Tag: News

“Going off-grid” – disconnecting from a utility power source and instead relying on alternative energy sources like solar power – is fully legal in Florida. But that comes with special caveats — if you do it the right way, with the proper planning and foresight, in most jurisdictions in the state.

Every year, thousands of Floridians free themselves from the power grid, most commonly by installing a self-sufficient solar panel system to harness the natural power of the sun.

Here, we’ll dive into the nitty-grityy – what going “off-grid” actually entails, what the Florida courts have said about it, the benefits of living off the grid, and how you can get started on your own project to disconnect.

What Does Going ‘Off-Grid’ Actually Entail?

“Going off-grid” is a common phrase in our culture, but what does the term actually mean?

Merriam-Webster defines the term as:

“not connected to or served by publicly or privately managed utilities (such as electricity, gas, or water).”

Accordingly, the most popular way to go off-grid is to disconnect your property from the government-sponsored utility services that most residents rely on by default to power, heat, and cool their homes.

Instead, Florida residents who live off the grid power their homes with their own, independent systems. The most affordable and efficient of these options is a solar panel system, but other alternative sources include natural gas and wind power.

In addition to independent energy production, Floridians may also adopt related alternative “off-grid” practices such as:

• Growing and eating their own food
• Digging wells or finding alternative water sources
• Getting rid of television and other mass media connected either through satellite or through cable lines
• Emergency preparation for natural disasters and/or social collapse scenarios

Although these measures might seem unrelated, the central theme that ties them together is independence – one of the enduring and most treasured principles in the American tradition.

“Our unalterable resolution should be to be free.”

-Samuel Adams

What Have the Courts Said About Off-Grid Living in Florida?

There has been much confusion about the legality of off-grid living in Florida based on some recent court rulings.

In one 2020 case regarding a property owner in Cape Coral who refused to hook up to the city utilities, the judge ruled that her refusal constituted a violation of the International Property Maintenance Code, which many Florida jurisdictions have instantiated into local law.

The International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC):

“Regulates the minimum maintenance requirements for existing residential and commercial buildings. The IPMC is intended to establish minimum standards for basics such as structural conditions, lighting, ventilation, sanitation, and fire safety.”

Florida jurisdictions at both the county level (Charlotte County) and the city level (Orlando) have adopted the IPMC as their standard property code. In these jurisdictions, the local authorities may pursue civil penalties against residents who go off-grid.

So, in summary, here are a few points to consider about the legality of going off-grid in Florida:

• There are no current statewide laws outlawing going off the grid. The legal consequences (or lack thereof) vary on a location-by-location basis. Generally, rural, unincorporated areas are friendlier to off-grid living than larger urban centers.
• In many cases, you might be required to maintain a connection to the city/county utilities – but that doesn’t mean you have to use them. You can still install and run all or most of your power, for example, through a solar panel system. There is no law mandating citizens use local power supplies.
• Local law may require you to submit an application to get a permit for your alternative power system – which might include providing a schematic of your proposed project. (Compass Solar can help our customers with that).

The Benefits of Off-Grid Living With Solar Power Systems

Off-grid solar power systems provide multiple benefits for both the property owner and the wider world. They include:

• Reduced electricity costs (shave potentially tens of thousands of dollars off of your utility bills over the two-plus decades of use that you can expect from your solar panel system)
• No power outages during hurricanes and other natural disasters (big for Northwest Florida residents!)
• Protecting the environment from fossil fuel-induced climate change
• Tapping the world’s one true renewable energy source
• Readily available energy no matter how remote your property is

… Just to name a few. In reality, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of good reasons to ditch the big energy companies and rely instead on the endless energy of the sun via your own, independent, fully warranted solar panel system.

Tips for Successfully Going Off-Grid in Florida

By following a few simple guidelines, you can ensure a smooth transition away from the public utilities to utilizing your own, self-sufficient means of energy generation:

• Relocate to a rural area. As we mentioned previously, zoning and regulatory laws are laxer in rural areas, generally, in comparison to towns and cities.
• Connect to the grid but don’t use their power. This can keep the authorities off of your back; you might be required (depending on your jurisdiction) to connect to the public utilities, but there’s no law anywhere in Florida mandating their use.
• For a legal way to get around compliance with local ordinances, perhaps consider living in an RV or houseboat. They are typically more difficult to connect to public utilities and may provide a viable legal pretext to ditch the grid altogether.
• When faced with legal issues, if possible, hire an attorney. A Florida real estate attorney specializes in defending property owners’ rights against aggressions by the state. This includes the ability to build alternative energy systems and, if desired, to discontinue use of the public utilities.
• If you’re looking to relocate to start your off-grid lifestyle, consider specific counties in the state that are friendliest for off-grid living (lax regulations/zoning laws, plenty of rural space, etc.). One Florida off-grid blogger identified the following counties as the best-suited for living off-grid: Collier County, Monroe County, Liberty County, Lake County, Escambia County, Broward County, Glades County, and Jackson County.

Pensacola’s own Escambia County made the list!

Go Off-Grid With Compass Solar, Pensacola’s Leading Solar Power Experts

Get your off-grid project off the ground with the expert assistance of Compass Solar, the leading Florida authority on all things solar power.

To learn more with no sales pressure, you can book a demonstration. We’ll cover all the bases so that you can make the best decision possible to meet your home energy needs. 

During hurricane season from June to November, panhandle residents connected to the grid often experience unexpected power outages. But you can prevent power outages and keep the lights on with backup solar batteries. Plus, you can offset your energy costs.

How can strategic use of solar backup batteries offset energy costs? Here, we’ll get into the difference between on-grid and off-grid solar power, what solar backup batteries are, and why you need them.

What are backup solar batteries and how do they work? 

Backup batteries are just what they sound like: backups, or alternative energy sources, for your home. When you combine your solar panels with a home battery, any excess electricity your PV system produces during the day will go into your battery. You can then draw on that energy source when the sun goes down and not have to draw energy from the utility company.

Battery systems allow your home to be completely off-grid, but they might not the right solution for every home.

Two big benefits of battery systems are that you can store your own surplus energy and that you are not beholden to any energy price changes that occur throughout the year. So if the energy company raises the price of energy, you will not feel the pinch.

You can speak to your PV system provider about the different types of batteries on the market — how long they last and need to be replaced. The most common types of batteries are lead-acid or lithium-ion. These batteries require maintenance, but not as much maintenance as a gasoline or natural-gas-powered generator. Also, they last much longer.

When hurricanes and heavy thunderstorms hit and leave Florida homeowners without power, you won’t have to worry if you’ve fueled your generator if you have emergency solar battery backup! 

Why do you need backup solar batteries? 

Solar panels collect the sun’s energy and convert it into DC current. But (at least as of now) solar panels cannot store that energy themselves. The light particles hit the panel, the panel knocks electrons loose from the atoms, and the electrons flow through the circuit in the silicon cells of the panel, which creates electricity.

Then, the current flows through an inverter. Once it’s gone to the inverter, it’s normally put straight into your house to power your home. But if your panels produce more than your home is using at that time, it flows to the electrical grid, generating power for other homes that need it (and being more eco-friendly, of course). Homeowners get credit for any added energy and that credit can lower the cost of electricity used from the grid.

But if you want to cut out the energy company as the middle-man and use that power yourself, then that’s where a backup battery comes in handy.

Again, if inclement weather hits or if for any reason the grid power goes down, backup batteries will mean you don’t have any interruptions. Also, energy companies charge more for electricity during peak hours. So if you have backup batteries, you can use your stored energy instead, saving money on your bottom-line costs. Backup battery storage is a great way to get the most out of your solar panels as you can keep and use all of the power you generate. 

Backup batteries can be seen as safeguards against unforeseen circumstances when the power company cannot provide your home with power and when your solar panels aren’t producing enough power for your current usage (such as at night). 

Two things to consider with any backup battery system is that a.) they’ll need servicing and b.) they’ll eventually become less efficient and stop working. Your solar panel lifespan is around twenty-five to forty years, but the battery lifespan is much shorter. So they will need replacing before your solar panels need upgrading.

Can backup solar batteries save money on energy costs?

Yes. The best way to conceptualize solar batteries is as long-term investments in energy independence and cost savings.

With strategic use of solar backup batteries, even though they do come with costs and you will have to replace them down the line, they’ll pay for themselves with two huge benefits: they’ll offset your energy costs by completely eliminating your reliance on grid power and they’ll equip your home with the capacity for full self-sufficiency off the grid. It’ll take some time to recoup your investment, but when you do, the benefits are unparalleled. 

Grid-tied vs. off-grid solar batteries

Solar battery systems store excess energy your solar panels produce for later use. Solar panels, naturally, produce the most electricity during the middle of the day when the sun’s heat is more potent. Perhaps ironically, that’s typically the time when you use the least amount of electricity (if you’re out at work, school, etc.). 

When you install a PV system, you can choose to have your solar panels connected to the electrical grid or a backup battery system.

If your panels are connected to the grid and the grid loses power (i.e. during a storm), then you will still be able to use the solar energy for your home. During an outage, when the batteries are charged, you can still maintain your lights, energy, refrigeration, etc.

The system will stay charged and ready to use for emergencies. A grid-tied battery system works best in metro areas; however, backup systems do need maintenance to keep batteries in top condition. The important thing to remember about grid-tied solar systems is that all excess solar energy stored gets sent back to the utility grid and the utility company, which can save you money on electricity.

In an off-grid battery system, you will still be able to keep energy for your home if your inverter trips. They work the same as on-grid systems when there are emergencies. But instead of sending power back to the grid, your excess energy is stored in your own backup batteries. You are not tied to the grid at all. Off-grid systems are best for more remote locations. The batteries will charge when excess electricity is generated from your solar panels (not draw energy from the grid and the solar panels combined as in the other system) and then dispense the energy if and when it’s needed later.

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Image source: Green Coast

Which system works best for you will depend largely on your location. You can ask your solar panel experts for advice and the pros and cons of each, depending on your specific situation.

Learn more about solar battery benefits from Compass Solar

To find out how Compass Solar can help you with your home solar needs, read our top reasons to go solar or read all about how solar power generates a good return on your investment, saves the planet by providing renewable, clean energy, and ensures a good resale value if you ever decide to move.

Forget stock market gambles and complicated investment vehicles – solar investment is an ideal, reliable, highly profitable alternative to traditional investments.

The fact is well-established that solar panels are an excellent tool to access the biggest alternative energy source on the planet, the sun. And they are also useful for disconnecting from increasingly unreliable and expensive power grids – all while doing your part to create a sustainable future for the Earth.

But, in addition to all of those benefits, solar panels themselves are also wise long-term financial investments that pay dividends over decades. Let’s find out how.

The key points we’ll cover here are to determine the long-term return on solar investment, and how they stack up against other popular investments.

What Return on Investment Means (and How to Measure It)

Here is the most straightforward definition of return on investment (often abbreviated as ROI):

“A mathematical formula that investors can use to evaluate their investments and judge how well a particular investment has performed compared to others.”

Large investment banks use ROI calculations to make multi-million (or sometimes multi-billion) dollar decisions and by entrepreneurial startups looking to wow potential investors – but they’re not just for the big financial players.

Homeowners and small business owners, as well, can and should rely on these predictors to make wise spending decisions. ROI is an integral part of any solid investment strategy to maximize value (the “return”) with minimal cost (the “investment”).

There are multiple methods to gauge ROI, some more complicated than others. The most common and simplest equation for determining the ROI of solar panels is below:

ROI = net return / cost of investment x 100%

So how does the formula apply to solar panels?

How Can I Determine the Return on Investment That Solar Panels Provide?

Here’s how ROI calculations apply to solar panels.

Finding the Cost of Solar Investment

First, you’ll want to evaluate the cost of investment portion of the equation to figure out how much you’re going to spend in the final tally on installing and maintaining solar panels for however long you plan to own the home (which might be decades for many).

Here’s a basic formula for determining solar panel investment cost:

Cost of solar investment = total money into the project – value of incentives/rebates

The total money into the project may include expenses like:

• Cost of the system itself
• Installing the system
• Getting the necessary permits for the system
• Maintaining the system (sometimes for decades), including minor repairs

You should also take into account the value of incentives – for example, Floridians qualify for federal income tax credits via the federal residential solar energy credit:

“In December 2020, Congress passed a… a 26% tax credit for systems installed in 2020-2022, and 22% for systems installed in 2023. (Systems installed before December 31, 2019 were eligible for a 30% tax credit.)”

That means, if you install your solar panel system in 2022, then you are eligible to receive up to 26% of the system’s cost back in reduced federal taxes. The only requirement is that the solar system is used to generate electricity for a residence, and no maximum limit caps the total amount.

Florida residents also qualify for Residential Solar System Tax Exemption as well as net metering (in which your utility provider buys any excess energy produced by your solar system).

As the economy gears increasingly towards renewable energy, you may qualify for other, unexpected incentive programs as well – which you should also factor into the cost of solar investment portion of the ROI calculation.

Finding Solar Panels’ Return on Investment

So, now that you’ve determined the cost of solar investment, the next step is to calculate the other part of the equation, the net return that your solar panels bring in.

Here are several important considerations to consider when calculating your net return:

• Your solar system will likely cover 95%+ of your electricity needs
•  Electricity prices have inflated in Florida substantially in the last year (a typical Florida home’s energy usage of 1,000 kilowatt hours increased from $101.70 to $120.67). Forecasting further out, these prices will likely inflate further each year that you have your solar system – which means ever-increasing savings on costly utility bills
• General inflation will dilute the power of your dollar moving forward (the cost of solar energy doesn’t increase)
• Your warranty will protect against unexpected costly repairs

Adding up the total net return (monthly electricity bill savings over 25-30 years), your final ROI calculation will likely show upwards of a potential 250% ROI across 2-3 decades. Most homeowners’ ‘”break-eve point” (the point at which the solar panels have paid for themselves in full) occurs at the 8-year mark.

Comparing Solar Investment to Other Investments

Forbes Magazine puts the threshold for a solid investment at 7% ROI (after adjusting the figure for inflation). As we discussed previously, solar panels’ ROI greatly exceed 7%.

Let’s compare solar to some other common investment options:

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It’s worth emphasizing the low-risk nature of solar panel investment – given the warranty that you get with your system, it’s as close to a sure thing as you can get, and much safer than, for example, an investment in the volatile stock market.

What Makes Solar Panels a Great Investment?

Here are a few reasons that solar panels are a great investment:

• Generous tax incentives
• A hedge against rising energy costs
• Reliable, consistent returns with low risk
• Adds value to your property
•  Investment is protected by warranty
• Financing is an option

Invest in the Long-Term Value of Your Property By Joining the Compass Solar Family of Northwest Florida

Compass Solar is the definitive solar panel leader of Pensacola and the wider Northwest Florida community.

Since first opening our doors in 1998, we’ve helped thousands of Floridians maximize the long-term value of their properties with solar panel investments. You can read some of their testimonials here.

Give us a call at (850) 446-4773, stop by our offices at 2302 Town Street in Pensacola, or book a demonstration online to learn more about the solar panel services we provide.  

Although in sunny parts of the USA, we get to enjoy our pools nearly year-round, there are a few months between November to March where a pool heater comes in handy. 

But the initial installation of pool heaters can run into the thousands and then there’s the cost in electricity to heat the pool which varies based on the size of your pool, from around 9 kW of energy to 116 kW of energy or more. Then, there are the electricity and gas bills which can cost hundreds per month.

There are alternatives such as solar pool heating, which brings us to the question: “Is solar pool heating worth it?” Let’s find out.

What is solar pool heating?

Solar pool heating is a low-cost alternative to heating your inground or above-ground pool using a heat pump that utilizes expensive and non-renewable energy such as electricity or gas to heat the water. 

Solar pool heaters use the sun’s heat to heat your pool for free (except the cost of installation, of course). 

Solar thermal panels are usually installed on the roof of your home, shed, garage, or ground-mounted rack. The water is pumped from the pool to the panels using your existing pool pump and the cold water is warmed as it travels through the solar collectors. The warmed water is then pulled by gravity back to your pool.

It’s a simple process and you can set the temperature of your pool. Once the temperature is reached, water will not be pumped to the panels unless it needs to be, which is why it’s so economical.

Each panel has an automatic valve that uses specialized temperature sensors to determine if and when the solar collectors should be used. A manual valve can be used as an alternative, but that’s not recommended.

The only downside to solar pool heating is that it takes a little longer to heat up than using electricity or gas but that’s a small price to pay for the overwhelming benefits otherwise.

What’s the cost of solar pool heating?

We’ve all felt the pinch at the pump for fuel, natural gas, and electricity. Energy costs are going up each year and there’s no sign that they’ll come down any time soon. Not to mention that in the next decade, we need to be moving towards more renewable sources of energy. So, getting ahead of the curve with solar pool heating makes sense. 

The sun’s energy is always free and many pool owners are taking advantage of solar pool heaters and pool blankets not only to save money but also to avoid future energy price increases – and you get a warm pool.

The cost of installing a solar heater is around the same cost of installing an electric or gas one, but the lack of maintenance and monthly costs is where you really save money, which is why many homeowners choose solar: it meets their heating needs and saves them money each year.

How much does it cost to maintain solar pool heating?

Again, installation costs are comparable to conventional fossil fuel heating methods but the operating costs are nil, whereas the operating costs of fossil-fuel heaters depend on the size of your pool and the cost of energy. That can cost you hundreds easily per month. 

That means that solar pool heating pays for itself in around two years.

After that point, you will collect dividends each year with the sun’s free and abundant energy source.

Furthermore, solar equipment lasts over a decade. Our UltraSwim panels have a 12-year warranty, whereas most gas or electric heaters only come with a 2-year warranty. So, you may pay the same price for installation and get only two years out of the heater plus the monthly energy costs and maintenance costs! It’s really a no-brainer.

Gas and electricity heaters need servicing by a qualified technician each year. They can short-circuit or get blocked with foreign particles like dust and break. Solar heating requires few services, which means lower cost to maintain overall – not to mention convenience. You don’t have to wait for a service technician and take precious time off work.

You even save time on installation since solar heating can be up and running in hours instead of days. Fossil-fuel heaters often require additional plumbing and wiring or mains to be added to work, and they can impact nearby grass. The installation can take a few days, depending on your situation, and they take time to get running. With solar heating, the pipes are secured to your roof and home exterior walls and you can start heating your pool as soon as they’re installed.

Overall, solar heating is comparatively eco-friendly, cost-saving, and time-saving.

Is solar pool heating more eco-friendly?

As mentioned, solar pool heating is definitely more eco-friendly than using non-renewable fossil fuel sources. 

Many people have concerns with pool use in general as, when not used in an environmentally-friendly way, they can have deleterious impacts on the environment. Along with reducing harsh chemicals, maintaining your pool filter, using a pool pump timer, and a pool robot, using solar panel heating instead of fossil-fuel heating can make a huge difference.

Replacing a natural gas or propane heater with a solar heater could stop three to ten tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year, which is the same output as a car! 

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What are the benefits of solar pool heating?

There are multiple benefits to solar pool heating. The biggest one is affordability. You can double your swim time and there are no monthly maintenance and operational costs. 

You can also increase your home’s value with solar pool heating and it’s shown to be a net asset dollar for dollar in favor of the homeowner. 

So, in short: yes, solar pool heating is absolutely worth the investment. You’ll reap the benefits for years to come, all while doing your part to save the environment in the process.

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How can I get solar pool heating?

If you want information about solar pool heating, get in touch with Compass Solar today. We have financing options available for your residential solar project needs. We can guide you on the costs of installation and if there are any solar energy loans to help. Solar installation can save you money on your energy bills and help the environment.

The emergence of the solar industry has made an indelible (and growing) impact on the US political system and those in the wider world, shaking up long-standing dynamics. In the context of tackling climate change and furthering the Green Revolution, solar power has a pivotal role to play.

Here, we’ll discuss:

• Why the Growing Solar Industry Is Changing the Political Winds in DC and Beyond
• The Urgency of Addressing Climate Change
• The Indispensable Role of NGOs in Tackling Climate Change and Leading Solar NGOs in the US and Abroad
• What the Average Person Can Do to Contribute to the Green Revolution

Why is the Growing Solar Industry Changing the Political Winds in DC and Beyond?

Massive shifts in public opinion based on the realities of the fossil fuel industry’s enormous contributions to global warming — combined with roughly a trillion dollars in global research each year since the beginning of the 21^st century — have changed the energy game.

Enter the rapidly growing solar industry – tapping the Earth’s one true renewable resource.

In his seminal essay The Politics of the Solar Age: 1975-2015, futurist and evolutionary economist Hazel Henderson identifies three major reasons for the shifting political winds in favor of solar power and away from fossil fuels:

• Increasing consensus over the “growing risks of fossil fuels and nuclear energy, unaccounted rising costs of resource-degradation, waste, pollution health impacts (still ‘externalized’ from company and government accounts)“
•  “pressure on water supplies, collapsing fish stocks, spreading desertification and loss of forests and biodiversity“
•  “the growing recognition of the benefits of the green transition to sustainability in public health and safety, environmental quality, more equitable decentralized technologies—all of which are available and when scaled could provide unlimited sustainable energy for all countries“

Why the Threat of Global Climate Change Demands Immediate Corrective Action With Renewable Energy

Global climate change, which is largely fueled by oil and gas consumption as well as other factors, poses an existential threat to life on Earth. In 1992, the United Nations, the premier international governing body in the world, issued a clarion call for action in its United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) :

“The ultimate objective… [is] the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

Such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.”

Despite initial commitments from 154 signatories to the Convention, including the US, which later expanded to include all 197 UN member states, international-level cooperation since that initial 1992 call to action has been slower than ideal for reversing the damage caused by fossil fuel emissions and preventing future destruction of the environment.

Slowly, though, the public consciousness of the urgent need to address climate change has grown.

Now, in 2021, even the US Defense Department, which is usually chiefly concerned with geopolitical wrangling between nation-states, has recently weighed in more heavily on the need for corrective action on the climate front:

“Today, no nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis. We face all kinds of threats in our line of work, but few of them truly deserve to be called existential. The climate crisis does.”

-Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III

The NGOs Tackling Global Climate Change

It goes without saying that coordinating an international response to climate change between nations, each of which has its own interests to represent, is a massive undertaking.

That’s where special entities called non-governmental organizations NGOs – which typically focus on a particular philanthropic goal such as education for the developing world, hunger alleviation, and, of course, environmental advocacy — come into play:

“Environmental NGOs can play a crucial role in helping to plug gaps by conducting research to facilitate policy development, building institutional capacity, and facilitating independent dialogue with civil society to help people live more sustainable lifestyles.”

Specifically in the context of solar power, some of the key environmental NGO actors in this arena include:

• International Solar Energy Society (ISES)
• Global 100% Renewable Energy Campaign
• American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)
• Global Atlas for Renewable Energy
• Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition

What Will the Politics of Solar Power Look Like Moving Forward and What Can Average People Do to Speed the Green Energy Revolution?

Make no mistake: the fossil fuel industry is still well-entrenched in the political process; fully extricating is an uphill effort that will take years and perhaps decades. No industry — least of all one as well-bankrolled in its lobbying efforts as the oil and gas sector — disappears overnight.

The momentum that powers the shift, as any positive change does, will occur from the bottom up. The civil rights struggles of past eras proved that a well-organized base of dedicated citizens can force dramatic change – even when facing entrenched interests opposed to those changes.

Writing for De Ethica. A Journal of Philosophical, Theological and Applied Ethics, Tim Christion Myers explains:

“Given the global track record of the past two decades, it’s become clear that such changes have to be instigated and enforced by a politically organized populous willing to keep powerful interests in check. The totalizing nature of climate change necessitates empowered and clear-sighted democracies like never before, and this in turn requires the kind of moral force that underlies all mass movements later generations recognize as historical in scope.”

The burden is on each of us to do what we can. Together, with our individual efforts taken in totality, we can move mountains (and re-green the planet).

Accordingly, here are a few tips that everyday Florida residents can take to become an active part of the solar solution from a political perspective:

• Donate, if possible, to green energy movements that can compete with legacy oil and gas lobbying
• Volunteer with any of the above-cited solar NGOs advancing the industry
• Prioritize support for any political candidate, from the local to the national level, running on a platform that includes the green energy transition
• “Vote with your dollars,” as the saying goes. Switch, to the extent possible, your energy consumption from fossil fuels to solar power and other green technologies.

We can help with the last one. Contact Compass Solar to learn about the cost-saving, Earth-friendly solar technologies we deliver to Northwest Florida residents.

Our driving mission at Compass Solar is not only to deliver, install, and service the most cutting-edge solar panels on the market on behalf of our clients in Northwest Florida – it’s also to do our part to preserve the only Earth that we’ve got.

Protecting the Earth from environmental catastrophe and preserving it for future generations requires (among other actions) that we kick our addiction to harmful fossil fuels and replace them with renewable energy sources.

The good news on this front is that saving on your monthly energy bills with solar panels also helps to save the Earth by tapping into the power of the sun, its one true renewable resource.

Here, we’ll explore the one inescapable reality that deserves more attention: the sun is the only truly renewable energy source we’ve got.

The topics we’ll survey here include:

·       What renewable energy is (and isn’t)

·       Why wind power and hydropower aren’t actually renewable after all

·       The sun is an ample source of endless energy just waiting to be fully tapped

·       Why local Northwest Florida residents should go with Compass Solar for all their solar power needs

First, What Does ‘Renewable Energy’ Mean Exactly?

Most laypeople have a vague idea of what renewable energy is (and what it isn’t). But, understandably (because they’re not in the industry), if you press them for greater details, they tend to get hazy on the specifics.

For example, almost everyone understands that fossil fuels – the limited products of millions and sometimes hundreds of millions of years of processing which must be drilled for and extracted from deep within the Earth’s surface – do not meet any of the criteria for “renewable energy.”

But what about two of the Earth’s primary elements: wind and water? (Children of the 90s kids will have flashbacks to Saturday mornings spent glued to the TV with Captain Planet).

Wind and water seem renewable, right? Well, they’re certainly superior to fossil fuels in terms of their environmental impacts – at least for now. However, for reasons we’ll explore now, they’re not quite “renewable,” nor are they as harmless as we might believe.

Why Wind Power and Hydropower Aren’t Actually Renewable

Alongside solar, wind power and hydropower have gained considerable interest among conservation-minded consumers. The industries have grown to meet soaring demand, with new technologies emerging to dramatically scale up the capture and transformation of these natural forces into usable energy.

At first glance, those might seem like great developments for the creation of a truly green economy. But there is serious cause for concern.

While it’s true that wind power (harnessing natural airflows over the Earth’s surface and transforming it into usable energy via windmills and other technologies) and hydropower (harnessing water flows to transform them into usable energy) don’t emit carbon dioxide (CO2) and therefore don’t contribute to the greenhouse effect, increasing numbers of physicists and geologists do see potential trouble on the horizon.

For example, heed the warning of Axel Kleidon of the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, Germany – just one of many who have voiced their concerns publicly in recent times:

“Efforts to satisfy a large proportion of our energy needs from the wind and waves will sap a significant proportion of the usable energy available from the sun. In effect… we will be depleting green energy sources [based on] the laws of thermodynamics, which point inescapably to the fact that only a fraction of the solar energy reaching Earth can be exploited to generate energy we can use.”

Kleidon is working on research into what he and other physicists call “free energy” – that is, energy that can be harnessed and used in the Earth’s system. The amount of free energy that can be exploited through wind and hydropower is actually finite, not limitless.

At the present time, the working estimate among Kleidon and his colleagues is that humans utilize about 5-10% of the total available free energy, which already adds up, as he notes, to more than all of the Earth’s natural processes combined (volcanoes, earthquakes, etc.).

That number will inevitably rise as the scale of wind and hydropower ramp up in the coming years and decades in the transition period away from fossil fuels.

The bottom line as summed up by Kleidon:

“Large-scale exploitation of wind energy will inevitably leave an imprint in the atmosphere. Because we use so much free energy, and more every year, we’ll deplete the reservoir of energy.”

In addition to dwindling supplies of free energy caused by mass-exploitation of wind and hydropower, the predicted fallout for the environment could rival that of fossil fuel-induced climate change – which would obviously lead us back to square one by recreating the original problem that the new technologies intended to solve.

The Sun Is an Ample Source of Endless Energy Just Waiting to Be Tapped

It’s not all gloom and doom. One obvious possibility is to engineer new technologies or – better yet – tap into the Earth’s natural potentials to increase free energy reserves.

One solution proposed by enterprising researchers is to increase the vegetation on the Earth’s surface, in turn boosting photosynthesis (the botanical conversion of sunlight into energy):

“Photosynthesis also generates free energy, but without producing waste heat. Increasing the fraction of the Earth covered by light-harvesting vegetation – for example, through projects aimed at ‘greening the deserts’ – would mean more free energy would get stored.”

Another is to develop the capacity of photovoltaic (PV) cells – the kinds used in Compass Solar panels – to capture radiation from the sun that is usually “lost” energy (meaning that we aren’t yet capable of capturing it):

“Photovoltaic solar cells can also increase the amount of free energy gathered from incoming radiation, though there are still major obstacles to doing this sustainably.”

Regardless of the exact path forward, one thing is indisputable: the sun’s energy (and new tools to utilize it) will be an integral part of the solution.

Become Part of the True Renewable Energy Solution With Compass Solar

Compass Solar is one of a small handful of regional Northwest Florida companies fully equipped with an in-house team – from our sales department right down to our engineers and installation crew.

This means no hassles with third-party contractors that you might have to deal with when you hire the other guys.

Our crew has more than two decades of combined experience equipping satisfied customers with cost-saving solar panels with the sterling reputation to prove it.