Florida Solar Energy Incentives and Rebates

Although Florida has the third best physical and geographic conditions in the United States, their solar policies keep it ranked at seventeenth for installed solar capacity. The state does not currently have a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and prohibits third party owned systems, meaning that homeowners cannot lease a solar array like you can in states such as California. This is not to say that Florida does not have incentives and rebates that homeowners and businesses can take advantage of.

Florida Power and Light offers a solar rebate to all the utilities governed by the state utilities commission to offer net metering. Florida’s net metering program gives credits on a monthly basis to solar system owners, and if they generate more power than they use consistently over a twelve-month period they receive a monetary sum of money at the end of that period. The rebate is available for thermal electric, photovoltaics, landfill gas, wind, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal, CHP/cogeneration, anaerobic digestion, small hydroelectric, tidal energy, wave energy and ocean thermal. Net metering is available to systems over 10 kilowatts in size that are covered under general liability insurance, and 1 million liability for systems between 10 to 100 kilowatts. Systems over 100 kilowatts to 2 megawatts must have 2 million liability coverage.

The Florida Solar and CHP Sales Tax Exemption covers solar hot water, solar space heat, photovoltaic systems, and solar pool heating. The exemption offers 100 sales tax exemption with no minimum to commercial, residential, and consumer renewable solar energy systems. System owners must fill out an application form to qualify.

Financial Incentives

Rules, Regulations and Policies