• 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.

  • Shining a Light on Sun Bandit [Infographic]

    Using a hot water heater requires a significant amount of energy, which is costly for the environment and for you. Solar energy offers an alternative way to heat water without the environmental impact and energy costs, and now there is a new way to harness solar energy for hot water heating: Sun Bandit. The Sun Bandit system harnesses the sun’s energy for solar water heating that is completely off the grid. You can use it in conjunction with your existing hot water heater to preheat your water and reduce the amount of work your heater has to do, or you can convert to Sun Bandit completely and use it for all of your solar hot water needs. Learn more about Sun Bandit in this infographic from Solar Lights & More. We offer a variety of solutions for solar power in The Villages and Ocala, FL. Please share this information to help others understand the energy-saving potential of Sun Bandit solar water heating.

    Shining a Light on Sun Bandit [Infographic]

  • Home Solar Panels 101

    Solar panel systems capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity. If you’re thinking about installing solar panels for your home near The Villages or North Central Florida, there are a few helpful facts that can help you determine if solar power is right for you. Contrary to popular belief, solar energy can be harnessed to power your household nearly anywhere in the United States, and solar panels can be installed on your roof or the ground near your home.

    Solar Panels

    Home solar panels create an eco-friendly and inexhaustible source of energy due to their ability to convert sunlight into power. During the day, solar cells inside of the panels absorb the sun’s energy as they are exposed to the light. Inside of the cells are circuits which convert the collected energy into direct current electricity. Finally, because most homes run on an alternating current, the direct current is sent through an inverter which transforms the power to an alternating current. At this point, your house can be powered by the electricity created from the collected solar energy.

  • 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.

  • The Advantages of Heating Your Water with Solar Power

    When you install solar panels for your home, the solar energy that they produce can power a variety of household appliances. For instance, you can install a solar hot water system Hernando, Leesburg, or elsewhere in North Central Florida. A solar hot water system will provide hot water for your entire household, while using eco-friendly alternative energy that costs far less than traditional gas or electricity.

    Traditional water heating systems are responsible for the majority of the energy consumption of the average household. They can cost over $500 per year to operate, and even more to maintain. A solar hot water system is carefully designed to work seamlessly with your existing electric or gas water heater. The solar panel system will provide enough hot water for your daily bathing and cleaning needs. Your gas or electric bills will drop dramatically when you rely on solar power for your water heating needs.

    Solar hot water systems reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, and they are far less toxic than burning fossil fuels. Solar energy is renewable energy that will be available even when fossil fuels are not.

    Solar Energy Water Heater

  • A Look at How Solar Pool Heaters Work

    Once you have installed a solar pool heating system in Clermont or the villages, you may be wondering how your new system works. Solar heating systems function in a relatively simple manner. First, you will set the temperature of the water. During the long North Central Florida day, your system’s solar collectors will capture the energy of the sun’s rays. Cold water from your swimming pool will be pumped through these collectors, warming it before it flows back into your pool. The result is a warm pool that will be perfectly comfortable for you to swim in.

    What happens when the sun sets, or when the sky clouds over? Once the collectors aren’t receiving enough sunlight to warm the water, your pool heating system’s sensor turns off the collectors and stops water from flowing through them. This allows your pool to stay warm until the sun comes out again and your system can resume warming it.

    Solar Pool Heater

  • Understanding How Solar Water Heaters Work

    Solar energy can be used to power a variety of appliances throughout your home. From solar lights to solar pool heating, there are many ways that you can harness the power of the sun to meet your home’s energy needs. Solar water heaters are among the appliances that you may want to consider when you are making the switch to solar. With solar water heating , you can reduce your monthly energy bills while also improving the environmental impact of your home. A company specializing in solar panels in Ocala can help you install the right solar water heater for your household. Read on to learn more about how solar water heaters work.

    Collection Solar Water Heater
    Water collection is one of the primary principles at work in a solar water heater . When you install a solar water heater in your home, a collection system will be placed on your roof. Solar water heaters are available with a variety of collection systems, including batch collectors, flat-plate collectors, and evacuated tube collectors. Once cool water enters the collector, it is heated with insulated tubes. These tubes harness the energy of the sun, and transfer this energy into your home’s water supply. A single collector will create enough water for the daily needs of your household.

    Circulation
    Circulation is another key principle behind a solar water heater. Once the collector heats the water, it is then circulated to a tank, where it is stored for your daily use. There are several types of circulation systems, including direct systems, indirect systems, and active systems. Homeowners who live in colder climates will need to choose circulation systems that offer protection against freezing temperatures. With freeze protection, your circulation system will prevent the water from cooling down as it travels from the collection area to the storage tank. Your solar water heater installation professional will help you determine the best system for your home.

  • Understanding Your Solar Water Heater

    Florida lives up to its nickname “the Sunshine State,” and many homeowners throughout North Central Florida take advantage of this by harnessing solar energy to light their homes, keep their pools warm, and heat water for their sinks and tubs. One of the best ways to harness the free, abundant energy of the sun is to install solar water heaters in Clermont or Hernando . These systems supplement your current gas or electric water heater with solar power. Read on to learn more about how they work.

    Solar Water Heater | Hernando Water Heater Basics
    Most residential water heaters feature a reserve tank that holds dozens of gallons of hot water, ready for use at a moment’s notice, and solar hot water heaters are no exception. Roof-mounted collectors (similar to solar panels) absorb thermal energy from sunlight, and use this to heat the water before delivering it to the tank. This reduces energy consumption, since you are not burning gas or using electricity to heat the water—only free solar energy.

    Collector Designs
    There are three basic designs for the energy collectors that form part of solar water heater systems. Passive collectors feature an insulated box containing large copper tubes which hold the water. They are equipped with tempering valves to keep water at a comfortable temperature when it comes out of the tap, since the water will continue to heat up in the tank. Flat plate collectors consist of an assembly of copper tubes and tempered glass. Indirect polymer collectors, which are the most energy-efficient type, feature a series of self-insulated tubes to provide maximum heat.

    Circulation Systems
    Many solar water heaters use direct circulation, where the water itself passes through the collectors before being stored in the tank. In warm climates such as that of South Florida, this system is ideal. The best for North Central Florida are indirect systems, also called closed-loop systems, which feature a special heat transfer fluid that warms the water in the tank. The systems can either be passive, where natural convection pumps the water from the collectors to the tank, or forced-circulation, which use pumps, valves, and controllers.

  • What Are Your Solar Water Heater Options

    Solar Water Heater | Clermont Solar power is one of the most abundant resources in Florida, and installing a solar water heater near Clermont is one of the most effective ways to take advantage of it. Solar water heaters will save you money on your energy bills, and provide you with plenty of hot water for all your needs.

    Solar water heating is very simple in principle: the sun’s rays strike a collector, and the water is heated either directly by the solar energy or by means of a heat transfer fluid. Solar water heaters work in tandem with your current water heating system. If you have a gas water heater, you will need to install a second tank to take advantage of the solar system. If you currently use an electric water heater, you can install optional photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to provide electricity so that you can have hot water even in the event of a power outage.