Property owners interested in the cost-savings and environmental benefits of solar panels might also be interested in so-called  “energy reduction products.”

Lots of solar companies push these products to accompany solar panels.

But do they work? Do they really reduce power usage and energy bills? Do energy efficiency products really protect the environment? The answers are nuanced.

Let’s take a deep dive into the potential benefits of energy reduction products.

What are energy efficiency products?

The simplest definition of an energy efficiency product is a consumer product for use in a home or business that performs the same work as its non-efficient counterparts but uses less energy.

The major selling point for energy efficiency products is that they reduce energy use (and save money for the property owner in the process) without sacrificing functionality.

Examples of energy efficiency products, just to name a handful, include:

• lightbulbs
• power strips
•  smart thermostats
• smart appliances
• charging stations

It’s important to understand that energy efficiency doesn’t mean making lifestyle changes regarding appliance use. The idea is that you can enjoy all the same comforts of modern living, just with less energy expenditure.

Energy efficiency products are marketed as versatile solutions to help individuals and families reduce their carbon footprint while simultaneously reaping economic benefits in the form of reduced power bills.

Learn more about how greenhouse gas emissions negatively impact the environment and how energy efficiency products may play a large role in reducing them.  

Do energy efficiency products really work?

There is good evidence that various energy efficiency products do produce results. For instance, according to EnergySage:

“An energy-efficient 12-watt LED bulb uses 75-80% less energy than a 60-watt traditional bulb but provides the same level of light.”

Similar energy-saving results have been found with other energy efficiency products.

Look for ENERGY STAR certification

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy are responsible for vetting energy efficiency products for their performance. When they have assessed the efficiency of a product, they award it their stamp of approval – the ENERGY STAR.

The website also has other helpful tools. To save time and compare options, you can browse their entire catalog of approved products by category.

While you’re there, learn about potential tax credits you may qualify for when you use energy efficiency products. (Homeowners also qualify for federal tax credits when they install solar panels.)

Be wary of savings promises from marketers

The potential energy savings from this category of products are real and impressive.

However, there’s an important caveat to understand: it’s impossible to precisely predict the energy savings of these products before you install and use them.

In a bid to maximize sales, many solar companies are willing to mislead customers with promises of “X amount” in savings if you buy their products.

If you encounter a high-pressure salesperson promising explicit savings in specific dollar amounts, take that as a red flag. There’s simply no way they could accurately assess such savings down to the dollar value.

When they’re willing to mislead you on this point, chances are high that they’re also not being upfront about other products or services.

Contact Compass Solar for more about energy reduction products

We’re here to honestly help our Northwest Florida neighbors navigate the often-consuming alternative energy industry using authoritative, information.

Contact us to learn more about energy reduction products, how they work, and what advantages you can realistically expect from their use. We offer free, no-obligation solar quotes to potential customers. 

One of the biggest potential advantages of going solar in Florida is the option to sell excess energy back to the power company. This widespread practice is called “solar buyback.”

Beyond simply cutting back or eliminating your power bill, your solar panels can potentially put extra money back into your pocket each month if they generate more power than you use.

However, many solar companies mislead consumers and misrepresent their roles in solar buyback as part of a strategy to maximize sales. Here, we’ll discuss the facts about solar buyback and how it can benefit property owners.

What is solar buyback?

Because sunlight is the Earth’s only truly renewable resource, and because it is abundant, the sky’s the limit in terms of how much power can be harnessed from it.

Solar panels generate maximum power during peak daylight hours when sunlight is strongest. During this time period, many homeowners are off at work or school and therefore are using less energy.

When your system generates excess power, you have two great options to benefit your wallet (not to mention the environment):

• Store the excess power in a solar battery for later use (check out our flagship battery, the Tesla Powerwall with an industry-leading 13.5 kWh storage capacity)
• Sell the excess power back to the utility company, aka solar buyback

How does solar buyback work?

Essentially, the solar buyback process works like this:

• Your solar panels generate excess power during peak sunlight hours
• If your system is connected to the energy grid, the excess energy flows the opposite way — into the grid rather than from it — which the power company can then resell to other users on the grid
• The energy meter runs backward to grant credits to the homeowner measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). This is called “net metering,” often used as a synonym for solar buyback.

Estimates indicate that, by design, on average, “20-40% of a solar energy system’s output… goes into the grid”. In the aggregate, that’s a lot of energy that powers the booming solar industry’s growth while cutting back on fossil fuel emissions.

According to data from the Florida Public Service Commission, Florida residents have earned $4.6 million in net metering energy credits since 2016.

Power companies run solar buyback programs, not solar companies

It’s important to understand that solar buyback programs are administered by the power companies. Not all power companies buy back excess solar-generated energy from consumers.

Therefore, consumers interested in selling their excess energy back to the utility should always check up with their local power company to make sure they participate.

Solar companies don’t run solar buyback programs. While most solar companies (including Compass Solar) participate in solar buyback programs as partners with the power companies, the programs are run by the power companies.

Be wary of any specific promises made by solar company marketers regarding “x amount of money” saved through solar buyback programs. Since they’re not in charge, they can’t make those assurances with confidence.

Whenever a solar panel marketer makes an explicit promise of financial benefit from solar panel installation, request that assurance in writing. If it’s not in writing, such a guarantee is worthless (and not likely to pan out).

Learn more about red flags to look out for in solar door knockers.

Floridians’ right to sell their excess energy is protected

A recently proposed net metering bill, HB 741, which would have curtailed the credits that solar panel owners receive from the energy company over several years, passed through the state legislature.

Fortunately, a massive grassroots organizing effort successfully lobbied the governor to veto the bill, safeguarding the ability of Floridians to receive maximum payoff for their excess solar-sourced energy.

Contact Compass Solar for more solar buyback information

Part of the important work we do is educating Northwest Floridians about the various aspects of solar power, including how solar buyback programs work.

Contact us for authoritative, fact-based information on all things solar.

One of the most common questions we get from our customers pertains to how to calculate their solar panel system size to meet their energy needs. Matching your solar panel system design/configuration to match your energy usage will produce maximum cost-efficiency. 

Let’s explore how to calculate your power needs, how to estimate power output from solar panels, and how to reconcile those to find the right size system for your home or business.

Bear in mind that there’s a little bit of math involved – but we’ll provide some online tools to make the calculation work as easy and accurate as possible.

Figuring your energy usage

The first thing you need to do is determine how much power you typically use in your residence or commercial property. Here’s how to do that:

• Get a copy of your last 12 energy bills dating back a year. Your energy use is presented as kilowatt-hours (kWh). This is the key metric to pay attention to.
• To identify your individual kWh use, your monthly power bill will have a section titled “energy usage history” or a similar phrase. Your energy use will be presented in graph form using kWh. If Florida Power & Light Company is your provider, use this guide on how to read your energy bill. 
• Calculate your average monthly power consumption. This can be done by adding all 12 months’ kWh together and dividing by 12. This is important because power usage tends to rise in winter and summer relative to spring and fall (due to air conditioning and heating).
• Calculate your daily energy usage. Divide the monthly kWh consumption by 30 to determine your energy needs on a day-to-day basis.

Calculating peak sunlight

Knowing how much peak sunlight you get in your area – which varies widely by latitude and climate – is important. Fortunately, in the Sunshine State, we get a lot.

Use a free online peak sunlight calculator for convenience.

Calculating solar panel system size

Now that you’ve got your daily kWh power usage and your peak sunlight hours, plug those numbers into the following equation to determine your ideal solar panel system size:

Daily kWh ÷ average sun hours) x 1.15 efficiency factor = DC solar system size

Using a PVWatts® Calculator to determine your system’s power output

The PVWatts® Calculator is a free, handy online tool developed by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory that you can use to calculate your system’s estimated power output in kilowatt-hours on an annual and month-by-month basis.

You can adjust the estimates based on the features of your property and system, including:

• DC system size (based on previous solar panel system size estimate)
• type of PV array (fixed or tracking)
• optimal PV array tilt angle (calculate optimal tilt angle)
•  PV array azimuth angle (learn how to calculate azimuth)
• system losses

Here’s a great tutorial to learn how to use and navigate the platform:

Ideally, your system’s estimated power output will meet or exceed your kWh energy needs.

Factors that affect solar panel power output

Aside from the most obvious element – available sunlight — the following factors affect solar power output:

• Available roof space. The roof is the ideal location because it is the most cost-effective, usually the most sun-exposed, and the easiest rack to install. But if you don’t have enough roof space to match your energy needs, alternative mounting options may be viable.
• South-facing roof space. Roof space facing southward captures the maximum amount of sunlight throughout the day. If you don’t have south-facing roof space, you will need extra solar panels to make up the difference.
• Roof angles.
• The type and quality of solar panel (standard vs premium efficiency vs. thin film)
• Climate. Solar panels perform optimally in colder weather compared to warmer weather.
• Shading. Trees or other obstructions may cast shadows on the solar panels at different times of day and hinder their efficiency.
• Solar panel efficiency

Let Compass Solar help you size your solar panel system

If all these considerations and calculations seem overwhelming, that’s understandable. For best results, rely on expert help to design your ideal solar panel system.

Compass Solar is here to walk our Northwest Florida neighbors through the design and installation process. Contact us to get started. Get the ball rolling with a free solar quote.

We’re the only locally owned and operated company equipping our neighbors with high-quality solar batteries and generators. To get an idea of the quality of our work and products, take a look at testimonials from previous Compass Solar customers.