Consider installing solar before the federal tax credit is reduced!
|

Consider installing solar before the federal tax credit is reduced!

The decision to install a solar energy system is not one to be taken lightly. It’s a significant investment, one that requires advance research and considerable thought. It’s also not inexpensive (although it is an investment that pays off in many ways, over time). While it is not our style to hurry a home or…

The IPCC special report on climate change: We must do better!
|

The IPCC special report on climate change: We must do better!

By Bill Johnson, President, Brilliant Harvest Earlier this month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report that asserts the 2020s are “ground zero” in the battle to save our planet from widespread devastation. In short, the report says that humanity faces global food shortages, the flooding of coastal cities, climate-related poverty, and…

Can my solar energy system be protected from lightning strikes?

Can my solar energy system be protected from lightning strikes?

Once you’ve made an investment in a solar energy system, you’re probably going to be concerned about protecting that investment. The weather in Florida introduces many causes for concern, including hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and lightning (oh my!). One question we get fairly often is this: “Can my solar energy system be protected from lightning strikes?”…

Brilliant Harvest is NABCEP certified – why should that matter?

Brilliant Harvest is NABCEP certified – why should that matter?

By Bill Johnson, President, Brilliant Harvest In 2016, I earned my certification as a solar PV (photovoltaic) installation professional from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). NABCEP is the most recognized and esteemed certification the solar industry has to offer. So what is the NABCEP certification all about and why should that matter…

Spring cleaning for your solar energy system

Spring cleaning for your solar energy system

As warmer weather arrives and flowers begin to bloom, many Americans will begin the annual rite of spring cleaning. A 2017 poll by Sparefoot, a self-storage industry news site, found that 78 percent of Americans plan to tackle spring cleaning projects, spending an average of four days on the process. So what if anything – should…

Tesla Powerwall is revolutionizing home energy

Tesla Powerwall is revolutionizing home energy

Since 2016, Brilliant Harvest has been a Certified Tesla Powerwall Installer, undergoing a grueling certification process that included significant study and performance review by Tesla field technicians. Since that time, we have seen how lithium-ion storage batteries – in particular, Tesla’s Powerwall – are revolutionizing home energy usage and storage for homeowners. The Powerwall is changing…

Area power co-ops eliminating net metering programs
|

Area power co-ops eliminating net metering programs

A new attack is building on the solar industry: the extreme reduction or eliminating net metering benefits (the credits earned by solar adopters for energy sent to the grid from solar power) by electric co-ops throughout Florida. Unlike the major utilities, such as FP&L, Duke Energy and the Florida Municipal Power Agency, co-ops do not need…

How do we calculate your kWh and financial savings?

How do we calculate your kWh and financial savings?

Before a solar system is designed, before the first solar panel is installed, and well before we flip the switch on a solar array, we provide any home or business owner considering solar power with documentation that estimates the proposed system’s monthly and annual electricity production, and the resulting monetary savings. Have you ever wondered…

Install solar, get 30% of the cost deducted from your federal taxes!

Install solar, get 30% of the cost deducted from your federal taxes!

If you already installed a solar power system, then you have probably already benefited from the Consolidated Appropriations Act. Signed in December 2015, the legislation extended the expiration date for a 30% federal tax credit – also known as the investment tax credit (ITC) – for installing PV and solar thermal technologies. If you have not…

Brilliant Harvest president elected to FlaSEIA board

Brilliant Harvest president elected to FlaSEIA board

Bill Johnson, president of Brilliant Harvest, LLC, has been elected to the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association (FlaSEIA) 2017-2019 board of directors. Since its founding in 1977, FlaSEIA has been dedicated to protecting and promoting the interests of the solar energy industry in Florida. This longevity, along with stringent contractor licensure and system certification standards, is…

With the passage of Amendment 4 implementation bill, we celebrate … sort of
|

With the passage of Amendment 4 implementation bill, we celebrate … sort of

When Florida voters – 74%, or nearly 2 million of them – voted “yes” on Amendment 4 last year, we celebrated joyously. This measure would exempt solar and wind energy devices from being added to a property’s assessed value for property tax purposes for businesses. It would also remove Florida’s “tangible personal property tax,” which…

Solar Cooperatives: What You Need to Know
|

Solar Cooperatives: What You Need to Know

By Bill Johnson, President, Brilliant Harvest Sarasota Solar Co-Op Initiative By now, you’ve probably heard about the new Sarasota Solar Co-Op initiative. The co-op program is co-sponsored by a coalition including environmental, advocacy and social action groups, and supported by two local foundations. All homeowners in Sarasota are eligible to participate. I’ve been asked by a…

Why I installed a Tesla Powerwall: The Bockstahlers

Why I installed a Tesla Powerwall: The Bockstahlers

Environmental Stewardship and Energy Security For Rotraut Bockstahler and her husband, Larry, environmental stewardship and energy security have driven their energy choices. The couple has an 8.32 kW solar array, nothing too flashy – but the cool factor jumps to 11 once you check out the Tesla Powerwall 1.0 home battery in the garage. The…

The Tesla Powerwall 2.0 is here – and we can get it for you!
|

The Tesla Powerwall 2.0 is here – and we can get it for you!

Tesla Powerwall 2.0 The Tesla Powerwall 2.0 is officially here and making an even bigger splash in the home energy market than its first-generation predecessor. It can be indoor/outdoor, wall or floor-mounted, holds 13.5 kWhs per battery, will power a continuous 5 kW of energy and surge to 7 kW, you can stack NINE batteries…

Vote NO on 1!
|

Vote NO on 1!

We wanted to share some important information with you. We ask that you share this with everyone you know – Amendment 1 could mean the end of the solar industry in Florida! Utilities are trying to limit the expansion of solar in Florida in order to preserve their monopoly on electricity sales and limit customer-owned solar….