Advancements

The latest and greatest achievement in the war against global warming and soaring electric bills comes in the form of solar energy. We hear about incentives and reducing carbon foot prints and saving the planet by installing these modern miracles. It seems in this oil addicted world that solar energy is modern and high-tech. In reality we have been experimenting with solar panels since before World War II. Your grandparents probably had one installed, especially if they lived in Miami during the 1940s. Floridians purchased or shipped to the Caribbean more than 100,000 thermosyphon or passive solar water heaters between 1930 and 1954 when the industry collapsed. During the Second World War (1942 to 1945) copper was reserved for the military and the industry was not able to make solar collectors.
After the war, the Florida industry boomed again for about six years. Half of Miami homes had solar water heaters with over 80% of new homes having them installed. In the early 1950’s electricity became cheap in Florida and utility companies, such as FPL, gave away electric water heaters and tanks in an effort to eliminate the solar water heating industry. It seems that every energy crisis that the country faces it wants to experiment with renewable energies, the most common being solar energy. As the years progressed so has the technology and these new solar thermal systems are not your grandfather’s panels.

Older solar systems worked well especially in their time. A basic setup was a “Passive system” where it collected water on the panel and heated it up and stored in inside of the panel. When that water left it would just get more cold water from the city, which was fine for sunny summer days. When it was cloudy or rainy there was no way to heat up enough water. It was the major problem holding the industry back.

Some new solar advancements:
• “Active system” where it is pumped continuously from the storage tank to the collector. It uses temperature sensors, when the water in the storage tank becomes colder then the water in the collector a pump is activated and the water is pushed back through the collector until it is the perfect temperature. It ensures that it is at a perfect temperature no matter what time of the day it is.
• “Pump” the main part of the active system is a pump that can actively move water around. Fl Green Energy is one of the few companies that install a small PV panel so you never have to use any sort of electricity.
• “Temperature sensors” is the way the pump can tell when it needs to put more water back into the collector. Active systems install two, one in the storage and one in the collector.
• “Mixing valve” help maintain a perfect temperature by mixing in cold water when the water gets too hot by the use of a temperature cut off switch. It allows the owner to set a max temperature so you can never accidentally burn yourself.
• “Electric backup” isn’t a new innovation but a great tool nonetheless. It makes sure that even during emergencies you can still get hot water. I have found that little to none of the installations FL Green Energy has done needed to use their electric back up. Although it’s still great to have it.
• “Storage Tank” is the main difference between the Active and Passive systems. It is the most important part of the system, because it can hold and keep warm a whole day’s worth of water or about 80-120 gallons. “R-16” is the most commonly used tank for the storage of solar water.
• “Installation” is the toughest of the new advancements. Especially in South Florida where we are hurricane prone and need extra protection from the winds. The contractor of Fl Green Energy uses a stricter code then Miami-Dade county does especially when it comes down to the installation.

We have come a long way in the usage of solar panels. From basic passive systems to smart active systems with electric back up. Over the years they have become more efficient in the way we get the water to the way we can store it. It means less owner involvement and more hot water. Tougher codes mean it will be attached securely and efficiently. Over time the technology will continue to get better and cheaper.