Florida Solar Design Group

08/22/2026

Advanced diagnostics is what we do. When a manufacturer didn't have a tool for efficient diagnosis of microinverter production deficiencies, we built an app to fix that.

A client emails me and says a couple of their solar panels look like they are slacking. Most of the […]

08/09/2026

Every few months someone asks us for a solar pool pump. Panels on the roof, wires straight down to a DC motor, no battery, no inverter, no electric bill for filtration.

I always say no. Here is why.

Your pool does not need sunshine. It needs turnover. The entire volume of water has to pass through the filter a certain number of times per day, every day, whether it is sunny or not.

A DC direct pump runs on whatever the sun is making right now. Cloud passes over, flow drops. Afternoon thunderstorm in July, pump basically quits for the day. And July is exactly when your pool is fighting hardest against algae.

The result is predictable. The pool turns green. Then you are buying shock and algaecide to fix a problem that chemicals never caused.

It gets worse if you have a salt system or a heater. Both need verified minimum flow to operate. A pump that wanders up and down all day trips those flow switches constantly. Your salt cell stops making chlorine on the cloudy days when you need it most.

No automation. No phone control. No schedule. No standard suction safety provisions. And because there is no inverter, you have to buy and permit a separate rapid shutdown system for the array.

There is a better way, and it is cheaper. Buy a normal variable speed pool pump. Then add a little solar to your roof to offset what it uses. Same sunlight. Same bill savings. None of the headaches.

Read the full story:
https://floridasolardesigngroup.com/why-we-do-not-recommend-dc-solar-pool-pumps

Every few months, someone contacts us looking for a DC direct solar pool pump. Panels on the roof, wires down […]

08/01/2026

Wishing our fellow business owners at McGregor's Public House many more years of business in Fort Myers. The 3 year anniversary party was truly appreciated!

07/26/2026

The first UL 3700 certified plug-in solar microinverter just hit the US market. Good product. Real safety standard. And I already know exactly how people in Southwest Florida are going to get hurt with it.

Here is the scenario that keeps me up at night.

You have battery backup. Hurricane knocks the power out. Your battery system isolates the house and starts running your backed-up circuits. Meanwhile, the cheap plug-in solar panel on your lanai has no idea anything changed. It sees 120 volts, 60 Hz, and it keeps right on producing into a system that was never told it exists.

Battery full, a small load in the house, and now that power has nowhere to go except backward into your battery inverter.

Best case, your backup system shuts down. During the outage. When you need it.

Worst case, you are buying a new inverter.

UL 3700 is written for grid-interactive use. The anti-islanding testing is done against the actual utility, not against a battery inverter in your garage. Off-grid is even worse, because in an off-grid system the charge controller is the battery's protection, and an uncontrolled AC source walks right around it.

https://floridasolardesigngroup.com/plug-in-solar-is-here-and-it-was-never-designed-for-your-battery-system

07/09/2026

Wise.

07/09/2026

06/21/2026

Your Tesla Powerwall is probably set up wrong, and the app is to blame.

The default 20% backup reserve setting was designed for states with time-of-use electricity rates or markets where solar export earns reduced credit. That is not Florida. FPL gives you full retail net metering credit for every kilowatt-hour your panels send to the grid.

What that means: there is zero economic benefit to running your battery down every night and refilling it every morning. You are just burning through round-trip efficiency losses (about 10% with every cycle) and spending rated battery cycles that shorten your Powerwall's lifespan.

Full article: https://floridasolardesigngroup.com/tesla-powerwall-backup-reserve-settings-explained-for-florida-homeowners

Worse, a battery sitting at 20% when the lights go out at 11 PM is not the backup you paid for. Storm Watch helps, but it does not cover every outage scenario.

The correct backup reserve setting for Southwest Florida: 100%.
The minimum acceptable setting: 80%.

Open your app and check. If you are not sure what your system is doing or want someone to review your configuration, we are happy to take a look.

06/16/2026

🤔 Ever wondered if switching to FPL's Time of Use (TOU) rate could actually lower your electric bill? ⚡️ With solar, without solar, with batteries, without... it depends entirely on YOUR home. 🏠

So we built a tool to model it. 🛠️ This is geek mode on steroids. 🤓📊

Here's the thing: most "TOU will save you a fortune" math online runs on averages and cherry-picked rate numbers. 🚫🔢 But averages can't tell you the one thing that matters on a time-of-use plan: WHEN you actually use your power. ⏰

Got an Enphase Energy system? 🔌 Or any source with a full year of hourly consumption data? 📅 Plug in your ACTUAL usage and see the real answer for your house. 🎯 Both FPL rate plans, side by side. ⚖️

And we won't sugarcoat it. 🙅‍♂️ Honest hint 👉 Time of Use doesn't work out for a LOT of people. Batteries can tip the math your way 🔋, but there's always a risk you end up paying MORE than the standard residential rate. ⚠️💸

Way better to find that out with real data before you lock into a 12-month enrollment. ✅

Run your own numbers 👇
https://floridasolardesigngroup.com/fpl-time-of-use-calculator

06/11/2026

Vote for us for Community Choice Solar Provider!

06/11/2026

We just noticed that Jason seems awfully skeptical. HAHA!

But seriously. There is a lot to be skeptical about in this industry. This is where real education and truth begin:

https://floridasolardesigngroup.com/blog