Naples Dome House - Solar power green homes using renewable energy in Naples Florida

Posted by Joseph Epifanio on Tuesday, May 19th, 2015 at 12:43pm.

The Dome house used solar power and renewable energy.So you're trying to do everything you can to save the planet?  Most people these days recycle and try to do what they can to help save the world's resources.   Houses are now being built to make the most of naturally occurring power sources such as wind and sunlight, solar panels can help in lowering your bills.  With technology that seems to change every day the world is full of information on how to improve our homes and make the most out of what is available without causing harm to the world. 

So, why is it that in a place like Florida we are not all using solar power?  After all, we have the most sunshine of any state in the USA, there is hardly a day goes by without the sun. Yet, we are still relying heavily on electricity.  Oddly enough, Florida is one of the largest producers of electricity in the United States, with an only a small portion of its electricity from renewable sources, most of which comes from biomass, only one-tenth of Florida’s renewable electricity comes from solar.

As a Real Estate Broker in Naples, I come across all kinds of homes, I am constantly learning about energy saving technology which is being incorporated into the homes being built today. But how long is it going to be before we really start to take advantage of the huge powerhouse in the sky?  

The dome was built in the 1980's near Naples and Marco Island Florida.There is one home, built way ahead of its time, back in the 1980’s, a unique dome house which was self-sufficient, whose forward-thinking designer took advantage of our sunshine. I am talking about the dome house off Cape Romano just of Marco Island near Naples.  This unique home was built on a remote island with no road access and absolutely no utilities, way before we started to seriously consider using renewable energy in our modern homes.   

The Dome house was unique, it’s shape was not just used to make it look different, the domes were used to give strength to the home, making it impossible for winds and therefore hurricanes to take a hold, a dome structure can withstand far more wind speed that a square home with a roof.  The domes were used to also collect water, with gutters around the base, rainwater was collected and channeled into an underground tank to be used for the homes water source.  Outside solar panels caught the suns rays to provide electricity and air conditioning. 

Once a self sustaining home using renewable energy sources.The home was sadly built on an island that was hit by hurricanes which caused the beach to erode and undermine the home’s structure.  The Dome house itself weathered hurricanes extremely well, the windows were damaged but the main house escaped unharmed.   The home was used for many years but is now abandoned as the sand and water take a hold and it slips silently into the Gulf. 

Hopefully, within the not too distant future, we will be making the most of the sun’s power, which seems to me to be one of the things we are not short of,  after all, they don't call us the Sunshine State for nothing.

Leave a Comment

Format example: you@domain.com
Format example: yourwebsitename.com