Last year was Florida’s twelfth year in a row with above-average temperatures, and the fifth warmest year on record for the Sunshine State. People who grew up here and lived here all their lives are often saying that winter feels shorter and shorter. Cold December nights are virtually a thing of the past.
Nobody can control the weather, but you might just be able to use it to your advantage.
The last time we talked about solar panels here on the Sheegog Contracting blog, Florida was in the top ten in the United States but still had a long way to go. Since then, residential solar panels have exploded in popularity from coast to coast. It’s about time Central Florida homeowners got in on the action, too!
According to the most recent figures, Florida solar panel adoption has skyrocketed and the state now stands comfortably as #4 in the nation for solar. It’s even managed to get ahead of Arizona, which has the highest number of clear, sunny days of any state!
California, Texas, and North Carolina are the three states still ahead (and we’re catching up with North Carolina!) Thanks to its sheer size, Florida probably won’t ever exceed the solar energy output of Texas or California. But it stands toe to toe with any other state in terms of its total days of sun.
For Florida homeowners, residential solar panels can do three amazing things at once:
- Improve the value of your home
- Help you save money on electricity
- Reduce your impact on the environment
When you install solar panels, every kilowatt hour of solar represents some energy you don’t need to buy from your local utility. While relatively few Florida structures would ever produce enough solar to get paid for it – and utilities have clamped down hard on this – you can trim down your energy bill.
The first and most obvious effect is that as power is generated and transmitted, it can flow to other homes and businesses. That might seem to have a negligible impact on the environment, but it still helps. Florida solar panels currently generate more than 7,000 megawatts of power each year.
As homeowners like you adopt solar panels, utilities don’t have to ramp up their own coal-fired plants to improve coverage throughout the state. That means a massive reduction in greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere, even as the population of Florida (and the rest of the country) continues to go up.
So, you know solar is a good idea for the planet.
Let’s talk about a few of the ways it may be best for you, your family, and your home investment.
Solar Panels Might Just Be the Solution to Rising Electric Rates in Central Florida
Do you know about the Florida Public Service Commission? You should!
A government department charged with regulating investor-owned utilities meets at least once a year to consider rate increases proposed by those utilities. In recent times, it has shown a startling propensity to approve more and bigger rate increases on accelerated timeframes.
Central Florida power utilities have been in a pattern of raising their rates for several years now, and the average household is starting to feel the pinch. Many Florida residents are facing a rate increase of 20% or more as soon as April. This comes on the heels of another rate increase that went into effect in January.
All in all, it means many households have seen their bills increase by $40 a month. As hotter weather sets in after March, the changes could result in $100 or more in extra billing for Florida homeowners. Households are already reeling from this January-April one-two punch, and it’s about to get worse.
Retirees, in particular, dread the arrival of summer because it means they will be paying more than ever to keep their homes comfortable. Older people are already more vulnerable to the effects of heat, so a decision to let the thermostat creep into the 80s to save money could actually put them at risk.
Instead of being an annual source of worry, summer could benefit you and your family.
After all, fun in the sun is one of the things Florida is all about … and it’s not very much “fun” to see an extra hundred dollars on your bill three or four months of every year. Instead, all that sunlight can help you maintain your household budget. Solar panels are the secret to your success.
With modern solar installation by experts, you have the chance to offset rate increases now and in the future. While it is possible for some Florida residents on flat parcels of land to lay out their solar panels on the ground, the best solar panels in Florida are installed directly on your roof.
Allow us to introduce you to the GAF roof-integrated solar power system.
GAF Provides the Best Solar Installation for Florida Homeowners
With more than a century of history behind it, GAF – founded in 1886 – is one of the world leaders in roofs. Its roofing materials are some of the highest quality you can get anywhere. As solar technology begins to mature, it’s only natural that GAF would be one of the biggest names in bringing it to your home.
The innovative new GAF Timberline Solar roofing system is the most efficient you can get.
GAF has resolved all the issues that once made rooftop solar a challenging proposition.
In the past, early generations of solar panels had all kinds of problems. First of all, you could never quite be sure if you were getting panels with quality glass. If there were any blemishes in the glass at all, you’d end up with panels that could only operate at a fraction of their potential.
Batteries were another issue with rooftop solar. Solar panel batteries were often highly responsive at first, only to deteriorate later on. Batteries are an essential component of any rooftop solar system, as the energy captured needs a storage medium so it can be made available to your home later.
Last, but certainly not least, the original solar panels were highly vulnerable to wind, rain, and hail. Every single year, there was a possibility the Atlantic hurricane season would damage your panels, even when a named storm was nowhere in sight. This led to downtime and costly, frequent repairs.
On all these levels and many more, GAF Timberline Solar blows the competition away.
Choose Timberline Solar for your rooftop solar installation and you get the full benefits of solar:
1. A Unique Water-Shedding Design
Look at an older solar installation and you’re bound to notice it’s made up of heavy individual panels. Only GAF offers the expertise to fully integrate its solar technology into the kind of roofing shingles a Central Florida home is already most likely using. Rain runs right off like water from a duck’s back.
With Timberline Solar, there are no unstable rack installations that could be damaged or torn down in a storm. Instead, top-quality GAF shingles are used. They can easily withstand winds of up to 130 miles per hour, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane.
2. A GAF Warranty You Can Trust
Since there is no rack to mount the solar panels, solar panel installation with Timberline never requires your roofing contractor to drill extra holes through the waterproof membrane below the shingle layer. This means no extra places for water to intrude and no holes that aren’t covered by your warranty.
You can take advantage of GAF’s warranty protection – which is totally unique to the industry – when you choose to use a GAF Certified Master Elite Contractor like the team here at Sheegog Contracting. Plus, you’ll rest easy knowing you get experienced solar installation at the very best rates available.
3. Curb Appeal to Enhance Your Home’s Beauty
Old-fashioned solar panels stick out like a sore thumb, literally and figuratively. The issues that make them structurally weak also detract from your home’s appearance. Not so with GAF Timberline Solar, which blends into the existing aesthetic of your house.
GAF’s remarkable Timberline shingles are the backbone of Timberline Solar, offering dimensionality and a tremendous array of beautiful colors for you to choose from. You won’t need to wait until your system goes live to know exactly how it will look: Just ask your GAF-certified roofing contractors for samples.
Invest in Solar Even if You Plan to Sell Within 10 Years
We’ve heard it again and again from our customers: An aging roof can stop a home sale in its tracks.
While many roofing manufacturers claim their products will last for up to 30 years, it doesn’t work out that way here in Florida. The combination of stifling heat and frequent rain often takes about ten years off a shingle roof’s lifespan – more if poor ventilation causes shingles to “bake” from underneath.
Combine that with a lingering property insurance crisis that has insurers eager to drop policies for any reason they can get away with, and would-be buyers are spending more time scrutinizing roofs before they finalize their bids. Roof problems are often discovered during a mandatory home inspection.
Even if you choose to sell your home “as-is,” most buyers will be required by their mortgage lender to get a home inspection done. Roofing, electrical wiring, and plumbing are the main areas a good home inspector examines in detail. In fact, many of them have a contracting background.
With all that in mind, you can’t avoid the possibility of the roof becoming an issue. Investing in your roof now has the potential to excite buyers while still giving you time to defray many of the costs as you keep saving money on your Central Florida electric bills.
Over the right timeline, a modern solar installation can pay for itself many times over, not to mention raising the sale price of your home for a forward-thinking buyer. That could be more profitable (and a whole lot less risky) than common seller approaches like redoing the whole kitchen or bathroom.
Plus, you could even qualify for tax incentives offered by the state and federal government. Incentives are updated annually and may last for years.
There’s Never Been a Better Time for Rooftop Solar Installation in Central Florida
No one can predict exactly how much you stand to save, but homeowners all throughout Central Florida are raving about Timberline Solar. The best way to enjoy all the benefits is to choose a contractor who’ll do your solar installation right.
Contact Sheegog Contracting to learn more or get started.
