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

There are a number of things to consider including good sunlight, financial incentives, net-metering policies, cost of materials, and high electric rates…

Good sunlight…

We all know that three consecutive days of cloudy, rainy weather in the Sunshine State is rare and when it does occur many of us begin to suffer from light affective disorder (myself included). In fact the sunlight in our part of Florida is some of the best in the country. According to the Florida Solar Energy Center, Florida has 85% of the maximum solar resource of any location in the country (7.2 kWh/day out of a maximum of 8.5 kWh/day).

Financial incentives…

The federal investment tax credit (ITC) for solar systems has had such a big impact on the solar market since 2006 that Congress extended it for 8 years in 2008 and dropped the cap for residential systems. The solar tax credit reduces the retail cost of an installed system by 30% and you receive the credit when you file your taxes (it is not a grant). At the state level, Florida offers rebates for solar electric (PV) and solar hot water.  For residential PV installations the state rebate is $20,000 for up to 5 kilowatts and for commercial PV installations (10 kilowatt or more) investors receive a rebate of $100,000. In addition to rebates and commercial tax credits, commercial customers of a grid-tied PV system are also entitled to five-year, accelerated depreciation for projects completed in 2009. The State of Florida also provides grants from the Governor’s Energy Office for solar water heaters, solar electric systems and solar pool heaters.

Net-metering policies…

Both LCEC and FPL have enacted net-metering policies for grid-tied, PV systems. Under net metering, electric meters turn backwards when PV systems generate electricity in excess of the demand. This means that their customers receive retail prices for the excess electricity they generate. The kilowatt-hours generated are credited to the next bill at retail rate. At the end of a 12-month billing cycle the utility then pays for solar generated electricity at avoided-cost rate.

Cost of materials…

The price of modules declined sharply this year but according to Solarbuzz (a portal to worldwide solar data) the trend downward has slowed. The demand for photovoltaic modules was high in 2008 so manufacturers increased production. Then the global recession hit the solar industry so in the beginning of 2009 there were plenty of modules on the market which resulted in lower prices. Just remember when you are comparing prices of modules that brand, technical attributes, and certifications do matter.

High electric rates…

Nationwide, electricity rates have increased an average of 4.4% per year over the past 35 years, twice that rate in some parts of the country.  The energy from the sun is free so rates will never increase!

An analysis of the factors influencing an investment in solar reveals that solar energy does pay in Southwest Florida.

It makes economic sense for many but only a hard look at the numbers and a physical analysis of the property will tell if it makes sense for you.

Be sure to visit our web site at www.FafcoSolar.com to learn more about the all of the Solar Energy products available to you.

A photo of our building back in late 70’s!

In doing so, I tried to use as many green products and practices as I could afford…

Problem #1: I didn’t know anything about green building.
Problem #2: I didn’t know anyone else who did.

So, I had to go to Sarasota to find someone who had some knowledge and experience with green building.

Unfortunately, after his one visit to my shop, he never called back and I could never get him to return my calls. So, I was forced to search for another builder.

Eventually, I decided to use a local builder.

One I was familiar with, even though he had no knowledge or experience in green building. I had known him and his wife for many years. They both knew my father and on occasion he played cards with him. They also knew my son. They had a good reputation and I liked them.

So, I educated myself a little and told my builder what I wanted in the building. He thought some of my green ideas were strange but he did as I requested. When all was done, I was happy with my decision.

Here’s the details of the “greening of Fafco Solar“:

Unknowingly, my decision to renovate my existing building, rather than move and build somewhere else, was my first green decision.

By far, the most visible and impressive green aspect of the building is the 21 solar lights (tubular skylights) installed throughout the building. They allow the employees to work in natural daylight almost all day long without using any electricity… and they love it.

It also is a great demonstration of a product we offer.

People who visit are usually quite surprised when we tell them there’s no electric lights on. Stop in and take a look for yourself when you’re in the neighborhood!

All interior walls were painted with no VOC paint. (That stands for volatile organic compounds.) It wasn’t hard to find…even in 2002. We just had to ask for it.

We sprayed foam under the roof and into the block walls of the air conditioned portion of the building. During construction, it was noticeably cooler under the foamed portion of the roof.

We reused lumber from the deconstruction of the old shop in the new offices.

We installed a tankless water heater to eliminate stand-by losses since we hardly ever use hot water.

We also installed a dual flush toilet, a water cooled air conditioner, low E windows, tile floors (except in two offices) and ceiling tiles made with partially recycled content.

On the outside, we planted native plants.

After moving into our newly renovated offices, we started improving our personal green habits, too. We, now, recycle almost all our paper, plastic, aluminum, glass and copper items.

Ultimately, my goal is to use zero fossil fuel within ten years. That would be a wonderful achievement! There’s still more to do, but we’re well on our way!

If YOU are interested in doing the same, contact me and we’ll make a plan to do it!

Energy independence is definitely possible!

For more information on green building, check out these links:

• Florida Green Building Coalition
• Green Building Council

Have fun ‘going green with renewable energy products’, I sure did!

- Dan

Like many, you may feel that solar energy remains a distant dream, and that it’s:

• too expensive to afford, or
• too hard to implement.

Feed In Tariffs (FIT) could change all of that…

FIT could bring the use of solar energy to life for MILLIONS of people in the US.

What is FIT?

FIT (Feed In Tariff) is an incentive structure to encourage the adoption of renewable energy through government legislation.  Basically, the government offers home and business owners payments for electricity they feed into the electric grid.

Germany developed a FIT program in 1999 and because of that they are now the #1 photovoltaic country in the world… with 50% of the world’s photovoltaic market!

The good news?

FIT incentives are now starting to gain momentum in North America.

Gainesville, Florida was the 1st city in U.S. to implement FIT policies.

In their program, the Gainesville utility pays home owners $.32/kWh for energy that is fed into the grid, read about it here.

And everyone is watching to see what can be learned from them.

And Ontario’s new Green Energy Act pays a whopping .80/kWh!  That’s amazing!  Learn more by reading this News Release.

The Florida Alliance of Renewable Energy (FARE) is a grassroots organization leading the way in Florida in support of FIT incentives… although, in Florida, FIT is called RED (Renewable Energy Dividends).

Both the State of Florida and the U.S. Congress are debating the benefits of FIT programs.  If you want to learn more or help spread the word, go to the Florida Alliance for Renewable Energy.

FIT programs will help solar energy become a dream come true for millions of people in the U.S!