Comments on: Retrofit Florida: Create Jobs and Save Money on Electricity

By: Alex Chang

Alex Chang — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:38:32 +0000

Lighting uses about 18 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S., and another 4 to 5 percent goes to removed the waste heat generated by those lights. Lighting in commercial buildings accounts for close to 71 percentage of overall lighting electricity used in the U.S. Lighting consumes close to 35 percentage of the electricity used in commercial buildings in the U.S. Lighting systems produce large amounts of heat as well as light. Lighting is the largest source of waste heat (HEAT GAIN) inside commercial buildings. Finally, lighting is the single largest cost component of a commercial building’s electricity bill!

WHICH IS MORE COST EFFECTIVE AND TIMELINESS? RESIDENTIAL ENERGY SAVING? RENEWABLE ENERGY? OR LIGHTING RETROFIT FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS?

By: East Bay

East Bay — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:16:27 +0000

While I’m a persona proponent of solar power (I’m slowly adding small scale pv panels to some of my outbuildings), a previous comment brings to light the high initial cost.

I do believe that ultimately, we will be faced with eating those costs due to an energy/resource crunch.

By: cassidy

cassidy — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:17:14 +0000

zitiboat is assuming too high of an installation cost estimate on pv. Maybe years ago $10-$12 was the going rate but check in a florida solar contractor now and you’ll find $7 – $8 watt installed a much more factual picture.

By: singer

singer — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:30:37 +0000

Thanks to new regulations from the Obama administration, power companies will shut down a significant number of coal-fired plants by 2014, and without any other reliable sources of mass-produced electricity, consumers will see their bills go up as much as 60% by 2014.

By: zitiboat

zitiboat — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 18:57:28 +0000

I must say that this site does not pass my Carl Sagan Baloney test. I realize it is sponsored by a research institute of the University of Central Florida (We call it U Can’t Finish here in Central Florida), but it comes across as propaganda for some political agenda.
The facts are true, but they are presented in a manner that distorts the meaning.
Yes, $1,536 per year can be saved by solar photovoltaic panels on single resident homes. They left out the current cost of that savings. That amount of savings requires an investment of $30,000 for each home. Ed Begley jr. has that type of system on his house, but the rest of us might be a little limited in purchasing such an efficient system. Can you get a twenty year loan with no interest to retrofit your home?
My calculator comes up with $5.58 billion needed for a total of $285 million in total cost savings per year for the 186,000 retrofitted homes used as an example in that web site. That comes to twenty years before the cost is recovered. Don’t get me wrong. It would be a great thing to have this happen. There are external savings to the environment and economic job markets to consider. My point is that Florida is close to being broke, as are many of the residents.
Smaller units are available. $10,000 gets you $500 per year savings. Twenty years to realize your cost in savings.
Let’s do a little math.
I used 61 KWH of electricity this past July because of air conditioning. It cost me $0.104 per KWH or $198.64 plus taxes and fees from my local utility.
A solar panel costs $10-12 per watt installed. A panel that costs $1,000 powers a computer or television, but not a refrigerator. It may be enough for a small R/V with one window unit sized A/C on the roof, but only when the microwave is not on or a toaster (“Solar Cost FAQ,” n.d.).

Apartment complexes save utilities by having more than one family under a single roof. The size of a panel to power one family’s needs would be larger than the roof shared by 6 families in a three story building.

reference:
Solar cost FAQ. (n.d.). The solar guide [information sheet]. Retrieved September
12, 2010, from Tsavo Media Canada Inc. website:
http://www.thesolarguide.com/solar-power-uses/cost-faq.aspx

By: eugene beck

eugene beck — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 03:10:58 +0000

Has a solar heat/concentrator-ammonia chiller system been investigated for ambient high temperature & solar radiation conditions for home cooling?
Good Day! Eugene
(904) 655-0041

By: Utility Warehouse

Utility Warehouse — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:36:26 +0000

Very interesting statistics which I will find very useful, thank you. John

By: Ron Deming

Ron Deming — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:07:13 +0000

The PACE program for low cost loans for energy retro-fits was recently dealt a setback by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. However, there are still cost effective ways to save energy and money for your home. These measures include everything from lightbulb changes to solar hot water installation and are the best way to protect yourself from rising energy costs and dependency on unstable outside influences.

By: John Daly

John Daly — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:55:20 +0000

I market a Retro-fit product for AC units (residential & Commercial) which has documented savings of approx 20% (plus)

How do I capture the attention of FSEC ???

Please assist – Thank you

John Daly 772-579-8971