The questions solar salespeople skip
Straight, sourced answers about energy in Southwest Florida — including the parts that don't help us make a sale. Every article cites its sources and shows when it was last verified.
Solar Ownership
Did the Federal Residential Solar Tax Credit End?
The 30% federal residential solar tax credit was ended early. Here's exactly what changed for 2026, who can still benefit, and what it means if you own vs. lease.
Read →LCECLCEC Solar and Net Metering: A Homeowner's Guide
LCEC is a cooperative, so its net metering rules differ from FPL's. Here's how LCEC credits your solar, why oversizing rarely pays, and how to size a system right.
Read →FPLFPL Solar and Net Metering: What Homeowners Should Know
How FPL net metering works under Florida's PSC rule, what the 2025 rate settlement means, and how exported solar is credited. Sourced, no hype.
Read →Utility Bills
Why Is My Electric Bill So High in Southwest Florida?AC, rate increases, and how you use power all drive Southwest Florida electric bills. Here's what's really behind the number — and what you can actually control.
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Pool-Pump Solar Math: Why High-Usage Homes Pencil DifferentlyYour pool is lovely. Your pool pump is expensive. In Southwest Florida it's one of the biggest quiet line items on a bill — which is exactly why a high-usage pool home can change the solar math. Here's the honest range framing.Last verified:
Why Your Neighbor's Bill Is Lower (and It's Probably Not Just Solar)Same street, similar house, wildly different electric bills. Before you assume it's all about the panels on their roof, here's what actually drives the gap — usage, home size, pool, AC efficiency, and which utility you're on.Last verified:
Solar 101
Does Solar Really Save Money in Florida?Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Here's what actually determines whether solar saves you money in Florida — and how to check it for your specific home.
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Is Your Solar Even On? A 2-Minute Self-Check for SWFL OwnersA surprising number of 'solar homes' in Southwest Florida aren't making solar right now. Here's the two-minute check — monitoring app, inverter light, and the bill-creep tell — to catch it before it costs you a season.Last verified:
What Your Inverter's Blinking Light Is Actually Telling YouGreen, amber, red, blinking — your solar inverter is trying to talk to you. Here's a plain-English decoder for the common status lights and fault families, and what's safe to check versus when to call a pro.Last verified:
Lovebugs, Salt Air & Iguanas: A Realistic SWFL Solar Maintenance GuideSouthwest Florida throws salt air, pollen, lovebug season, and the occasional iguana at your rooftop. Here's what actually degrades panels here, what's overblown, and when a quiet drop in production means it's time to call someone.Last verified:
Solar Leasing
Solar Lease vs Buying Solar in 2026Owning and leasing solar are different products with different math — especially after the 2026 federal tax-credit change. Here's how to compare them honestly.
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What Happens to a Solar Lease When You Sell Your House?Owned solar usually adds value and transfers with the deed. A leased system becomes a negotiation — the buyer has to qualify and assume the contract. Here's how each plays out at closing in Florida.Last verified:
Why Are Solar Leases 20 or 25 Years?Solar leases run 20 to 25 years by design — that's how the finance company recovers its cost and profit. Here's why the term is long, what it commits you to, and how ownership avoids it entirely.Last verified:
What Is a Solar Lease Escalator?An escalator is a clause that raises your solar lease payment a set percentage every year. It sounds small — 1 to 3 percent — but compounded over 25 years it quietly reshapes the whole deal. Here's how to model it.Last verified:
Buying Out a Solar Lease Early: What You Gain, What You LoseMost solar leases let you buy the system out, often starting around year 5. Owning it stops the monthly payment — but the maintenance and warranty coverage bundled into the lease typically ends. Here's how to weigh it.Last verified:
$0-Down Solar, Explained Like You're Busy'$0 down' and 'free solar' are marketing, not a category. Under the hood it's a lease, a loan, or cash — three different products with different math. Here's the honest, busy-person breakdown for 2026.Last verified:
What 'Maintenance Included' Should Actually Cover'Maintenance included' is one of the most reassuring — and vaguest — phrases in a solar lease. Here's how to read it: what real coverage looks like, what's often quietly excluded, and the questions that turn marketing into a promise you can hold.Last verified:
Battery Storage
How Long Will a Home Battery Run During an Outage?It depends on your loads, battery size, and whether solar is recharging it. Here's a realistic way to think about backup runtime — and why AC is the hard part.
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Can Solar Panels and Batteries Keep My AC Running During a Hurricane?Yes, a solar-plus-battery system can keep central AC running during an outage. But AC is a heavy load with a startup surge, so honest sizing matters.Last verified:
Hurricane Resilience
Are Solar Panels Safe During Florida Hurricanes?Florida solar is installed to stringent state wind requirements and permitted accordingly. But nothing is hurricane-proof. Installation quality and permitting decide the outcome.
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What Happens to Solar When the Grid Goes Down?Standard grid-tied solar shuts off during an outage, even in full sun. It is a safety requirement called anti-islanding. To keep power, you need a battery or islanding-capable equipment.Last verified:
Solar + Battery vs Generator in Southwest FloridaAn honest trade-off breakdown of solar plus battery versus a generator for hurricane backup in Southwest Florida. Many homes end up choosing a hybrid.Last verified:
Hurricane Prep for Solar Homes: Before, During, and After the StormA practical, no-fear checklist for solar owners in hurricane country: what to check before the storm, why grid-tied solar shuts off without a battery, and how to safely inspect and restart your system afterward.Last verified:
Roofing + Solar
Will Solar Panels Damage My Roof?Properly flashed and sealed solar mounts keep a roof watertight. Roof leaks come from bad workmanship, not from solar itself. Here is what actually protects your roof.
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What Happens When I Need a New Roof Under Solar Panels?If your roof wears out while panels are on it, someone has to remove and reinstall them. That is why matching roof life to panel life, or re-roofing first, saves money.Last verified:
Solar and Your Roof Warranty: The Question Nobody Asks Until It LeaksMounting solar means putting holes in your roof — so what happens to your roof warranty, and who's responsible if it leaks? Here's how penetrations, workmanship warranties, and getting the sequence right protect you before there's a stain on the ceiling.Last verified:
Florida Energy
The Snowbird's Guide to Leaving Your Solar (and AC) for the SummerLeaving Southwest Florida for the summer? Your empty house still has a job: staying dry. Here's how to set your AC, use your solar and monitoring, and decide whether a battery earns its keep while you're up north.
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FPL vs LCEC: Same Panels, Two Completely Different GamesTwo neighbors, the same panels, opposite solar strategy — because one is on FPL and one is on a co-op like LCEC. Here's how each credits your solar, and why knowing your utility has to come before anyone quotes you a system.Last verified:
LCEC
LCEC Solar and Net Metering: A Homeowner's GuideLCEC is a cooperative, so its net metering rules differ from FPL's. Here's how LCEC credits your solar, why oversizing rarely pays, and how to size a system right.
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Solar for Cape Coral Pool HomesPool pumps run year-round and add real load, which makes many Cape Coral homes strong solar candidates. On LCEC, the key is sizing to your own usage.Last verified:
Consumer Protection
10 Questions to Ask Before Signing a Solar ContractA good solar deal survives hard questions. A bad one falls apart under them. These are the ten questions — about the escalator, the term, transfers, tax credits, guarantees, and the installer — that expose the difference before you sign.
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My Neighbor Got Burned by Solar. How Do I Avoid the Same Thing?Most bad solar experiences trace back to a few culprits: an aggressive escalator, an oversized system, and savings built on unrealistic rate increases.Last verified:
The 8pm Doorbell: How to Vet a Solar Rep in 5 QuestionsIt's 8:47pm and there's a solar rep at your door with a tablet and a deal that 'ends tonight.' You don't have to be rude — you just have to ask five questions. A good rep answers all five. A pushy one gets uncomfortable fast.Last verified:
More articles are being added across every category on our editorial calendar. We publish only what we can source and verify — no filler.
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