Go Solar Energy For Life

A Happy New Year to you, your family, and friends!

I’m so happy to be doing what I’m passionate about, and being able to do it while we’re seeing such a great evolution with Solar & Renewable Energy solutions. The realization, adoption, and results generated from these solutions are simply mind-blowing.

More energy can be captured, and utilized, with today’s solutions – less expensively – than ever before.

If you’d like to learn more about solar and renewable energy solutions – feel free to comment below, contact us online or give us call at (239) 574-1500.

Be sure to take a look at all of our wonderful online resources as well:

• Solar Pool Heater- save by using the sun to heat your pool!
• Solar Water Heater NEW! – save by using the power of the sun to heat your water!
• Solar Electric Photovoltaic System – save by powering your home with solar energy!
• Solar Lights – save by using natural light for your home!
• Solar Attic Fan – save by using the sun to remove heat from your home!
• Solar Pool Pump – save by using the sun to power your pool pump!
• Pool Automation – save by automating your chlorination, pump timing and heating!
• Solar Water Pump – save by not having to bring in costly utility lines!
• Hybrid Solar Air Conditioning NEW! – save between 30-50% on your air conditioning!
• Solar Breeze Pool Skimmer – save time and money with an automated pool skimmer!
• Home Energy Monitoring NEW! – monitor your energy use and find ways to save!
• Solar2Go NEW! – mobile solar power – trailer mounted solar generator!

We service the following areas in Southwest Florida -  Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Bonita Springs, or Hendry or Glades Counties.

We also service all brands of solar equipment! Find out what solar equipment services we perform here.

Learn More about cost-efficient solar energy.

Discover how you can improve our environment by using renewable energy for life. Check our Resources page.

Thank you so much, and here’s to a renewable energy world!

-Dan

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

If you’re not sure what Solar PV is, be sure to read “What are solar photovoltaic systems?” on our FafcoSolar.com web site.

Now, the big question is “How does Florida rank in Solar PV?” as compared to the rest of the US…

Earlier this year, Solar Today released a chart showing by state, the:

• PV watts per resident,
• PV installed to date, and
• on-the-year market growth.

Florida ranks 6th in the country for megawatts of PV capacity.

California, New Jersey, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada lead the way.

The same study ranks Florida 13th in PV watts-per-resident,which is perhaps the best way to measure the progress of solar energy.

If you’re interested in seeing how the other 50 states stack up, be sure to visit this page in the July/August 2011 issue of Solar Today online.

Enjoy!

- Dan

Here is some good news concerning jobs… and I’m glad to be doing my part!

The article reviews how the solar industry employed 100,237 people as of August 2011, which is 6.8 percent more than last year.

I’ve hired two people so far this year and I’m looking to add a couple more before the year’s out.

I’m always looking for good people who want to help create a really cool world in which renewable energy rules!

- Dan

I’m proud to have our first official guest blogger, Philip Reed, contributing to my blog.  Enjoy!

It’s taken some time but we’re beginning to look at renewable sources of energy such as solar owner as the norm in new construction.

“Solar power as the norm rather than the exception.” –Philip J Reed, Westwood College

It’s taken some time but we’re beginning to look at renewable sources of energy such as solar power as the norm in new  construction. Take a look around at new builds and renovations and there are clear indications that we are taking the condition of our environment much more seriously then we have in past years.

Government incentives, buy back programs, and rebates have played a large part in this change in attitude as they have lowered the price of these technologies therefore making them far more widely accessible. There is no point in championing a technology if no one can afford to implement it. This is important not only in commercial or industrial applications, but in residential ones as well.

If a homeowner has the option of an inefficient heating or cooling system that literally hemorrhages money or an efficient solar or other renewable system that actually saves them their hard earned cash and has been made affordable by incentive programs, which do you think they’ll choose?

A perfect example of this new way of thinking is to look at the education sector. Seem like a strange jump from environmentally friendly building practices to education? It’s not.

At some schools- the ones that are forward thinking and have an eye on industry- a construction management degree will include curriculum in utilizing renewable resources. This is a very important change in our thinking as it ensures that our future builders will consider these options the norm rather than the exception. This inevitably means that we will see a greater increase in green builds and a more stable cost to do so. The better training in renewable options given at the university level will mean more implementation at the building level.

There are certainly further steps to be taken and more environmentally sensitive options and technologies to explore but adding a solar power component to something like a construction management degree is defiantly a step in the right direction. If we can make environmentally damaging construction something that is socially frowned upon by teaching its alternatives to those who will eventually be in charge of building, we will all win.

- Philip Reed

PS – Here’s a related quote from a builder we know, too:

“The truth of the matter is this, if building an energy efficient or energy independent house is the goal from the start, it’s really pretty simple.  By bringing together the client with a designer, architect, and building scientist that understand the process, a High Performance or Net Zero home can be built at a competitive price to similarly equipped ‘energy hog’ homes.” 

Reed Schweizer
Ravenwood Homes

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

Recently, I was playing around with creating an acronym for the Energy and Food Independence for Florida…

Some of my ideas were:

eFiF, EFIF, iEFF, eFFi, FLefi, FEFI, FeFi, FLORife…

but here’s the one I like the best:

LIFE: a Love for Independent Food and Energy.

I continued massaging the idea:

Florida LIFE, A Peaceful Florida LIFE.

What do you think?

- 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

WOW!  17 dollars and 74 cents…

That’s how much my Florida Power & Light (FPL) electrical bill was in March of this year…

The amazing thing?

Read the rest of this entry »