Category: Uncategorized

If you live in Orlando, you likely have Florida Power & Light as your utility provider. If so, in 2023, you will see yet another increase in your power bills. FPL has said that the increase is part of a 4-year base rate plan, but this time around, with rising fuel costs, these rate increases are going to make an even bigger impact on customers’ wallets.

So, what can you do to combat these rising rates? Install solar and sign up for net metering of course! Our team at Solar Bear Orlando explains!

How Much are Electricity Rates Going to Go Up in 2023?

For 2023, FPL outlines the following rate increases:

• 1,000 kWh or less, nearly a $5 base rate increase
• Over 1,000 kWh, will increase even more but not yet specified

FPL increases in 2022 hit customers quite hard. In fact, there was a protest where customers asked the Florida legislature for help with bill relief.

FPL said that they understood the frustration with the rate increases, but are working to try and ease the transition.

Once the increase is approved by the Public Service Commission, the new rates will start on January 1st, 2023.

What is the 4-Year Base Rate Plan?

FPL released their approved 4-year base rate plan that increases energy usage rates for a temporary time. Overall, the plan is meant to even out and lower costs by the end of that timeframe. 

Though this is a good goal for the energy giant, the rising fuel costs and inflation are putting a wrench in the gears. Instead of a decrease, they are looking at an increase in rates.

Will Going Solar Help?

Absolutely! FPL has a strong solar power initiative that offers plenty of ways to save on rising costs. If customers choose to put a solar system on their roof, they can take part in net metering programs that allow them to use their solar power, plus give excess energy to the grid thus lowering their overall costs.

Most people who switch to solar can save $10,000 to $30,000 on electricity over the lifespan of the solar system.

How much you will save depends on several factors though and they include:

• Hours of direct sunlight per day
• Size and angle of your roof
• Local electricity rates

The more you pay for electricity, the more you can offset with a solar system.

How Much Do Solar Panels Save You on Electric Bills?

The first step to understanding your solar savings is to calculate how much you are currently spending on energy costs each year. For example, if you take the average annual electricity use that is required to run a U.S. household, 10,649 kWh, and multiply it by the national average electricity rate of $.14 per kWh, you will find that the average American family is spending around $1,500 on electricity alone. Of course, this number is an average and fluctuates based on where you live, your climate, and other factors.

As we have seen with the FPL increases, utility rates are volatile and change frequently. This is an added incentive for installing solar. When you generate your own energy with a rooftop photovoltaic system, you are locking in your electricity costs so you no longer have to worry about the ever-changing utility company rates.

Will I Still Have an Electric Bill if I Go Solar?

Yes, you will still receive an electric bill from your local utility company after installing solar panels, but it will be dramatically less than it was before, especially if you sign up for net metering.

Net metering credits may be added to your utility account to offset electricity costs if your system generates more electricity than your home needs. This electricity is sent to the grid, so your utility will give you back credits in the form of net metering.

Installing solar panels will most certainly lead to lower monthly energy bills, and can in some cases eliminate the monthly bill completely.

It’s Time to Switch to Solar

Ready to say goodbye to FPL’s volatile electricity rates? Go solar with Solar Bear Orlando today! It is a powerful thing when you take your energy into your own hands. Call us today at (727) 471-7442 for a solar installation quote!

New year, new you…new solar panels? If you’re considering installing a solar system in your home or business, you may be wondering how much you can earn in financial incentives. The truth is a lot! When combined, local, state, and federal incentives can add up and solidify what a lucrative purchase of a solar system can be for Florida homeowners and businesses. Solar Bear of Tampa has compiled a list of financial incentives you can expect when going solar.

Most people don’t know that installing solar panels can instantly increase your home’s value by over 4% and help you save up to $30,000 across their lifespan. With stats like these, it’s no wonder why the rising popularity of solar energy has led to incredible financial incentives for Florida residents. Currently, all solar system users are exempt from paying sales tax on solar, which significantly reduces the final cost of your system through the Solar and CHP Sales Tax Exemption. Solar is also exempt from property taxes for residential solar panels by the Property Tax Exclusion for Residential Renewable Energy Property exemption. This means that county tax collectors can overlook a home’s solar system when assessing value. These statewide incentives are especially appealing to those who would be subject to sales and property taxes on any other home improvement investments.

Pair these perks with the ever-popular net metering program and you are off to a great start! Depending on your solar system and any incentives you opted into, a bi-directional meter can be installed with your system. If your solar panels produce more electricity than necessary, any excess will be sent back to the utility grid. As it flows into the meter, you earn equal credit on a future utility bill. Currently, Tampa Electric Company (TECO), Duke Energy, and Florida Power & Light (FPL) all offer utility net metering programs in Florida

Our team of energy experts at Solar Bear of Tampa can assist with any financial questions while we customize a solar installation that works for you. Call us at (727) 471-7442 or request a free estimate today.

Maybe you’ve never heard of solar attic fans, but they’ve been proven to improve the quality of your home. They are especially useful in Texas, where the temperature is hotter than average and utility bills are at an all-time high. The Solar Bear Houston team is here to show you all of the incredible benefits that solar attic fans have to offer!

1. Reduces the Heat in Your Home

Solar attic fans utilize solar energy to suck out the hot air in your attic and replace it with cooler air. The result is a much more refreshing environment to enjoy during hotter months. These fans also help with humidity, which is a common issue in Texas homes.

2. Lowers Your Energy Bill

Since solar attic fans help regulate colder temperatures in your home, it also relieves the pressure on your AC unit by causing it to work less than usual. Since HVACs take up most of your energy usage, you can expect a good chunk of your electric bill to be taken out of the equation.

3. Cheaper Than Replacing Your AC Unit

If you are experiencing problems with your air conditioning unit, having a solar attic fan installed can be a much cheaper solution than getting your HVAC completely replaced. It is possible to rely on your attic fan to do most of the work while your AC runs at minimum capacity.

4. Tax Credit Eligibility

Thankfully, there are solar-related federal tax incentives available that can cover as much as up to 30% of your solar attic fan installation costs. Incentives are always changing, but you can ask your local solar panel company for more information on current programs.

5. Prevents Mold and Deterioration

Since solar attic fans help reduce humidity, that also means you’ll have less moisture invading your home. Moisture is a fast track toward mold and deteriorating walls, so fans act as a way to preserve the sanctity of your home’s structural integrity and your personal health.

6. Easy to Install

Getting solar attic fans installed isn’t an all-day process. Since they don’t require a complex system of wires and hookups, the lack of necessary assembly means that you can have your fans installed in as little as a couple of hours.

7. Promotes An Eco-Friendly Environment

The fact that solar attic fans use solar energy and promote lower energy usage makes them a wonderful eco-friendly tool for shaping a better environment. Many products claim to be “green” while hiding behind gimmicks or deceptive fine print, but these fans have no reason to be misleading, since they actually work as intended.

8. Withstands Texas Weather

Texans understand how difficult it can be to deal with intense weather conditions like extreme heat and humidity as well as the occasional storm and hurricane gravitating from the coastline. Solar attic fans have been known to stand their ground in the midst of these occurrences so you don’t have to worry!

Ask Solar Bear Houston About Solar Attic Fans!

If you’re interested in receiving all of the wonderful benefits that solar attic fans have to offer, your local solar experts at Solar Bear Houston! We’ll be able to help you with all of your questions and concerns so you can start saving money and enjoy cooler temperatures in your Texas home. Call (727) 471-7442 today!

With clear skies and almost constant sunlight, Florida should be the perfect place for solar power, right? Well yes, but there is a caveat.

While solar panels need ample sunlight to produce electricity, the extreme heat that comes along with Florida’s sun is not a friend to solar production. Our team at Solar Bear Orlando explains why.

Heat and Solar Panels

To fully understand why high temperatures, zap solar panel efficiency, we first have to discuss how solar panels work.

In a nutshell, solar panels use the sun’s photons to produce electricity. Photons push electrons out of the atoms that make up solar panel cells. These electrons then zip around the circuit within the solar panel. It is this movement of photons and electrons that produces an electric current. 

One factor that plays a role in how much power each electron creates in its original state before it gets knocked out of its electron. On a cool, electrons are in a nice, relaxed state and when the photon kicks them out of the atom, they become more energized. This change from low energy to high energy produces a high current.

The situation is different on a hot day. The heat within the solar panels already has the electrons in an excited state. This means that they can’t pick up much energy when they are dislodged by the photons.

So even though the solar panel may get the same amount of sunlight on a cool or hot day, the panels will produce more energy on a cool day.

Plus, depending on your solar panel brand, and the temperature of your roof, high heat may steal away as much as 10% of your solar system’s efficiency.

How Hot is Too Hot?

So how much heat can solar panels really handle? Well, it depends on the solar panel brand and the panel’s temperature coefficient.

Each solar panel brand has an efficiency rating, with an average of 15%. This number refers to how much sunlight it can convert into usable energy. Each solar panel brand also has a temperature coefficient, which explains how well the panels will perform in high temperatures.

Generally, though solar panels need ample sun to function, they don’t begin to lose their efficiency until the temperature rises to 77 degrees. When the temperature reaches this point, for every increase in temperature above 77 degrees, a solar panel loses efficiency by the rate of its temperature coefficient.

This explains why on hot summer days, the performance of your solar panels can be diminished. This can be problematic during these hot days when you want to use your solar energy to help keep your home cool.

Beating the Heat

So, is there a way to beat the Florida heat to ensure that your solar panels are working efficiently?

Consider:

Choosing the Right Solar Panels

The best way to manage the issue of heat is to choose solar panels with a low temperature coefficient. Most PV panels offer a temperature coefficient between -0.35 and -0.5.

There are also solar panels called thin-film panels or (TF). One of the biggest benefits of these kinds of panels is that they can handle heat better than their PV counterparts. Most TF panels offer a temperature coefficient of around -0.2 and -0.25. There is a catch though.

PV panels are more efficient than TF panels, so unless you live in an extremely hot area, they won’t match PV panels’ efficiency.

Choose the Right Solar System Size

When you work with Solar Bear Orlando, we will calculate your average monthly energy usage to determine the ideal size of your solar system. We will also keep your area’s average temperatures and temperature coefficient in mind when making our recommendations.

This is another reason why you should consider working with a local solar panel installation company like Solar Bear. We are familiar with the weather patterns in the Central Florida area, and understand how hot summer months affect the efficiency of your solar system.

Choose High-Quality Installation

While there is no way to prevent diminished solar panel efficiency during the hottest days in the summer, your solar installation company can install your panels to keep them as cool as possible to limit lowered efficiency. For example, it is common for installers to house panels in a thermally conductive substrate to help vent heat away.

Also, roofing like Spanish tiles and asphalt shingles absorb heat, so your installer may mount your solar panels a few inches above the roof to counteract the higher ambient temperature.

Choose Solar Bear Orlando

Ready to go solar in Central Florida? Call Solar Bear Orlando to learn more about our solar panel systems and how we can boost your system’s efficiency.

Call us today for a solar consultation; (727) 471-7442!