Hurricane Ian Reinforces Philip Stoddard’s Commitment to Solar Energy
As another hurricane season comes to a close, with storms such as Hurricane Ian and Tropical Storm Nicole, Philip Stoddard’s solar-powered home is prepared for any near-apocalyptic power outage, owing to the sunshine state’s abundance of sun.
In 2017, South Miami made history by passing a rule requiring the installation of solar panels for all new residential construction and, in certain cases, home additions. This made South Miami the first U.S. city outside of California to do so. Philip Stoddard, a former mayor who is currently a professor of biological sciences at FIU, played a key role in this significant accomplishment.
More recently, to prepare for the next hurricane Ian, mayor Stoddard went on a test run with his family. He and his family were able to use every appliance, computer, light, TV, solar water heater with electric on-demand boosters, backyard pond pump, and charge the car for the following seven days without ever running out of electricity during an exceptionally hot March week.
Stoddard, a longtime proponent of solar energy and eco-friendly living, has two solar-charged Tesla Powerwall batteries in his garage that have a capacity of 27 kilowatt hours and a continuous output of 10 kilowatts. He also has 30 west-facing solar panels on the roof of his 1,600-square-foot home that generate 7.5 kilowatts of power.
Stoddard is on a quest to persuade more people to choose a solar-powered, clean-energy lifestyle after being happy with the outcomes of his trial. Stoddard has dedicated his life to preserving the environment. And he is now worried that additional effects of climate change, such as increasing sea levels, may have a negative influence on South Florida. Stoddard’s message is that procrastinators can no longer argue that the health of the world and its inhabitants is an issue for future generations to handle in light of imminent tropical storms and hurricanes, flooding, and record temperatures.