Florida's BS "Commitment" to Solar Energy

I received my electric bill today from FPL. The bill went up over $40 from last month and the fuel charge accounted for over $79 of the bill!

We have a small house so it does not use a lot of power, I have replaced the incandescent light bulbs with the "green" compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or compact fluorescent light bulbs, put additional insulation in the attic, have attic vents installed, have solar film on my east facing sliding glass doors, solar screens on all of my front windows, the accordion shutter locked across the bathroom window (where the morning and early afternoon sunlight used to stream in), and have been adding plants to help cool the yard. But, despite these efforts the power bill keeps going up!

What to do? Well I have been looking at installing photovoltaic (PV) solar cells on my residence. Unfortunately this is an expensive option. A 1.8 kilowatt system will run $10,000 to $12,000.

"In Florida, a straight grid-tied PV system will typically range in capacity from 2 kilowatts to 5 kilowatts and generate approximately 300 and 750 kilowatt-hours per month, respectively and significantly reduce your electricity costs with clean, green, renewable energy generated on your own roof." (Source: Sunworks Solar).

However critics of these systems maintain that Florida has too many clouds too often to make solar energy work and that it's cheaper for utilities to produce — and consumers to pay for — energy that comes from fossil or nuclear fueled power plants. Of course, if you have solar powered lighting in your yard you already know that the first part of their argument is without merit since the solar lights will still come on at night despite having rain all day. Although they do have a point with the second part of their argument. PV systems are expensive!

But Florida does have a rebate program in place for installing solar energy systems (Source: Florida DEP):

Rebate Amounts	Residential	Commercial
Solar Photovoltaic System	$20,000.00	$100,000.00
Solar Thermal System	$500.00	$5,000.00
Solar Thermal Pool Heater	$100.00

However, "[D]ue to the large volume of rebate applications received and funding awarded, the budget for the fiscal year 2007-2008 has been exhausted. If your application is approved it will be placed on a waiting list. If the program is appropriated with funding for the next fiscal year by the Legislature, your application will be granted funding based on the order it was received.

As of June 12, 2008, there are 2,594 approved applications totaling $4,300,566 waiting for next fiscal year funds. These funds will not be available until after July 1, 2008. Please wait until then for an update on the status of your payment." Maybe it is time to send the numb-nuts politicians we send to Tallahassee the message that funding for this program needs to be made a priority in the face of the excruciating pain of rising fuel costs?

Florida Power and Light also has a solar energy program which is known as Sun Funds. However, "The first round of Sun Funds is fully allocated. We are no longer accepting applications. Watch this site for information about future rebate offers."

There is still a bright spot however since the Federal Government through their Energy Star program offers "Tax credits ... for qualified solar water heating and photovoltaic systems. The credits are available for systems 'placed in service' from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2008. The tax credit is for 30% of the cost of the system, up to $2,000. This credit is not limited to the $500 home improvement cap." But, as you see, this credit will expire at the end of this year.

How do Photovoltaic Systems Work?

Basically the PV cell takes energy from the sun and turns it into DC power which is stored in a bank of batteries. When electricity is needed a DC-AC power inverter makes the power stored in the battery bank available for use to your electrical appliances. A basic PV system is illustrated below.

A diagram of how the components of a PV system interact with each other.

Major photovoltaic (PV) system components. (Source: UCF Florida Solar Energy Center)

Batteries are used in PV systems to store energy produced by the PV array during the day, and to supply electricity during the night and periods of cloudy weather. Batteries are also used in PV systems to operate the PV array near its maximum power point, to power electrical loads at stable voltages, and to supply surge currents to electrical loads and inverters. In most cases, a battery charge controller is used in these systems to protect the battery from overcharge and over-discharge.

The advantages of installing a PV system are:

1) You generate clean renewable power from the sun from your roof-top rather than relying on your local power plant burning fossil and nuclear fuels to supply power for your use.

2) In hurricane prone Florida, when the power from the electrical grid goes out you will still be able to power your appliances from your battery bank without having to rely on an obnoxious gasoline or diesel powered generator.

3) Any excess energy produced by your solar array can be sold to the power company.

4) It is against Florida Law for any community, city, town, or homeowners association to prohibit solar collectors, clotheslines, or other energy devices based on renewable resources from being installed on buildings erected on the lots or parcels covered by the deed restrictions, covenants, or binding agreements.

5) Financing is available (for those who qualify) to have PV systems installed on their property.

For more information about solar power in Florida visit the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association website.