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Do I Still Get an Electric Bill If I Go Solar?

While you might have heard that you can forgo your electricity bill completely when you go solar in the city, it isn’t necessarily true. Yes, you read that right!

Yes, if you live off the grid and install solar, you won’t have to pay your local utility for power, but if you live in the city limits and your home is connected to the grid, it gets a little more complicated. Our team at Solar Bear Orlando explains.

The Ins and Outs of Net Metering

In Orlando, customers who install solar panels on their homes can say goodbye to most of their monthly energy bills if they have the right system on their roof with net metering.

Orlando’s net-metering program allows solar owners to buy and sell power to the grid. Currently, Florida law does not allow consumers to buy energy from a third party.

The caveat is that to be part of the net metering program, solar systems must be inspected and permitted by the city or county to ensure that it meets electrical and wind codes.

Be aware, that unless you have a lot of roof space, you aren’t going to be producing as much energy as you consume, so you may still need to pay a small electricity bill. (And by small we mean between $10-20 a month!) But the goal of a solar panel system isn’t to overproduce energy anyway, because then you’d just be giving all your excess energy to the power company.

Florida Power & Light Net Metering

To take part in net metering in Orlando, Florida Power & Light (FPL) installs a special meter on your property that captures the energy that is going to and from the grid. Excess energy from your solar panels can be sold back to Florida Power & Light and is credited on your future electric bills, thus lowering your overall energy costs significantly.

To take part in the Tier One system, (or those with an 8 kilowatt, 8,000-watt system) homeowners in Orlando will need to obtain a city or county permit, enroll in the net metering program, and sign the interconnection agreement with FPL to participate.

Of course, if your solar system is larger than an average 8-kilowatt system, you can take part in the Tier Two program which includes a $400 application fee and you must have a $1 million general liability insurance policy for your home.

FPL customers that take part in the net-metering program pay the basic service charge a month plus 9-11 cents a kilowatt for power that they use from the grid. If your solar system provides 100% of your power, you will only have to pay the service charge.

How Much Power Will My Solar System Produce?

Net metering allows customers to generate power during the day with their solar panels and draw power at night from the grid. The peak months for power generation from solar are March through June here in Florida. But during the summer, most homeowners use more energy to run the air conditioning to keep their homes cool.

Power generation depends on the direction of your solar panels, trees, and other trade near your home, and of course the weather.

There are several equations to determine how many solar panels your home will need, and the amount of power they will produce. Generally, the average U.S. household needs a 6.62-kW system to match the 8000 kWh average annual household usage, and it is typical for a solar panel to make 320 watts of electricity in ideal conditions.

If you get five hours of direct sunlight each day, you can calculate your solar panel output with this equation:

5 hours x 290 watts (an example of the wattage produced by a premium solar panel) = 1,450 watts/hr or 1.5 kWh. As a result, each solar panel will produce about 500-550 kWh each year.

Depending on how many solar panels your home has, you could be able to generate most of your own power and be able to sell some of it back to the utility company through net metering. Can you imagine if your entire energy bill was only 10-15 bucks a month!? Sounds nice to us!

Learn More> Why Florida is the Perfect Place to Switch to Solar

Pay Less for Electricity with Solar Bear

If you are ready to take control of your energy costs and take part in Orlando’s net metering program, call our team at Solar Bear Orlando! We can help you choose the right size solar system for your home so you can pay less for your home’s energy usage. Who knows? You may also be able to produce 100% of your energy and only pay the net-metering service charge each month. Awesome!

Go solar with Orlando’s #1 solar installation company! Call Solar Bear Orlando for a consultation today; (727) 471-7442!

How Going Solar Can Cut Down Business Costs

Solar energy is not just for neighborhoods anymore. Florida businesses are beginning to see the light and are now integrating solar into their operations. The Solar Bear Tampa team knows that by cutting energy costs and leveraging government incentive programs, these businesses can cut down their costs significantly. Read on to find out how going solar can reduce or even eliminate business costs.

Energy costs have always been a notable profit-stealing factor for most businesses. With the ongoing popularity of solar energy here in Florida, there’s never been a better time to enhance a business brand image with the addition of solar. Though cost is always at the helm of a business owner’s decision, there are nuances when it comes to short and long-term solar costs. The upfront panel installation can be expensive but because commercial systems vary in size, pricing can too. Many solar companies, like Solar Bear Tampa, offer incentive programs and payment plans that are then offset by the energy savings provided by the system. Most businesses receive more energy savings than their monthly payment costs. Pair this with local and federal tax incentives to save even more!

Since space is a valuable resource, businesses often have several advantages over residences when installing a solar system. Most systems are roof-mounted so a large, flat roof design is ideal. This type of landscape will also assist solar companies when performing their system estimates. Because each system is customized, providers should always work with business owners to determine the best scope, size of the system, and any additional maintenance plans. Solar Bear Tampa provides all of this and can answer any additional questions during our free estimate.

Taking your business solar will not only cut down costs but can also enhance your brand image as an environmentally conscious company. Solar Bear Tampa is here to help! Based in Florida, our team can help you create a solar energy plan that works for your business. Call us at (727) 471-7442 for more information.

How Do Solar Panel Warranties Work?

When you’re ready to install a solar panel system in your Orlando home, you’ll likely have many questions about the installation, price, and ultimately, the warranty.

Don’t worry! While solar panel warranties can be complex to understand, our team here at Solar Bear Orlando is here to walk you through every part of the process. We can help you decide what solar system is best for you and will go over the warranty with you to ensure you know exactly what it entails.

Keep scrolling to learn more about solar panel warranties from our team at Super Heat & Air!

What Components are Included in a Solar Panel System Warranty?

There are four key components that are usually in a solar panel warranty:

• Product warranty
• Labor warranty
• Performance warranty
• Roof warranty

Each component of the solar warranty is equally important to ensure that you are getting the best value possible with your solar panel system.

Product Warranty

A product warranty ensures all the parts and materials of your solar panel system. Some parts of the solar system, like the inverter, often have a lifespan of 10 years, which is why many people decide to get coverage beyond that.

There are a few crucial things that are included in a product warranty including:

• Shipping, parts, and materials through the manufacturer
• Components such as railings, mounts, and the inverter

A product warranty lasts for 25 years and covers any panel replacements that may be required if the panels break or malfunction.

Labor/Workmanship Warranty

A labor or workmanship warranty ensures that your solar panel system will be properly installed. This includes:

• Proper conduit and wire runs
• Proper solar panel installation

Without a solid labor warranty, it could be quite costly to perform maintenance or repairs on your solar system and it will come out of your pocket.

Performance Warranty

The performance warranty guarantees that your solar panels will meet or produce a minimum of electricity during the warranty period. Just like other electronics, solar panels and their parts will slowly degrade over time, but only on a small scale over time.

Roof Warranty

It is also important to consider the lifespan of your roof. A benefit to installing solar panels is that they offer protection for your roof from inclement weather like rain or snow in northern climates.

Because of this, your roof will remain in stellar condition after a Solar Bear solar installation. Roof warranties also often provide coverage in the unlikely case of a leak caused by the installation of the solar panels.

If your roof does need to be replaced after getting solar, our solar installers can properly remove and reinstall the panels so your warranty remains intact.

Importance of Solar Warranties

Solar panels are a great investment because they are built to last. Even with slight degradation over the years, they can be effective and produce power for 3-40 years and beyond.

When you are investing in a solar system, it is important to choose a company that you can trust to ensure that your solar panels run smoothly for years to come. Solar panel warranties are a key component when investing in solar, as they provide a sense of security to you, the buyer, throughout the lifespan of your panels.

Orlando Solar

When you are ready to go solar in Orlando, choose Solar Bear Orlando for expert solar installations. We will help you choose the most-efficient solar array for your home and will make sure that you understand all the warranties involved.

Get started with solar today! Call Solar Bear for a quote at (727) 471-7442!

Government Deadlines Floridian Solar Power Users Must Know

The recent changes to the solar industry in Florida have turned the Sunshine State a bit cloudy lately. Net metering, highly regarded as one of the best financial incentives when owning a solar system, was hanging in the balance under a new piece of legislation, HB 741. Solar Bear Tampa shares what Floridian solar power users should know about possible government deadlines for bills like these.

Net metering programs allow Floridian solar power users to lower or eliminate their utility bills. With this program, if your rooftop solar panels produce more electricity than needed, any excess would be sent through the meter and into the utility electrical grid. As it flows into the meter, you earn credit for each kilowatt (kW) of energy produced on a future utility bill. Currently, Tampa Electric Company (TECO), Duke Energy, and Florida Power & Light (FPL) offer utility net metering programs in Florida. However, if HB 741 or a similar bill was passed, that could all change.

As it’s written, HB 741 was set to have a huge impact on potential solar customers. Current solar customers would not be directly impacted by the bill immediately but if you were interested in adding a new solar system, it would be best to act quickly. HB 741 was scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2022, with all current solar businesses and residences grandfathered in for twenty years. Those that are interested in installing solar would have to do so by 2024 before utility companies replaced credits with fixed-rate charges. As part of these possible changes, the following time frames explain the elimination process for billing credits.

• January 1, 2024-December 31, 2025 credits will be reduced to 75% of their current value
• January 1, 2026-December 31, 2026 credits reduced to 60% of their current value
• January 1, 2027-December 31, 2028 credits reduced to 50% of their current value
• Beginning January 1, 2029, all billing credits will be eliminated. Solar customers will pay the full cost of all services and will not be cross-subsidized.

Though the bill was passed in both houses, HB 741 was vetoed by Governor DeSantis on April 27, 2022. This iteration of the bill has been halted but that’s not to say it could not return in a different form next session. Stay up to date on solar initiatives with Solar Bear Tampa by scheduling your free estimate today.