and power buildings.
4. US industry employs about 131 million people and generates over 40% of the US GDP, using roughly one-fourth of the nation’s total energy per year.
5. 86% of US electricity is generated in large, centralized power plants.
6. By 2050, if we make efficiency a goal, and switch from oil, coal and one-third less natural gas to renewable energy, we’d save a net $5 trillion!
7. By 2050, a $2 trillion investment to make cars, trucks and planes more efficient, and more effectively used would save $5.8 trillion.
8. Building’s energy use can be 40 to 60% more efficient in 2050 than today – despite 70% more floorspace.
9. US industry can produce about 84% more output with 9 to 13% less energy.
10. We can capture and integrate the renewable energy needed to meet 80% or more of our electricity needs by 2050.

Interesting, isn’t it?  Be sure to read the entire post, and comment below if you’d like to share your thoughts on this.

Thank you,

- Dan

Once I stepped inside, I knew…

(Photo used with permission from Paul Shahriari – www.FLGreenHouse.com)

…I’d found the most beautiful kitchen in the world!

It was absolutely break taking – aside from its very functional design – the fact that it was flooded with natural daylight really took it over the top!

Some light entered the room through windows on the north and south sides of the house, too.

But most of the light was provided by two tubular skylights centered in the ceiling.  The combination created a very enjoyable feeling…  I just wanted to stand there and breathe in the natural light.

Paul’s Florida High Performance Green House is located right here in Cape Coral, Florida, and he shares ALL of the details of this unique learning opportunity, including:

• the cost/benefit of green building,
• exactly what green elements are used in this project,
• real-life data of energy consumption (this is amazing!), and so much more!

Be sure to learn more about Paul’s project at: www.FLGreenHouse.com.

How inspiring!

Enjoy,

- Dan

PS – Did you know we have 21 tubular solar skylights that light up our office’s at FafcoSolar?  Come in sometime, and see for yourself, it’s really cool!

If our roads were converted from pavement to specialized solar panels, we’d easily be able to supply power to everyone in the US.

This video is very inspirational, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!  Learn how we can use Solar Highways and harness the energy of the road!

Enjoy!

-Dan

Imagine a farming lifestyle that’s ‘beyond organic’, and completely…

…transparent.

Transparent in the sense that you can visit the farm, producing the food you eat, anytime.  No secrets, no locked doors, and every corner being camera accessible.

It’s here, and I’m inspired!

The farm is called Polyface Farms, and they’re located in Swoope, Virginia.

They have some very powerful Guiding Principles:

• Transparency – Come, visit, and see everything for yourself!
• Grass-based – All animals are moved frequently to new “salad bars”!
• Individuality – Respecting and honoring the pigness of a pig is a foundation for societal health.
• and more!

Be sure to learn more about their story, and how inspiring they are, if you have a chance!

If you would like to learn more about creating a sustainable future, and the solar energy options that help create it, be sure to contact us online, or give us a call at (239) 574-1500.

Thank you,

- Dan

Back in November of last year…

I made the bold statement that Florida could be energy independent, in part, by using the Gulf Stream to power the east coast of Florida.

Well, today, you can learn more about how that will become a reality!

SmartPlanet.com’s blog post is titled:

“University moves toward powering Florida with the Gulf Stream”.

Think about how much energy we’d be able to harness from the ever powerful Gulf Stream!

If you’re excited as I am, be sure to read their post, and let me know what you think (simply add a comment below).

If you would like to learn more about creating a sustainable future, and the solar energy options that help create it, be sure to contact us online, or give us a call at (239) 574-1500.

Thank you!

- Dan

Where are you going to be September 23 through October 2 of this year?

Every two years, the U.S. Dept. of Energy holds a week-long event at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. called the Solar Decathlon.

This year, twenty university teams from around the country (and a few international) will compete to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are:

• cost-effective,
• energy-efficient, and
• attractive.

Four universities in Florida are collaborating on one entry called: FleX House.

I’ve wanted to go for years… and so this is the year I’m going, and I’m extremely excited!

If you, or someone you know, might be interested in this event, be sure to share this blog post with them.

I plan on taking photos while I’m there, and I’ll share them after my return, too.

As you may know, I own & operate Fafco Solar in Southwest Florida, and our passion is helping people use the power of Solar & Renewable Energy.   Be sure to see our list of solar & renewable every services, or give a call at (239) 574-1500 if you’d like to learn more.

Complete information on the Solar Decathlon is available at:

www.SolarDecathlon.gov

and on the FlexHouse is available at:

www.FlexHouse.org

Here’s to creating amazing solar & renewable energy solutions!

Enjoy!

- Dan

Are you tired of waiting for someone to solve the energy problem?

If you’re like me, you might be ready to take matters into your own hands.

But even though you feel ready, you might still be holding back a little.

Well, if that’s the case, I suggest you take a look at “The Cost of Doing Nothing”… an interesting 5 minute video produced by the Florida Solar Energy Center:

Continuing on… You can learn what really happened because we chose to do nothing by reading this article from Renewable Energy World.

Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, Dominic Zito, our Sales Manager, was interviewed…

…by ABC-7 about high-level energy officials from the Department of Energy coming to the Suncoast to meet with local officials talking about energy programs.

Including those that may bring green jobs to the area!

In the interview, Dominick said “We should absolutely be the front runners in solar energy.  The more installations I have, the more of my employees I have on the road working.  Hopefully down the line hiring more sales staff and technicians.”

To learn more about solar power, be sure to visit the “Go Solar” section of our web site!

If you’d like to read the article, click here.

Enjoy!

-Dan