Contributed by Rebecca Martin, Environmental Engineer, PPM Consultants
Recently, my husband and I had a knock on our door from Protek Roofing, Heating, Air & Solar (Protek), a company contracted with Florida Power & Light (FPL) to install solar panels in residential areas. The technician made a curious offer. Because our home could handle the service load, having the electrical updates required unlike other homes on our street, we qualified for a program in which FPL and Protek would install solar panels to the roof of our home, generating enough renewable energy to power our house and possibly put energy back into the grid on low usage days. On cloudy days, the solar panels would not be as efficient as sunnier ones but would still generate energy. Any other energy we required that day would be produced by FPL with no lapse in service. We can even monitor our solar power generation and efficiency all through an app on our phones called Enphase Enlighten. The app includes an environmental impact section which details the carbon footprint reduction based on the renewable energy offset.
Our investment includes an approximate $30 a month power bill plus the monthly payment for the solar panels (payments vary home to home). The best part is our total payment is now lower than before the solar panel retrofit. There are no upfront costs to us, not even the cost to remove any branches or trees from our yard that would block sunlight from the panels. If the roof needed to be repaired or replaced, Protek would come out and remove the panels for the roof replacement and reinstall them once the repair has been completed. Another great benefit is any damage from storms or the like to the solar panels would be covered under this contract/program.
For all these reasons, how could we not say yes! This has not only added value to our home and lowered our monthly bills, but it has been a venture my husband and I have wanted to explore for quite some time. And of course, being an environmental engineer, I had no qualms with creating renewable energy and giving back to our community and the environment.
But what spurred FPL into such an initiative? You may say it sounds too good to be true, but with heavy pushes to increase renewable energy by the state of Florida and the Federal government, FPL made it a personal mission to be ahead of the curve, starting with their “30-by-30” plan, announced in January of 2019. Their goal: to install more than 30 million solar panels by 2030. What a power move!
If all goes according to plan, FPL would be a leader in clean energy. This would be the “largest installation of solar panels by a regulated utility in the world” making them one of if not THE largest owner and operator of solar in America and by the completion of the plan “a 67 percent fleet-wide reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rate by 2030 as compared to the national average”. To learn more about about FPL’s “30-by-30” initiative, please visit: FPL announces groundbreaking ’30-by-30′ plan to install more than 30 million solar panels by 2030, make Florida a world leader in solar energy – Jan 16, 2019!
FPL has long had the experience of being at the forefront of renewable energy, working alongside other power companies, like their sister company NextEra Energy (parent company of Gulf Power Company), to ensure Florida meets their renewable energy goals. FPL is making strides in the energy world, and I am so glad my home, and other residents in Florida, are able to participate in the progress towards sustainability! Feel free to reach out to me at rebecca.martin@ppmco.com if you would like to hear more about our experience.