Pine Island couple builds solar-powered home after Hurricane Charley

Published: Updated:
Pine Island couple builds solar-powered home after Hurricane Charley. WINK News

Living through the devastation of Hurricane Charley in 2004 sparked an idea for a couple on Pine Island.

Jay Nygard is the founder of Go Green Energy, which offers renewable and environmentally friendly technology.

Jay and his wife, Kendall, never have to worry about a hurricane leaving their family without power because their home runs on Florida’s natural resources.

“If the sun is shining you’ve got green energy and if the wind is blowing you’ve got green energy, and those things are always happening,” Kendall said. “You can see payback in as little as three years.”

The couple’s home sometimes produces more energy than their family uses, resulting in a negative balance on the electricity bill.

“We have several bills where we’ve seen a credit on the bill, so that’s one way it’s been paying back,” Kendall said.

Going green even allowed the couple to extend a helping hand after Hurricane Irma.

“We were completely powered throughout the hurricane and we had our friends bring their food over and we had our friends charging their cell phones,” Kendall said.

The couple encourages Southwest Florida residents to make the change and watch “do it yourself” videos online.

“My husband has a YouTube channel and he’s been doing ‘do it yourself’ and ‘how to.’ He converts the highly technical into normal people speak and how to understand green energy. He’s called the ‘Turbine guy,'” Kendall said.

For more information on Go Green Energy, click here. 

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.