Attention, Florida solar shoppers, you’re about to get a 50-percent-off solar sale. A popular solar incentive program in South Florida is being reinstated.

As part of a projected five-year pilot program promoted by the Florida Public Service Commission, utility company Florida Power & Light (FPL) launched a solar rebate program last June, offering $2 per watt of the electrical output of a solar panel system, up to $20,000.

Florida residents raced to sign up for the generous rebates, and the program quickly reached its limit for 525 photovoltaic (PV) systems.

FPL will make another $15.5 million available around the middle of October. The exact date has not been released. Before applying for the program, interested Floridians should have a solar contractor lined up, as well as information about the solar array.

For contractors and solar pricing in your area, click here.

While the solar panel systems don’t need to be pre-purchased, the products do need to meet national testing and certifications standards. FPL will tentatively approve rebates before homeowners start installation.

Fort Lauderdale resident Tony Abbate was one of the lucky homeowners who applied for the June rebate in time. An architect as well as a professor at Florida Atlantic University, Abbate’s PV system cost $42,000. After he receives the FPL rebate and the federal 30-percent tax incentive, Abbate expects the final cost will fall between $16,000 and $19,000.

Abbate’s system will supply more than all of his home’s electrical needs. He will sell the excess energy back to the grid. Abbate should recoup his initial investment in 8 to 16 years.

While his 60-percent savings is certainly welcomed, Abbate cited a concern for the environment as his reason for going solar. “For me it’s a matter of principle, and I want to set an example,” he said. “I delight in the positive effect it might have on others and that they find it inspiring or motivating.”

FPL will also renew their incentive program for solar water heater systems, offering a flat $1,000 rebate. The program quickly hit its 825-unit limit in June. Solar water heaters typically cut a household water-heating costs up to 85 percent. The rebate applies to replacing either an electric or gas heater. Combining a solar water heater and PV system provides the greatest savings.

The specific number of solar water heaters and PV systems eligible to receive the next round of rebates has not been announced by FPL. The checklist of eligibility criteria, as well as the applications themselves, are on the Florida Power & Light website, so FPL customers can start working on the application, lining up solar contractors and start estimating savings.

Get ready, Florida solar shoppers. The money allocated for the June applications was gone within an hour!

You could say Abdimalik Abu is a lucky man. A series of fortunate circumstances placed him and his family in a solar-powered, air-conditioned home just in time for the hottest summer in Houston history.

Mr. Abu’s father already owned a house built by the Houston branch of Habitat for Humanity, and urged his son to apply for the program. At about the same time, the organization was looking for opportunities to make further advancements in their commitment to green living.

Abu and his wife had been living with their two young sons in a cramped apartment, when one son developed asthma. It became more important than ever to move his family to a healthier environment. Finally, the Abu’s learned they had been accepted for the Milby Park neighborhood project – just as they discovered they were pregnant with twins.

Their good luck didn’t stop there. The home built for the Abu family would be the first Houston Habitat for Humanity home to go solar. With help from GE and Green Mountain Energy, solar panels were installed, for electricity as well as a solar-powered hot water system.

To see how much you could save with a solar installation, click here.

In addition to the 10-panel system, the home also features non-VOC paint and cabinetry made from woods approved by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Houston Solar On the Rise

Habitat’s Stephen Sye said that by the end of the year, 11 to 13 homes in the Milby Park Sub-Division will have been built with solar panels on their roofs, with another 15 homes to be completed next year. This is exciting news for the state of Texas, which recently exploded with home solar installations.

The families moving into the Milby neighborhood aren’t just benefiting from solar power, says Sye, “they’re also having an opportunity to be a contributor to social responsibility.”

Houston residents accepted into the Habitat program agree to a no-interest mortgage. In lieu of a down payment, they contribute 300 hours of “sweat equity,” helping volunteers and Habitat staff to build their homes. Since 1987, 840 homes in Houston have been built through the Habitat for Humanity program.

Abu and his family are just happy to be able to run their air-conditioner to beat the heat. “I’m enjoying it,” Abu said. “Making my life easier. ”

Making Residential Solar Affordable

The solar panel system cost $11,000, about the average price for a 10-panel array. The solar water heater cost an additional $5,000.

Those suffering through the heat may be glad to learn that many solar contractors now provide leasing options as well, making it possible to go solar with little or no money down. Monthly payments are usually less than homeowners were paying for regular utility bills. There are also a host of solar rebates in Texas that make installation affordable for most homeowners.

The Abu’s are enjoying substantial savings, too. Since the family moved into their new 4-bedroom home in January, their average utility bill has been reduced to $70.

“Oh, it’s really nice and saves me a lot of money. Putting money in my pocket, ” Abu said. With twins about to arrive, it’s likely that money will come in handy.

Are you or someone you know interested in home solar power, but not sure if it’s affordable?

Based loosely on the famous Groupon concept, there’s an innovative solar equivalent spreading through our neighborhoods. Launched last week by Solar@Work, the “solar groupon” idea is San Francisco‘s localized answer to the solar dilemma. It seeks to alleviate the cost burden of solar panels by splitting installation fees among large numbers of people.

Instead of several individual projects at the 200-kilowatt level, a group of homeowners may purchase their solar panels as a 2-megawatt system for the neighborhood.

Since the installation of a group of 200-kilowatt systems and a 2 megawatt system are fundamentally similar, this saves time and money for the purchaser.

Better yet, everyone buying solar panels in bulk saves significantly over the price they would ordinarily pay for a single home installation.

To check pricing on solar installation in your area, click here.

While the cost-saving benefits of solar panels have long been understood, the biggest barrier to solar installation has been the up-front purchase cost. Today, there are numerous advantages to adopting solar power in your home as soon as possible. The first and most obvious of these is reducing your energy bills in the long term.

The Solar@Work concept helps mitigate the upfront costs, allowing you to see these long-term energy savings sooner. Each month you will notice a significant change in your energy bill, depending on the size of the solar plan. Solar energy is essentially extra free power if your panels are in direct sunlight.

Another big advantage of having solar panels installed in your residence is the environmental factor. Solar energy curbs the carbon dioxide emissions otherwise polluted by coal, and every watt of solar energy you use promotes sustainable power generation. This positively impacts the environment by reducing your dependence on toxic sources of energy.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources. When supplies are low, cost goes up. If you’re using solar panels in your home, you don’t have to worry about the price of energy skyrocketing due to an oil shortage.

In addition, foreign oil is an increasingly expensive and controversial source of energy. Homes using solar panels directly help reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

The benefits of home solar power are numerous. Whether you’re concerned about the environment, the economy, or just your own wallet, solar panels are clearly a good investment.

If you decide to take advantage of the new solar groupon concept, how much money could you save? There’s never been a better time to get price estimates on solar installation. You may be surprised by just how affordable solar panels are –especially after rebates and incentives — and how much money you could be save each month on your energy bill.

Via Forbes

For cars available today, solar power recharges the battery when they are parked. Afterwards, the car can be used, but only for a limited time. Solar power takes up a lot of room for the PV cells. BUT, if those cells could be carried aboard your car, where would you put them? The obvious answer is the roof, where they can be exposed to the sky and sun.

That said, Sunrise Solar has introduced the latest in sun roofs: solar sunroofs for your car. The solar panel would in effect replace ordinary tinted glass. With PV cells to produce the electricity, in the sun roof, you could recharge your car’s battery and use solar power to turn up the AC for your driving comfort. At this time, though, that is about all the small panels would be able to do because of weight limitations.

But imagine the possibilities. Imagine getting in your car and starting it up with energy directly from the sun. Imagine taking a trip, never stopping for fuel, and riding in complete comfort with all electrical luxuries powered up as you need them: AC, stereo, heater, electric gadgets for seats, windows, you name it, because your panels have been charging, whether you’re in or out of your car.

Sunrise Solar hasn’t given much information as to the descriptions of the sunroof, such as electrical output of the PV cells, nor has it said anything on the pricing. However, Toyota is sticking to their pursuit for solar powered cars and intends to use the solar sun roofs and make them available in their 2010 Pruis.

Eddie Austin, Chairman and CEO of Sunrise Solar Corp, did have this to say:

“Delivering solutions that improve people’s lives while reducing our dependence on foreign oil is the name of the game. Our goal is to be a leader in delivering innovative products and solutions that meet our customer’s energy needs.”

The concept is great with great potential. How much so? We will just have to wait and see.

Algae farming, or algaculture, entails the same general principles as farming corn or soybeans. One of the interesting things about this stuff is that it looks like a plant and acts like a plant, but it is a single cell organism, with photosynthetic abilities. It is able to change sunlight to chemical energy. This energy comes in the form of oil similar to vegetable oil. Sound familiar? As you know, vegetable oil can be used to make fuel; in this case, biodiesel.

Another interesting thing about algae is that it doesn’t take much space to grow it. It would take the area of a football field for corn or soybean to produce the same amount of oil that algae can produce in the area of a two-car garage. In addition, it grows at a rapid rate, producing oil 30 times faster than conventional biofuel products like soybeans.

Algae farms can be built on coastal land otherwise not suitable for regular farming. The hard part is controlling and harvesting the algae. Instead of an open pond being used, photobioreactors are used. During the process, nutrient laden water is pumped through plastic tubes while it is exposed to sunlight. This process makes storage and recycling easier as well.

For more information on how effective algae farming can be and the impact it may have on our future, go to “Algae System Transforms Greenhouse Emissions into Green Fuel” and read about an inventor, Isaac Berzin, founder and chief technology officer of GreenFuel Technologies, Corp.

Generally, cities are much warmer than rural areas. This is caused by solar energy and how it is reflected and absorbed. The following graph from the Heat Island Group shows how the heat is distributed, you can see the Island effect.

There are a number of factors that contribute to this warming.

• In the rural areas, solar energy is absorbed at ground level and evaporates the water from the vegetation and soil. This evaporation causes cooling, along with other factors, like wind. In the city, this doesn’t happen. Instead the buildings, streets, sidewalks and pavements absorb the energy and with less vegetation, trees, etc., less energy emitted.
• There is less water run off in the city as well, so less evaporation– less cooling.
• There is a higher generation of heat from other factors in the city: cars, trains, and factories, etc. Only about one third of the heat is actually solar.
• Tall buildings create a canyon effect, enhancing the warming and trapping of heat.
• Temperature differences between city and rural may cause different changes in weather.

The EPA has a program called ENERGY STAR ® Roof Products Program for Cool Roofs and this may help curb some of this island effect. Check out the link – there was a good amount of information on how the program works for both building owners and builders.

There is a great deal more research stating that heat islanding has ill effects rather than little or no effect on global warming. Clearly, if it isn’t affecting global warming it is certainly affecting our environment in other ways like air pollution, air conditioning costs, and heat related health issues. In researching this solar island effect, I find it to be of concern to all of us.

One major impediment to more widespread popularity for solar home systems has been aesthetic value. Many homeowners and community organizations have frowned at the prospect of large, unsightly, glaring solar panels on their roofs or in their yards. In an age of regimented color schemes and tiny satellite dishes, the solar panel, despite its energy-saving benefits, has faced an uphill battle. But the industry has responded. There is now an industry-wide race to perfect an aesthetically pleasing and cost effective solar array.

Keeping aesthetics in mind, Sharp Solar, BP Solar, and other manufacturers design panels to appear like skylights. They achieve this by using finished sheet metal and trim strips which hide any hardware and give it the appearance of being part of the roof framing. This is effective, depending on how many solar panels you wish to utilize on your home. If aesthetics is vital to your decision making, will twenty skylights do the trick?

Indeed, new innovations are making a strong move toward replacing traditional PV panels in residential solar power. Solar shingles consist of a semiconductor layer of crystalline silicon adhered to shingle and the shingles then mount onto the existing roof. Solar shingles can be used with any common style of roof including asphalt and, while one shingle does not produce very much power, hundreds of square feet can be enough to power an entire home. The main producers of solar shingles are Uni-Solar and Sunslates. Uni-Solar’s shingles, just like standard asphalt shingles, are flexible, can be stapled right down to the roof, and may be intermixed with standard shingles. Sunslates, on the other hand, are fastened via anchor bolts attached to 2×2 sleepers. Most solar shingles are a dark, purplish-blue color and therefore blend well with other roofs and are not obviously solar energy collectors. SunPower corporation produces black shingles which blend well with tile and flat roofs.

Another very promising, and very new, innovation in residential solar technology is paint-on solar cells. Researchers at Swansea University have recently discovered a way to actually paint solar cells onto steel roofing panels. Thus, you could effectively have solar power painted directly onto your roof! This solar paint is also designed to pick up low-level radiation so it can be effective even in areas that do not receive much direct sunlight. This innovation, if successful in getting mass produced, could really change the face of roofing and residential renewable energy.

Products such as solar shingles and paint-on solar steel roofs certainly seem to be the wave of the future. They are much more aesthetically pleasing and easier to install than traditional solar panels. Their one drawback at this point is that only a few companies manufacture them and they are still more expensive than solar PV panels. For many homeowners this difference in price is negligible when set against the gains in aesthetic value. Furthermore, if solar paint-on technology takes off, that high price could drop considerably.

1. The sun leaves coal in the dust. And while it is the most vital form of energy accessible to us, the sun is still largely untapped. In fact, the energy we get from all of the world’s reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas can be matched by just 20 days’ supply of sunshine.
2. Solar lights work at night. Most people think solar technology is useless once the sun goes down, but this isn’t the case. Solar energy can be converted and stored in batteries, where LED lights retrieve their power. Also, grid-tied solar panels work in conjunction with your home’s power system at all hours of the day.
3. Solar panels work indoors. At least, they will soon, if Anna Dyson from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York has a say. Her work entails new solar panels made of glass and designed for the window panes of buildings. Thanks to thin lenses that capture light and focus it onto solar cells, these indoor solar panels are being geared to supply up to 50 percent of the energy required for buildings to operate.
4. Solar panels work in the cold. Solar power generation depends on light, not heat, and there’s enough of it in the entire U.S. to support solar panels. Even where the roofs are covered with snow.
5. Solar water heaters can meet about 60 to 70 percent of a home’s hot water needs annually. Capabilities drop during the winter and in colder climates. Because of this, solar water heaters are usually used in conjunction with a traditional back up system. The most common type of solar water heater consists of an active system that utilizes pumps and controls to circulate water between a collector, a well-insulated storage tank, and the home. Passive systems, on the other hand, don’t use pumps but rely on gravity and natural circulation for hot water distribution.
6. Solar improvement draws from all things, including moths. Apparently, moths help scientists make more effective panels. Moth eyes are built to be non-reflective, and scientists are now incorporating this trait into panels. Less light reflected means more light absorbed for electricity generation.
7. Your fish tank can serve as a heat storing water wall. Water walls offer a 10 to 20 percent advantage over slightly larger masonry walls in moderate climates. In addition, energy savings in heating and cooling can be expected in the 70 to 90 percent range. Just make sure to buy the right fish that can stand the heat.
8. As you can see from our fish tank example, solar heating does not rely on mechanical or electrical devices. Passive solar heating depends on building structure and design and is advantageous for its low operation and maintenance costs.
9. Window shades can be transparent and protective at the same time. When you don’t want to let all the sun’s goodness indoors, solar shades reduce solar transmittance by up to 96 percent. They reduce cooling costs in the summer and help prevent furniture damage and fading. All of this while being transparent, giving you a full view of the outdoors.
10. Solar powered homes are in demand. When you build the sun into your home’s energy supply, you lower your monthly bills and raise the desirability of your investment.

Have you called CalFinder Solar? Get a free estimate on your solar panel installation from a certified solar contractor.