• Cutting Your Company’s Operating Costs with Solar Power

    Solar power is one of the greatest advances in energy use. It can reduce environmental impact, but it can also save homeowners and business owners significant operating costs. If you have been looking for ways to elevate your company’s profits and cut operating costs, then you will be interested in installing a solar system for various areas of your building. Continue reading to see how solar panel installation in The Villages and Leesburg, FL is the best choice for reducing costs to your business.

    Your business can take great advantage of solar panels in North Central Florida. This area receives a lot of sunlight, and your solar system will channel that energy throughout your company’s building. You can expect that lights, computers, and office fixtures will run safely and quickly on solar panel energy. You will also notice that your company’s electrical costs will go down, which will mean less overhead digging into your profits.

    Solar Power for Business

  • Start Swim Season Early with a Solar Pool Heater

    If you and your family members are itching to get out in the pool, you may want to consider a solar pool heating system . When you choose to include a pool heater with your solar home system installation, you will be able to harness the sun’s energy to keep your pool water at a comfortable temperature. A company that offers solar panels in The Villages, FL can help you install a new solar pool heating system. To highlight the advantages of switching to solar energy, here is a look at the benefits that a solar pool heater has to offer you.

    Natural Heating Solar Pool Heater

    One of the top advantages of a solar pool heater is that this type of system heats up your pool water naturally. Your solar pool heater is equipped with a solar collector system, which absorbs heat from the rays of the sun. As pool water passes through the solar collector, it will be heated to your desired temperature. To keep your pool warm, your solar pool heater will continually pump water through its solar collection system.

    Energy Savings

    When you are shopping for a new pool heater, you will have the option of choosing either a natural gas or solar system. A solar pool heater can save you drastically on your pool heating costs each month in comparison to a gas-powered heater. Some customers report that they are able to save hundreds on their monthly bills when they make the switch to solar pool heat.

    Year Round Comfort

    While you may be concerned that your solar pool heater will not work as efficiently during the winter, you can rest assured that solar pool heaters can be used during every season of the year. Solar pool heaters are able to harness the sun’s energy, even during overcast days. If you want to get your pool up and running as early as possible this spring, be sure to look into the benefits of solar pool heat.

  • How Does Solar Electric Work?

    A home solar system in the Villages, FL will make your home more efficient and save you money on your energy bills. This type of investment can also reduce your carbon footprint and overall environmental impact. You will need a PV system to work with, which will convert sunlight into electricity. There are certain conditions that make for better results and a more effective solar system, so you should know what they are and set yourself up for success. Continue reading to learn more about how solar electric works.

    Choosing a PV System Solar Electric

    If you don’t know much about home solar systems or solar panels, you might not know what a PV system is. PV stands for photovoltaic, and this kind of system is what will allow you to get electricity out of the sunlight that shines on your building. PV systems are not to be confused with solar thermal systems, which take heat from the sunlight and use it to heat water. Instead, this part of your solar system allows you to convert the sunlight directly into electricity for use in your home or place of business.

    Converting Sunlight to Electricity

    Since PV systems don’t rely on heat from sunlight and don’t use other resources, how can they power your house? The way photovoltaic solar systems work is by the semiconductor materials in the PV modules interacting with sunlight. When this happens, electrons from the sunlight become captured in a current. You can then use the resulting electric current to power appliances and fixtures in your home or office.

    Learning How Solar Electric Works Best

    Where you have your solar panels placed and how you use them will determine how efficient your new solar system will be. The more the PV modules are exposed to sunlight, the more electricity you will get. However, there is another factor to keep in mind: Greater intensity of the sunlight means more electricity for you. As long as the sun is shining on your PV modules, you should be receiving electricity; you can also store the energy in batteries or connect to the utility grid.

  • Saving Energy with Solar Tubular Skylights

    Saving on household utility costs is on the minds of most homeowners. If you’re looking for ways to cut back on your electric bill charges, then consider installing solar tubes. These fixtures use light from the sun to illuminate your interiors, allowing you to keep more of your home’s lights off during the day. Continue reading to learn about the energy-saving benefits of installing solar tubular lights in The Villages, FL.

    Solar Tubular Skylights

    Made from durable acrylic that is low-profile and sleek, a tubular skylight captures sunlight that hits your roof. The light is collected within a dome and then reflected downward through a tube that is highly-reflective, much like a mirror. The light travels down until it reaches the bottom of the tube, where it then illuminates an area of your home through an attractive ceiling fixture.

    Solar tubular lights can be more effective than skylights because one of these fixtures can provide as much natural light as a skylight several times its size. Also, solar tubes are highly versatile, having the ability to brighten any room in your home. Finally, because solar tubular lights require no electricity, they can reduce the amount that you pay for utilities.

  • What Are the Advantages of Solar?

    If you are interested in making the switch to solar power for your home, it is a great idea to do your research about the benefits of this alternative energy source. There are many advantages to choosing solar energy for your home’s electricity and water heating needs. For example, since solar systems rely on the sun’s rays for power, they will never run out of fuel. For this reason, solar energy is a completely renewable resource. Additionally, solar panels and other solar energy systems are very easy to install and maintain. After you switch over to solar panels, you can also enjoy lower monthly electrical bills. Finally, the government also offers tax incentives to families who use solar energy. To learn more about the advantages of solar power, be sure to get in touch with a company offering solar power systems in Ocala, FL.

    Advantages of Solar

  • How to Choose a Solar Company

    If you are considering adding solar panels or a water heater to your home, you may be wondering what to look for in a solar company near Leesburg or North Central Florida. Finding the right company for your needs is the best way to ensure exceptional service and a quality solar system installation.

    Solar Company in North Central Florida

    When choosing a solar power company, you should look for establishments that have a long history of providing homes and businesses in the area with excellent service and consistent quality. The ideal solar energy company will use only the most technologically advanced and energy-efficient products for collecting and converting solar power.

    Before selecting a solar company, ask about any quality guarantees and system performance assurances that they offer. Find out what financing options are available, and if any supplied quotes are firm or merely an estimation. Finally, ask how much energy a system is likely to produce for your home, and how much it could potentially save you on energy costs.

  • Looking Back at the History of Solar Power

    If you’ve heard about the benefits of solar power near The Villages and North Central Florida, you may be interested in learning that the use of solar energy is not a new concept. In fact, people have been harnessing the sun’s power for centuries.

    Solar Ovens

    Solar-powered ovens rely on the sun’s heat to warm foods and drinks. The first known use of solar ovens occurred in 1767. The invention of a Swiss physicist by the name of Horace de Saussure, these solar ovens consisted of an insulated box fitted with three layers of glass that were used to collect and trap heat. Today, solar ovens are popular in locations where electricity is difficult to access, and are powered by sunlight alone.

    Solar Power

    Solar Electricity

    In the year 1873, Willoughby Smith, an English engineer, discovered that selenium, a chemical element, demonstrated photoconductivity (increased electrical conductivity in the presence of light) while in its solid form. Three years later, Professor William Grylls Adams and his student Richard Evans Day were the first to see an electrical current move through a material that was exposed to light after they attached electrodes to a plate of selenium.

    Solar Radiation

    Although it is one of his lesser-known achievements, Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for his formulation of the photon theory of light. Developed in 1905, the theory describes how the photons contained in solar radiation can transfer their energy on a metal surface.

    Solar Cells

    Also referred to as photovoltaic cells, solar cells are devices which convert solar radiation into electricity. The first designs for solar cells were created by the American inventor Charles Fritts in 1883. However, it was three researchers from Bell Labs by the names of Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson, and David Chaplin who are credited with the creation of the world’s first solar cells in 1954. Over the following years, they managed to improve their device’s conversion efficiency from 4% to 11%. Their first successful trial using the cells in solar panels occurred in 1955, and Bell Labs later supplied solar power for one of NASA’s Vanguard satellites in 1958.

  • Understanding How a Solar Water Heater Works

    Are you interested in harnessing solar energy to power your home? A solar hot water system near Clermont and North Central Florida can prove to be a cost-effective and energy-efficient method of providing your household with hot water. This type of system is fueled by solar power alone and can be used in any climate.

    Solar Water Heater in Ocala, FL

    Active Solar Water Heaters

    A solar water heating system consists of solar collectors and storage tanks. These heating systems fall into two categories: active and passive. Active systems utilize circulating pumps and controls, and can be either direct or indirect. Direct circulation systems function best in climates that rarely reach freezing temperatures, and their pumps circulate water into the home through the collectors. Indirect circulation systems are a popular choice in colder regions that tend to reach freezing temperatures. These systems heat the water flowing into the home using a non-freezing heat-transfer fluid.

    Passive Solar Water Heaters

    Often less costly but also less efficient than active systems, passive solar water heaters do not use circulating pumps and rely upon one of two other systems instead. Integral collector-storage passive systems are best suited for areas that do not freeze. The second option, thermosiphon systems, are typically more expensive and reliable. These heaters depend on the rising of hot water to the top of the storage tank so it can be pumped into the home.

    Solar Water Heater Collectors

    The collector’s role is to absorb the sun’s energy that is to be transferred to the water. The three types of collectors used residentially include flat-plate, integral, and evacuated-tube. Flat-plate collectors are weatherproofed and insulated boxes that use a dark absorber plate. Integral collector systems feature black tubes or tanks within an insulated box. Cold water passes through the collector, is heated, and is then pumped into the backup water heater. Evacuated-tube solar collectors consist of clear, glass tubes which contain a metal absorber tube. Attached to the metal is a fin whose coating absorbs the solar energy to transfer heat to the water.

  • Solar Tubular Skylights Benefits

    If you want to bring more beautiful natural sunlight into your home, there’s no easier way than by adding a solar tubular skylight. For about the cost of a nice light fixture, and in less time than it takes to watch a major summer blockbuster, you can have a solar tubular skylight installed in your home. Why not just install a regular old skylight? Here are some of the few benefits solar tubular skylights offer homeowners in Clermont, Citrus County, and other sunny areas around Central Florida:

    • The design inside the solar tube evenly spreads incoming sunlight to eliminate uncomfortable “hot spots” that can occur beneath traditional skylights and windows
    • By magnifying sunlight inside a mirrored tube, tubular skylights produce a superior amount of sunlight while only requiring a small amount of ceiling real estate
    • No structural changes or wiring is required, which means solar tubular skylights are easy to install.
    • Solar tubular skylights are available with additional features and accessories not found on skylights, including dimmers for fine control over the amount of sunlight entering a room

    solar skylight

  • A Primer on Solar Energy

    When you take a stroll through the community, you may notice that many residents have installed solar pool heating panels in the Villages. In fact, many homeowners all across North Central Florida take advantage of the abundant sunshine to light their homes and heat their water with solar energy . The primer below will tell you how you can take advantage of this free, renewable energy source to lower your utility bills.

    Solar Water Heating
    Solar pool heaters and water heaters are typically installed in one day, and they allow you to start harnessing solar power immediately. Both use special types of panels called “collectors” mounted on your roof, which heat water before it is pumped back into the holding tank or the pool. You can substantially cut down on your electric and gas bill when you don’t pay to heat the water in your pool or the water you use in your shower.

    Solar Energy | the Villages Solar Powered Lights
    You can light your home with solar energy directly or indirectly. Low-profile solar tubular skylights provide a bright , natural, white light by bouncing the light through a mirrored tube before it reaches your interior space, and their unique design filters out harmful UV rays. Solar tubes provide much more light than traditional skylights; and with no fading or heat. You can also indirectly power your lights, and any other appliances in your home, by installing photovoltaic (PV) cells, commonly called “solar panels,” on your roof.

    Solar Attic Fans
    During hot Florida summers, temperatures can soar in your home’s attic. Elevated temperatures in the attic can substantially increase your cooling bill, damage items that you store there, and even cause the shingles on your roof to buckle and leak. To keep the air temperature cool, you can install a solar attic fan. These low-profile vent units are powered entirely by sunlight, so the fan only runs when the attic is warm. You don’t need to run any extra wires in your roof because the motor and solar panel unit are completely self-contained.