Willett estimates that the solar and other energy-efficient features will add about 10% to the overall cost of the house. "I have the time and money to build the house the way I want to," says Willett, owner of ATX Forms, a fast-growing tax software company that is on Inc. magazine's list of the 500 fastest growing companies.
In short supply
Despite Florida's sobriquet as the Sunshine State, photovoltaic technology -- converting light into direct-current electricity using silicon cells, then storing it in batteries -- remains rare here. Indeed, most Florida solar contractors, like Zrallack, spend almost all their time installing solar pool heating systems that employ less sophisticated solar thermal technology -- systems that heat water for swimming pools or household use through rooftop solar collectors.
Most of the 50 or so Florida manufacturers, distributors and contractors who are members of the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association (FSEIA) focus on solar thermal, with pool heating systems accounting for the lion's share of the work. The pool systems cost $2,000 to $4,000, and the equipment is exempt from Florida sales tax. About 20,000 are installed annually, says Colleen Kettles, FSEIA executive director.
Solar water heaters, which are also exempt from state sales tax and typically cost $1,500 to $3,500, aren't as popular, although they have a long history in South Florida, where thousands were installed in the 1920s and 1930s. The market has been up-and-down since the 1940s, with a brief spurt in the 1970s when the oil crisis led to passage of a federal tax credit of up to $4,000 for solar water heaters. But in 1985, that credit expired, and customer interest declined dramatically. "The industry took a real nosedive," says Kettles, adding, "If 500 systems went in last year, I'd be surprised."
Nor does the future look much brighter for solar overall, with only limited research going on in the state. At the University of Florida, mechanical engineering Professor Yogi Goswami is testing a method of using solar for refrigeration. Goswami, director of UF's Solar Energy & Energy Conversion Laboratory, is using hot water to heat pressurized ammonia and convert it to steam, which spins a turbine engine -- producing electricity and cooling the ammonia enough to be used for refrigeration.
Costly alternative
Meanwhile, photovoltaic technology remains confined to customized homes like Willett's and to commercial applications such as highway message boards, communications systems and marine buoys -- systems that operate without a hook-up to the electric utilities, says Steve Gorman, president of Renewable Energy Group in Jacksonville.
The cost of going solar while maintaining a hook-up to the electric company as a backup source of power remains prohibitively high -- with some estimates of costs running four to five times more than electric, including photovoltaic panels and liability insurance.
Contributing to the financial disincentive for homeowners is Florida's lack of a "net metering" program. Net metering, available in 31 states, allows customers to have a single electric meter to measure total power and let the homeowner sell excess solar electricity generated back to the utility at, optimally, the retail price. Since 1999, the Florida Public Utilities Commission has been working on the issue and is expected to rule this year or next.
Florida Solar Energy Center
The Florida Solar Energy Center's website includes lots of non-technical information for consumers interested in installing solar systems for their homes or businesses. One section, on solar energy applications, has question-and-answer primers on solar water heaters and pool heating systems. There's also information on costs, performance ratings and county-by-county listings of solar equipment manufacturers, sales and installation companies.