Florida Solar Rebates and Incentives
Homeowners in Florida looking for financial incentives to install renewable energy systems , such as residential solar electric, solar hot water, and solar pool heating systems will find State-level tax exemptions, net metering and local rebates through selected utilities.
The State provides a sales tax exemption and a state-wide property tax exemption. A State-wide renewable energy systems rebate program expired in 2009, but customers of Beaches Energy Services, City of Tallahassee, Clay Electric Cooperative, Florida Power and Light, Florida Public Utilities, Gainesville Regional Utilities, Gulf Power, JEA, Kissimee Utility Authority, Lake Worth Utilities, Lakeland Electric, New Smyrna Beach, Orlando Utilities Commission, Progress Energy and Florida, Tampa Electric have utility specific rebate programs available to them.
The City of Tallahassee, the Gainesville Regional Utility, the Clay Electric Cooperative and the Orlando Utilities Commission offer low-interest loan programs. Rates for the programs range from 0% to 11%, depending on the program.
Florida’s net metering laws require investor owned utilities to have net metering programs. The utilities must give credits to customers feeding power back into the electric grid and pay out cash if the customer doesn’t use their credits within 12 months.
Solar Rebate and Incentive Programs
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Florida Net Metering
Program Type Net Metering Technologies Solar Thermal Electric, Photovoltaics (solar panels), Landfill Gas, Wind, Biomass, Hydroelectric, Geothermal Electric, CHP/Cogeneration, Anaerobic Digestion, Small Hydroelectric, Tidal Energy, Wave Energy, Ocean Thermal Who Can Apply Commercial, industrial, residential, municipal and government customers of investor owned utilities Required Documentation proof of general liability insurance for systems greater than 10kW: $1 million labiality coverage for systems 10kW to 100kW; $2 million labiality coverage for systems 100kW to 2 MW
Official Web Sites Florida’s net metering rules enabled owners of a broad range of renewable energy systems, including solar thermal electric, photovoltaic’s (solar panels), wind, biomass and hydroelectric, to get credits for generating more power than they use.
Net metering means utilities credit customers for the difference, or net, between consumption and generation. The excess power generated is fed back into the utility’s grid system for distribution to other customers.
In months where the customer’s power system generates more power than the customer uses, the utility credits the customer for the excess. The credits are carried forward for 12 months. If the customer doesn’t use their credits within 12 months, the utility must pay the customer for the kilowatts at the regular retail rate.
To be eligible, the system can generate up to 2 megawatts. The program is open to all customers of investor owned utilities. Customers of cooperatives or municipal utilities are not covered under the program.
Systems 10 kilowatts and smaller are exempt from liability insurance requirements and application fees. Systems between 10 kilowatts and 100 kilowatts must pay a $400 application fee and have $1 million in liability insurance; larger systems must pay a $1,000 application fee, carry $2 million in liability insurance, and place a $2,000 deposit.
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Florida Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption
Program Type Property Tax Exemption Technologies Solar Hot Water Heating, Photovoltaic systems, other renewable energy systems. Amount Maximum of 8% of assessed property value Who Can Apply Property tax payers Official Web Site Florida Tax Department Statute Florida property owners who have renewable energy systems installed can save on their property tax bills. Florida deducts the cost of the original system, plus installation from the property tax assessment, lowering the property owner’s tax liability.
The exemption does have some limits. During the first year of operation, the exemption is prorated for the number of months the system is in service. The exemption is for a maximum of 10 years. The tax exemption cannot exceed 8% of the total property tax value.
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Florida Solar Energy Equipment Sales Tax Exemption
Program Type Sales Tax Exemption Technologies Solar hot water, Solar space heat, Photovoltaic systems, Solar Pool Heating Who Can Apply: Commercial, Residential, General Public/Consumer Amount 100% of sales tax; no maximum Required Documentation Application Form Official Web Sites http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=FL01F&re=1&ee=1
Purchasers of solar energy systems used in place of conventional energy systems are exempt from paying state sales and use tax. The exemption covers all components used in the system, not just solar panels. The Florida Solar Energy Center lists the components that qualify in a document found here.
Sellers of solar energy systems are required to document sales to get the exemption. A simple application form must be signed by the seller. The form is provided by the Florida Department of Revenue and can be found here.
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Florida Solar Power Financial Incentives
Financial Incentives
Corporate Tax Credit
Green Building Incentive
Industry Recruitment/Support
Local Rebate Program
Other Incentive
Production Incentive
- Gainesville Regional Utilities - Solar Feed-In-Tariff
- Orlando Utilities Commission - Pilot Solar Programs
Property Tax Exemption
Sales Tax Exemption
Sales Tax Refund
State Grant Program
State Rebate Program
Utility Grant Program
- City of Tallahassee Utilities - Low-Income Energy Efficiency Grant Programs
- Orlando Utilities Commission - Home Energy Efficiency Fix-Up Program
Utility Loan Program
- City of Tallahassee Utilities - Solar and Efficiency Loans
- Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - Energy Conservation Loans
- Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - Solar Thermal Loans
- Gainesville Regional Utilities- Low-Interest Energy Efficiency Loan Program
- Orlando Utilities Commission - Residential Insulation Loan Program
- Orlando Utilities Commission - Residential Solar Loan Program
Utility Rebate Program
- City of Tallahassee Utilities - Energy Star Certified New Homes Rebate Program
- City of Tallahassee Utilities - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
- City of Tallahassee Utilities - Solar Water Heating Rebate
- Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - Energy Smart Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
- Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - Energy Smart Solar Water Heater Rebate Program
- Florida Power and Light - Business Energy Efficiency Rebates
- Florida Power and Light - Residential Energy Efficiency Program
- Gainesville Regional Utilities - Commercial Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
- Gainesville Regional Utilities - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
- Gainesville Regional Utilities - Solar Water Heating Rebate Program
- Gainesville Regional Utilities - Solar-Electric (PV) System Rebate Program
- Gulf Power - Geothermal Installation Rebate Program
- Gulf Power - Solar Thermal Water Heating Pilot Program
- JEA - Solar Incentive Program
- Kissimmee Utility Authority - Commercial Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
- Kissimmee Utility Authority - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
- New Smyrna Beach - LED Exit Sign Rebate
- Orlando Utilities Commission - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
- Progress Energy Florida - Commercial Building Envelope Improvements Program
- Progress Energy Florida - Commercial Equipment Rebate Programs
- Progress Energy Florida - Home Energy Check Audit and Rebate Program
- Progress Energy Florida - Solar Water Heating with EnergyWise Program
- Tampa Electric - Commercial Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs
- Tampa Electric - Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
Rules, Regulations & Policies
Building Energy Code
Contractor Licensing
Energy Standards for Public Buildings
Equipment Certification
Generation Disclosure
Interconnection
Net Metering
Renewables Portfolio Standard
Solar Access Law/Guideline
Solar and Wind Access Law
Related Programs & Initiatives
Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center
The U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC) provides a wide range of information and resources to enable the use of alternative fuels and other petroleum-reduction options, such as advanced vehicles, fuel blends, idle reduction and fuel economy. The AFDC site offers a database of state and federal laws and incentives related to alternative fuels and vehicles, air quality, fuel efficiency, and other transportation-related topics.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Green Power Network provides news and information on green power markets and activities, including opportunities to buy green power. This site provides state-by-state information on green power marketing and utility green power programs. In addition, the site lists marketers of renewable energy credits (RECs), also known as green tags or renewable energy certificates, which represent the environmental attributes of the power produced from renewable energy projects.
Weatherization Assistance Program
The U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) enables low-income families to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy-efficient. Through this program, weatherization service providers install energy-efficiency measures in the homes of qualifying homeowners free of charge. The WAP program web site offers a state-by-state map of opportunities, projects and activities.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America site provides state-by-state information on wind projects and activities, including wind working groups, validated wind maps, anemometer loan programs, small wind guides, state-specific news, wind for schools, workshops and web casts.
