Summer in Florida is not for the faint of heart! Rising heat and no school for kids means your air conditioner is putting in some serious work. But, what if you could use solar panels to reduce cooling costs? Solar Bear tells you how to drop it like it’s hot (because all Floridians can relate).
Did you know that asphalt is one of the most popular roofing materials in the United States? Made of materials covered in asphalt and stone granules, asphalt shingles are affordable, durable and unfortunately, great at absorbing the sun’s energy. Other roofing materials like clay tiles and metal can match or exceed the 150 to 185 degrees that a roof can reach! Luckily, Solar Bear has a great option to beat that heat. Rooftop solar panels can absorb a tremendous amount of the heat that shines down on your home. By absorbing almost 40% of it, cooling costs will be reduced, which adds to your already tremendous financial savings. Any accumulated energy from those rays can be used for energy instead of having to pull from the power grid. Another byproduct of rooftop panel absorption is a cooler roof temperature. Studies show that panels can reduce roof temperatures by 5 degrees. Chalk this up as another energy win because your cooling unit won’t have to work as hard to keep your home at its optimal temperature.
If you find your system is overproducing because of the sun-bundance, save it for a rainy day. Literally! Some homeowners add a solar battery to their panel installation so energy can be used for later use or during a power outage. Skipped the battery storage? No worries, another great option to take advantage of is net metering. Net metering is a billing process that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. If your solar system generates more electricity than your home requires, any excess energy will go back to the grid, and you’ll be issued a credit on your next utility bill. Currently, Tampa Electric Company (TECO), Duke Energy, and Florida Power & Light (FPL) all offer utility net metering programs in Florida.
If you’re ready to take the plunge, Solar Bear can help create a solar energy plan that works for your family. Sign up for a free estimate today or give us a call at (813) 922-3735 for more information.
Solar attic fans are a hot topic in the solar industry. Some people believe that they offer considerable energy savings and many other benefits, while others believe that there are drawbacks to installing this technology in your home.
Not sure if a solar attic fan is worth the cost? Our pros at Solar Bear Orlando discuss the pros and cons of solar attic fans, so you can make the best decision for your home.
What is a Solar Attic Fan?
A solar attic fan is designed to do two jobs. The first job is to lower the attic temperature by venting hot air out and drawing cool air back in. The second job of a solar attic fan is to keep your attic dry.
How Do Solar Attic Fans Work?
A solar attic fan uses a roof-mounted solar panel to convert energy from the sun into electricity which in turn powers an electric fan on your roof. If the solar panel is receiving direct sun, the fan will draw hot air out of your attic. The drawback is that the fan won’t work at night or if it is cloudy outside.
The hot attic air that the solar attic fan vents out is replaced with cooler air that is drawn into your attic through ventilation in your soffit. You likely already have some of these since soffit vents are incorporated into the eaves of most houses.
Ventilation is vital to the solar attic fan system, and it won’t work if your home doesn’t have adequate soffit ventilation. Generally, you will need around 8 square feet of screened soffit ventilation per solar attic fan.
During hot summers in Orlando, a solar fan will remove superheated air from the top of your home’s attic drawing in cool air to lower temperatures, and ultimately cool your home below. In the cooler months, an attic solar fan will provide airflow throughout your attic, replacing its air regularly.
Pros of Solar Attic Fans
Advocates for solar attic fans point out several benefits including:
Reduced attic temperatures
Energy savings
A cooler home
Solar attic fan systems are quite effective in lowering attic air temperatures. A cooler attic reduces the burden on your HVAC system and saves you money on energy costs. This is one of the top reasons why homeowners install a solar attic fan.
Other benefits include:
Protection from Humidity
During the cooler months, humid air in your attic can cause a whole host of problems. Wet air can condensate on surfaces causing mildew, dampness, and costly water damage. A solar attic fan keeps air flowing through your attic, taking the damp air out and replacing it with cool dry air, eliminating the dampness and humidity.
No Ongoing Costs
After the initial investment in a solar attic fan, you won’t need to pay for anything else. Your solar system will generate all the power that it needs, so you won’t have to pay for fuel costs to run your solar attic fan.
You can enjoy savings on your energy costs and reduce the costs of home repairs that are needed due to water damage.
Cons of Solar Attic Fans
Solar attic fans do have some drawbacks including:
Solar Attic Fans Can Draw Cool Air Through the Ceiling of Your House
One drawback to using a solar attic fan is that you will need to have an airtight seal between your home and your attic to prevent the fan from drawing cool air up through gaps in your ceiling into the attic. This could put a major strain on your HVAC system as it tries to cool your home and the attic.
The good news is that our team at Solar Bear Orlando offers spray foam insulation to combat this exact problem!
Most solar technology does have a relatively high investment cost, though there are Governmental incentives to help you pay for the cost.
The important thing to remember here is that you need to weigh the initial costs of installation against the potential energy and maintenance savings over the solar attic fan’s expected lifespan.
They Don’t Generate Enough Power
Some critics suggest that rooftop solar panels don’t generate enough power to drive the electric fan long enough to make a difference to your attic temperatures.
While it is true that solar attic fans only work when the sun is shining, solar panels still work even when it’s cloudy out by collecting indirect sunlight. Also, your attic gets the hottest when it is getting direct sunlight, so the solar attic fan will be most efficient and work its hardest when it is most needed.
The Bottom Line
Solar attic fans have the potential to offer great energy savings for your home especially when paired with spray foam insulation and an energy-efficient HVAC system.
You’d be surprised by the amount of energy savings you will experience with better insulation and a solar attic fan. So, whether you want to install a solar array on your roof, a solar attic fan, or insulate your home with spray foam insulation, our team at Solar Bear Orlando is ready to get the job done!
Start saving on energy costs and call Solar Bear Orlando today; (407) 904-7585!
To diversify or not? That is the question. We’re no Wolf of Wall Street but as solar experts, it’s kind of our thing. In every solar system, an inverter is perhaps the most important part of the setup. But when designing your system, there are two options when it comes to inverters, a singular string or multiple micros. But, is more merrier? Read on to see what Solar Bear thinks.
First, let’s tackle the question of what the purpose of an inverter is in the solar energy system. When solar panels convert sunlight, it is in the form of an electrical direct current (DC) energy but the electrical power needed in your home must be in an alternating current (AC) energy. In order to access that for your home, an inverter must transform it from DC to AC energy. Enter your inverter decision. But, should you choose a string or micro inverter? String inverters (sometimes called central inverters) work by linking solar panels together with “strings.” Each string is connected to a singular inverter box. Oppositely, a micro inverter pairs each panel with an individual inverter that is wired in a parallel fashion. This also makes them a great option for challenging installation issues that might require multiple orientations.
There are benefits to both systems so the challenge is which one works best for your family’s situation. For instance, is your roof shady because of trees or shadows? If so, the shade could prevent the panels from being wholly effective. In that case, a string inverter system is only as strong as its lowest-performing panel. When one panel’s performance diminishes, the others also operate at the same capacity. Whereas, a micro inverter may offer more efficiency because panels work individually. Production performance will be unique to each panel in the system but will require more intricate maintenance because it is a larger system. The lifespan of a string inverter is roughly 10-15 years while a micro inverter can last about 25 years with proper care.
Cost is another factor to weigh. Micro inverter panels usually cost about $1,000 more than a standard string inverter installation. Whatever you choose, you can count on saving financially with local and federal tax incentives.
Want to learn more? The team at Solar Bear is ready to help! Sign up for a free estimate today or give us a call at (813) 922-3735 for more information.
If you have a battery bank for your solar panel system, a charge controller is essential to keep your deep cycle batteries properly charged and safe over the long term.
Essentially, a charge controller is a voltage or current regulator that keeps the electric cells in your solar system’s batteries from overcharging. Most batteries require 12-14 volts to be fully charged and exceeding this voltage can damage the batteries.
Not sure if you need a solar charge controller? Our pros at Solar Bear Orlando discuss when one is needed!
What is a Solar Charge Controller?
A solar charge controller is a key component to solar systems that have a battery bank, such as off-grid or backup power systems. The main job of a solar charge controller is to regulate the amount of voltage going into the battery bank for your solar array.
The charge controller ensures that the batteries are not overcharged during the day when solar output is high and that they don’t send stored power back to solar panels at night.
If you have a storage battery installed into your grid-tied home system, you will not need a charge controller. Generally, your solar inverter will maintain your battery health.
Charge controllers are best used with off-grid systems such as for an off-grid cabin, or an RV.
How do Solar Charge Controllers Work?
Electricity flows from high voltage to low voltage and solar panels produce most of their energy during the middle of the day which means that their voltage is high while the battery bank’s voltage is low. In this case, excess electricity is sent to be stored in the battery.
At night, the battery has a higher voltage than your solar array, because they are all charged up from the day. To keep this high voltage from flowing into the solar panels, the solar charge controller works to keep the electricity in place in the battery.
When the battery charger is empty, the charge controller sends power to the battery for a quick charge. Once the battery is close to being full or is in use, the solar charge controller will send a trickle charge to keep the battery charged and ready to supply power when needed.
Further, charge controllers can automatically disconnect non-critical loads from the battery bak if the voltage falls below a certain threshold. This is called “Low Voltage Disconnect” (LVD) and effectively prevents batteries from overcharging.
PWM and MPPT Charge Controllers
There are two types of charge controllers, an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) and a PWM (pulse width modulation) charge controller. There are key differences between the two, which we will discuss below.
PWM Solar Charge Controllers
A PWM charge controller is connected to a solar array with a battery bank. While the battery charges, the voltage of the battery increases, leading to increased voltage in the solar panel that is charging the battery.
With a PWM charge controller, a 12-volt solar panel is needed to charge a 12-volt battery, and so on. If you use a PWM charge controller with 48V solar panels and a 12V battery the controller will not harvest the extra energy produced, it will only harvest up to 12V.
PWM charge controllers are less efficient than an MPPT but could be a great choice depending on your specific needs.
MPPT Charge Controllers
MPPT charge controllers are more sophisticated than PWM charge controllers, and work by measuring the Voltage at Maximum Power or VMP input of the solar panel, and then down-converts the PV voltages to match the battery voltages.
Essentially, MPPT controllers take the high voltage from the solar panels and reduce it so that it matches the battery’s voltage.
When using an MPPT solar charge controller, you can use a solar array with a higher voltage than your battery system because the charge controller will reduce the voltage to not overwhelm your battery.
If you want a more efficient way to control voltage and don’t want to worry about the voltage differences between your solar array and your batteries, it is wise to invest in an MPPT charge controller.
Do I Need a Solar Charge Controller?
If your solar array is grid-tied, your solar inverter does a great job at maintaining your battery’s health and voltage.
But you might need a PWM or MPPT for the following:
Pick a PWM if you need it for:
Small systems, like an RV or AGM deep cycle batteries
When efficiency is not a necessity like for trickle charging a battery
For solar panels with a VMP up to 18V to charge a 12V battery
To spend less money
Choose an MPPT for:
Larger systems such as an off-grid cabin
In instances where your solar array has a higher voltage than the battery
If you want a system that can add a boost of power when the battery gets low
Choose Energy Independence
Though you may not need a solar charge controller with a grid-tied system, if you have any questions about off-grid applications or solar charge controllers for small or large PV systems, give our team at Solar Bear Orlando a call! We are experts in solar energy and can help you decide what you need based on your solar array.
Gain more energy independence and install solar with Solar Bear Orlando today; 407-904-7585!
