Solar Energy
 

I guess I might be considered a tree hugger. We recycle everything we can. I try to always use re-usable shopping bags, I am switching out our bulbs for LEDs, we drive a Pruis and have 2 electric golf carts.

I am not here to lecture or anything like that. Just to inform, if you are interested in solar energy at all, there is a grassroots group collecting signatures for get an initiative on the 2016 ballot.

Currently Florida, The Sunshine State, is one of only 4 states that does not have such an initiative or protocol which allows roof mounted Solar panels to be marketed in the state by anyone other than the big power companies.

The other 46 states allow 3rd party sellers of roof mounted solar systems which gives the buyer several financing options. Most of those other states also offer tax incentives for the purchase of solar panels. Some even go as far as having the power companies credit the customer for any unused power which is produced and goes back into the grid.

"Floridians for Solar Choice" is the grass roots group attempting to get the petition on the ballot.

Here is the kicker..... "Citizens for Responsibile Solar" or "Citizens for Smart Solar" is another group trying to get on the ballot as well. This second group is funded by Duke Energy, Florida Power and Light and several other big Power companies. Their version will not create any change. It is simply a measure to confuse the citizens and protect the monolopy that the power companies have. It pretty much guarantees that converting homes to clean Solar energy will be a very long way off.

If you are interested, you can google this online and add your signature to the legitimate bill. Just do your homework and don't be fooled by the "responsible" or "smart" solar petition. It is big money trying to protect the monopolies in place.

Ok, I will get off my soap box. Just remember "Floridians for Solar Choice" is the real deal.

thanks for reading!

This is a good summary of ways to conserve energy in your home;


PowerHouse : 101 Ways to Save Energy


I have a friend here in The Villages who is over 100 years old and she lectures her family for buying new furniture and appliances just to look updated. She thinks you should wear your clothes even if they aren't the latest trend. She cans (YES, you read that right) and she checks her investments on line everyday. And she saves her money.


I don't think she has a Prius but I know for a fact that her grandson has a Tesla.

sounds like a smart lady!
 

The old advice is still very relevant today:
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle

Back in the 60's I started using cloth napkins and we still do. I baked and canned back in the day, and used wood stoves for heat while living in cold country. Life got busier and I got lazier. But I do still make an effort to decrease our footprint as much as possible.

We do worry about the crazy world we are leaving for our grandkids, so it doesn't hurt to make a little effort to decrease our impact.

When I worked in San Jose, Ca for the last 10 yrs before retiring, I saw San Francisco and San Jose discontinue the use of shopping bags. That has spread to most of norther California now. It was inconvenient at first, but after a few months everyone was on board and brought their shopping bags with them. If you forgot, you were charged for paper bags. No plastic, ever.

It is amazing what a big impact can be had by changing a few simple habits.

"It is amazing what a big impact can be had by changing a few simple habits."

I'm not sure what, if any, measurable impact changing a few simple habits has on the environment. In many cases, these feel good efforts actually increase one's "footprint" (unintended consequences). But I guess that's for another thread.

In the case of removing free shopping bags from the stores in northern Ca., that one small change has had a very large impact. It's like separating our recyclables from our trash. Small changes can have positive "big ripple" effects.

Even if every American would do everything they could and all American manufacturers would do all they could and all emission control on cars would be effected, and all manufacturing emission controls would be put in place and we weren't allowed to buy products from countries who didn't follow those rules, we still have the rest of the world with lots of huge countries who won't. People will not stop driving cars or buying manufactured items.


It is like pouring sand down a rat hole or ****ing in the wind.


Then it becomes political. I hate when it becomes political. Then the small lies and the big lies are passed around and a lot of money is wasted on television ads and campaigns that will not change anyone's mind.

Hi, a new formed group focusing on solar energy is meeting next Monday and you are welcome to attend.

Where and when? I have worked in this area for over 25 years, on the utility side, at a utility that promoted these installations...

Monday 12/14 4:30pm at Panera
1010 Lake Sumpter lane, Lake Sumpter Florida 32162
complimentary coffee and pastries.

I am planning on attending.

I recently had a quote from a third party vendor to install solar panels. Then I had a SECO representative look at our power usage and evaluate our home and appliances, etc. that consume the power. He told us how much each was costing to operate. He also mentioned two other companies that install solar panels. He informed me that power in excess of what we use goes back on the grid and can either be used in the future (as needed) or we can sell it to SECO.

I have conflicting information on the sale of power to SECO. The SECO rep said you will get 70% of what you would pay for the power. (The other 30% is what SECO gets for providing the grid/infrastructure.)

As I understand it the only incentive in Florida is the 30% Federal Tax Credit. Our Sunshine state offers no incentives.

I would like to attend the meeting on Monday but I have a prior commitment. Hopefully some of you will inform us of what you hear.

As I understand the current situation in FL, a THIRD party cannot install and LEASE the panels, if this was the arrangement that you were discussing I would be interested how they are doing this. You can of course, hire a contractor to install panels THAT YOU PAY FOR. I agree that the current situation in FL is confusing. I will need to go back to the SECO website and see if the documents I downloaded have been updated. I do not recall the 70% buyback rate.

I was looking at buying the panels.

FYI - the SECO rep told me that their website will be updated with more solar information after the first of the year.

BogeyBoy,

Thank you for the clarification.

VT

Late breaking news, with the Dec 15th budget bill, the ITC for solar and wind were extended for 5 years. Here is a link to an article on this.

Making Sense of the Tax Credit Extensions for Wind, Solar (and Bioenergy, Too) - Renewable Energy World

Hope the link works.