A Solar Energy System May Be Ideal for This Moderate Florida Climate

One of the best ways to reduce your home’s utility bills is to use as much free solar energy as possible. In Florida’s warm and sunny climate, this is much easier than in other parts of the country. When designed correctly, your home can use solar energy to produce electricity, heat your water, and provide supplemental heat during the winter.

Electricity

If you have plenty of south-facing roof surfaces, without too much shading from nearby trees or buildings, solar panels can be used to convert solar energy into electricity. The prices of solar panels have continued to fall with advances in technology. If you have a large enough system, some areas will allow you to sell extra power to the utility company, resulting in a credit on your electricity bill in addition to the savings from solar power.

Water Heating

Solar energy can also be used to heat water using roof-mounted panels, and once they’re installed, you can pre-heat the water for your home, reducing or eliminating the use of your regular water heater. Solar water heaters can also heat the water for a pool during the summer, if the system is large enough, and provide heat for your home during the winter, in conjunction with a radiant heating system.

Home Heating

In addition to solar-powered radiant heating, large south-facing insulated windows can be used to heat the home during the day, using the greenhouse effect, and insulated drapes can be closed at night to hold the heat. When used in conjunction with heat-retaining materials such as concrete, brick and ceramic tiles, the heat from the sun will be stored during the day and transferred into the home during the night. A slight roof overhang or awning can be used during the summer to shade the windows and prevent heat gain when the sun is at a higher angle in the sky.

For more information about how solar energy can be used in your home to save money, please contact our team at NisAir Air Conditioning and Heating. We serve Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Indian River counties.