Rebates

Beaches Energy Services offers rebates to residential customers as an incentive to install qualifying energy-efficient equipment and measures in existing homes. New construction does not qualify for any of the rebates. Rebates are available for air conditioners, heat pumps, programmable thermostats, window film/solar screens, heat pump water heaters and ceiling insulation upgrades.. Equipment must meet certain energy efficiency standards listed on the program web site. The rebate applications can be downloaded from the program web site, and applications must be submitted within 60 days or project completion. Contact Beaches Energy Services for more information on this offering.

Beaches Energy Services offers a solar water heating rebate to their residential customers. This $500 rebate applies to new systems which are properly installed and certified. New construction and solar pool heating systems do not qualify for the rebate payment. Systems must be installed by a licensed Florida contractor and must be FSEC certified. Rebates will not be issued until equipment is fully installed. Rebates may take between four to six weeks to process. There is a one rebate maximum for all participating customers. The rebate applications can be downloaded from the program web site listed above and applications must

This ordinance is intended to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens by removing barriers to the installation of alternative energy systems and encourage the installation of rooftop photovoltaic solar systems.

There are no standards or guidelines within the code of ordinances that can prohibit the installation of rooftop solar systems as accessory equipment on residential or commercial buildings.

The height of the rooftop photovoltaic solar systems cannot be higher than the roofline (top of the roof). For flat roofs, the system cannot be greater than five (5) feet above the roof.

The permit does not guarantee

Broward County now offers Go SOLAR Online Permitting*, for rooftop solar photovoltaic system permitting. This online permitting system may be used for residential or low commercial properties that are governed by a participating municipality.

The online permitting system is designed to provide a one-stop solar permitting process with a single application form, electronic review and approval, and flat fee. Applicants can use this system to choose from pre-approved and pre-engineered solar panel mounting installation designs, and then apply for permits using those designs. Applicants must apply in person to request permits for installations that are NOT typical to one of

Much of the information presented in this summary is drawn from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program and the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP). For more detailed information about building energy codes, visit the DOE and BCAP websites.

The Florida Building Commission (FBC) is directed to adopt, revise, update, and maintain the Florida Building Code in accordance with Chapter 120 of the state statutes. The code is mandatory throughout the state and need not be adopted by a local government to be applicable at the local level. An online copy of the Florida State Energy Code

The City of Gainesville requires the design process for buildings within its public services and operations (PS) district to take into consideration current and future solar access. In addition, trees that are required by landscaping ordinances may be relocated if they conflict with planned solar energy generation. Other regulated trees may be removed if they prevent reasonable development of the site, including the installation of solar energy equipment.

Solar collectors may extend up to seven feet above the maximum height limit with unlimited roof coverage. Solar collectors may extend up to 15 feet above the maximum height limit, as long as the coverage does not exceed 20 percent of the roof area, or 25 percent if the total includes stair or elevator penthouses or screened mechanical equipment.

The City of Jacksonville offers expedited building plan review for projects achieving LEED certification. This program is available for new residential or commercial construction, residential or commercial retrofitting/remodeling and new City-owned buildings.

Owners or developers of sustainable building program projects may receive a refund of the actual costs of sustainable building certification pursuant to the Sustainable Building Certification Refund Grant Program administered through the Environmental Protection Board.

For more information, contact (904) 255-8310 or [email protected]

Ordinance No. 2009-211 established the Sustainable Building Certification Grant Program to encourage the attainment of sustainable building certification.  A temporary source of funds shall be used to reimburse developers for the actual costs of specific steps of the sustainable building certification process. This includes fees for application and inspection, but excludes any construction costs necessary to achieve sustainable building certification. The program is administered by the Environmental Protection Board. Grants shall be limited to $1,000 per certification.

The City of Lauderhill offers interest-free loans for EnergyStar appliances through a municipal revolving loan program. Loans from $400 to $2,500 are available to homeowners purchasing new Energy Star-certified appliances from eligible retailers. Tankless water heaters, solar photovoltaic systems, and solar water heating systems are also eligible for the loan program. Loan funds have a one or two-year repayment plan. Eligibility will be determined within 10 business days.

Loan funds are made payable directly to the retailer within a week of the time the final loan documents are signed. A check will be made payable to the retailer; you must

The City of Longwood offers the Raising Energy Efficiency Program (REEP) to owner occupied residences within the City of Longwood for making energy efficiency improvements to their properties while supporting local businesses. 

In order to qualify, applicants must utilize contractors, suppliers or other businesses located in the City of Longwood to make their improvements eligible for the rebate program. Rebate amounts vary based upon efficiency upgrade with a maximum rebate amount of $500 a year per household. A full list of eligible improvements and application instructions can be found on the REEP web site.

Allows bonus building capacity within the urban core zone for LEED-certified Silver, Gold, or Platinum buildings or for buildings in a T5 Transect zone within 1/2 mile of a Metrorail, Brightline, or Tri-Rail station certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC). 

The capacities for buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) are as follows:

• Silver: For buildings under 50,000 sf, 2.0% of the floor lot ratio (FLR)
• Gold: 4.0% of the floor lot ratio (FLR)
• Platinum: 13.0% of the floor lot ratio (FLR)

The capacities for buildings certified by the FGBC are as follows:

• Silver: 20% of

The City of Miami requires that all new private developments over 50,000 square feet located in specified zoning districts (T5, T6, CI and CS zones) to achieve LEED silver certification or an equivalent standards adopted or approved by the City.

The City of Tallahassee Utilities offers loans with an interest rate of 5% for more than 25 different energy-saving measures. Under this program, residential and commercial customers may borrow up to $10,000 for varying energy efficiency measures. For Solar Photovoltaics or ENERGY STAR roofing, the maximum loan amount is $20,000 so long as no other loan measures are bundled with these. For detailed information contact the utility. 

The City of Tallahassee Utilities offers a rebate of $1 per square foot (up to $2,000) for ENERGY STAR qualified new homes. Qualifying housing types include single-family detached, single-family attached, low-rise multifamily, and existing-home renovations. To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Homes must be at least 15% more energy efficient than home built to the current Internation Energy Conservation Code (with Florida modifications), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20-30% more efficient than standard homes. For homes where natural gas is unavailable an

The City of Tallahassee Utilities offers several grant programs for its customers. These programs include: 

• Ceiling Insulation Grants
• Code Enforcement Rehabilitation Grants
• Energy-Efficiency Retrofit Grants

The City of Tallahassee has also received funding from the State of Florida to fund the entire cost of connecting residents to the city sewer system (rather than reliance on septic tanks).

Contact the utility or visit the program website for more details.

City of Tallahassee Utilities (CTU) offers residential customers rebates for ENERGY STAR appliances, Efficient HVAC Systems, ENERGY STAR homes, Solar Water Heaters, and Natural Gas Appliances.

Visit the CTU website for more detailed information about any of these rebates.

The City of Tallahassee Utilities offers loans with an interest rate of 5% for a variety of energy-saving measures, including photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar water-heating systems. Under this program, customers may borrow up to $20,000 for PV systems. Various other systems can qualify for loans. Loan payments are to be made on monthly utility bills. Customers must first get a vendor price or a contractor's proposal and send it to the utility Energy Services. A city energy audit is required for all solar technology installations. Installation work should not begin until after a signed Loan Promissory Note has been

The City of Tallahassee Utilities offers a $450 rebate to homeowners* and homebuilders who install a solar water-heating system. This rebate may be applied to a first-time installation or to the replacement of an older solar water-heating system. Homebuilders may also apply for the rebate when installing a solar water heater on a new home. Pool heating systems are not eligible for the rebate.

The homeowner must allow the City of Tallahassee to conduct an energy audit on the home in order to make a preliminary assessment of sun exposure and to provide program guidance. All solar water heating equipment

The City of Winter Park offers rebates to Winter Park electric residential and commercial customers for implementing energy conservation measures.

Residential customers can qualify for rebates on duct repair, attic insulation, toilets, washing machines, weather based smart irrigation controllers. Also, customers can receive a home energy audit for free.

See program web site for full list of rebate amounts and application instructions.

Clay Electric Cooperative (CEC), a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, covers 14 North Florida counties, including Gainesville, Keystone Heights, Lake City, Orange Park, Palatka, and Salt Springs. It offers loans to help customers finance energy efficiency improvements for participating homes. Customers can borrow up to $10,000 for various energy-efficiency improvements. A $25 loan processing fee will be assessed on all applications. Visit the program website for more information.

Rebates are available only to Clay Electric Cooperative (CEC) residential members who are making efficiency upgrades to primary residence served by CEC. To qualify for the insulation rebate, the existing level of insulation must be less than R-19. Only existing homes and facilities can partake in the window film, ceiling insulation and spray foam insulation offerings, not new construction.

Contact CEC for any further information on these offerings or visit the program web site.

Clay Electric Cooperative (CEC) provides a rebate of $0.01 per BTU output to its residential members when they purchase qualified solar water heaters. This rebate is capped at 60,000 BTUs per system, or $600. Eligible solar water heaters can be either passive or active systems. The proposed solar system must meet Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) specifications and be installed by a contractor certified to install solar water heating systems by the Florida Department of Professional Regulation's Construction Industry Licensing Board.

Clay Electric Cooperative (CEC), a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, covers 14 counties in northern Florida, including Gainesville, Keystone Heights, Lake City, Orange Park, Palatka, and Salt Springs. CEC offers low interest loans to help customers finance solar water heaters and solar pool heaters. Basic qualifications for an energy conservation loan include a good credit history, good payment record with Clay Electric and service with CEC for one year. An energy survey conducted by a CEC representative within the past year is required. A non-refundable $25 loan processing fee will be assessed on all applications submitted for loan consideration.

For questions, you

Upon request, Duke Energy Florida will perform a free home energy inspection. To qualify for one or all of the rebates, measures must be recommended during the inspection. Eligible equipment and measures include heat pumps, duct maintenance, insulation improvements, and window upgrades. There is also an online Home Energy Check survey to facilitate this process. See website for complete details. 

Duke Energy Florida also offers multi-family rebates to property managers.

Florida Keys Electric Cooperative offers residential members rebates for installing energy efficient measures. To qualify for rebates, members must first call FKEC and make an appointment for a free home energy audit. An FKEC trained auditor will assess the home and make recommendations for energy savings. From those recommendations members can qualify for rebates for installations such as:

For more information see FKEC's web site. 

Florida Keys Electric Cooperative (FKEC) offers a loan program for the purchase and installation of a grid-tied Distributed Energy Resource (DER) system. This can be both a battery storage system or a photovoltaic system. This program is offered to both residential and commercial customers. To participate, customers must have a "clean" billing history with FKEC for at least 12 months for residential customers and at least 24 months for commercial customers.

Note: In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activity subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. Commercial PACE programs were not directly affected by FHFA’s actions, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not underwrite commercial mortgages. Visit PACENation for more information about PACE financing

Florida Power and Light (FPL) offers rebates to residential customers who implement certain energy efficiency improvements in eligible homes.

In addition to rebates, FPL offers a variety of other programs to help customers save energy and money. These programs include On Call, which allows the utility to turn off equipment during peak times in exchange for monthly credit, and BuildSmart, a certification program for energy-efficient new homes. Visit the program website for more information.

Florida Public Utilities offers the Energy for Life Conservation Program to its residential natural gas customers to save energy in their homes. Rebates are available for existing residences and new construction. Customers can receive rebates for installing new energy efficient natural gas tankless water heaters, tank water heaters, heating systems, stoves, and clothes dryers. The rebate amount depends on whether the customer is replacing existing natural gas equipment or converting from electric to natural gas. Rebate amounts for new construction differ slightly from those offered to existing homes. Customers should contact FPU for additional information on these offerings.

Florida Public Utilities offers rebates to electric residential customers who improve the efficiency of homes. Central air conditioners and heat pumps which meet program requirements are eligible for up to a $100 rebate from FPU. Units must be 15 SEER or higher in order to be eligible. Contact FPU for more information on this program.

Florida law forbids ordinances, deed restrictions, covenants, declarations or similar binding agreements from prohibiting the use of solar collectors (including clothes lines) or "other energy devices based on renewable resources," although certain restrictions related to visibility may be imposed on property owners, as long as the effective operation of the system does not suffer as a result. Community associations are specifically prohibited from preventing the installation of solar collectors on residential rooftops. Legislation that took effect in July 2008 (HB 697) extended the application of the renewable energy access law to condominiums. Interestingly, a condominium or a multi-condominium board

Fort Pierce Utilities Authority offers a variety of incentives for their residential customers to save energy in their homes. Rebates are available for room A/C units, insulation upgrades, central A/C, refrigerators, and clothes dryers. All of the equipment must meet certain energy efficiency standards listed on the program web site. Applications for the various rebates are located on the program web site. Once application forms are received and processed, rebates will be paid in the form of a credit on one or more of the customer’s monthly electric consumption bills.

Fort Pierce Utilities Authority is offering a Solar Water Heating rebate program. Flat rebates of $450 are now available to residential customers toward the installation of new solar water heating units.

Systems must be certified by the Florida Solar Energy Center and installed by a licensed Florida contractor to qualify. Rebates are limited to one per household.

Rebate application can be found here.

Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) offers an incentive to business customers for upgrading or installing fuel efficient natural gas equipment at eligible facilities. Incentives are available for natural gas heating systems. Rental property owners also qualify for a number of rebates offered through this program that would otherwise apply specifically to residential customers. All equipment must meet the equipment requirements specified on the program web site. View the program web site for more information on how to apply and receive rebates. Contact GRU for more details on this offering.

Gulf Power, owned by Southern Company, offers a variety of rebates and programs to make customers' homes more energy efficient through do-it-yourself or professionally installed efficiency measures. Visit the program website or contact the utility for more information.

The Land Development Code for Hillsborough County outlines the appropriate uses and guidelines for the operation of a solar energy production facility and a wind energy conversion system (WECS).

For a solar facility in an agricultural zone, the proposed lot size shall be a minimum of five (5) acres. There should be a setback of 50 feet from all boundaries of the site. The solar panels should be ground mounted and have a maximum height of 15 feet.

Ground-mounted facilities must be enclosed with a fence. On-site power lines and interconnections shall be placed underground. Facilities will be considered abandoned

In March 2008, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) adopted interconnection rules for renewable-energy systems up to two megawatts (MW) in capacity. The PSC rules apply only to the state's investor-owned utilities; the rules do not apply to electric cooperatives or municipal utilities.

Florida's interconnection rules include provisions for three tiers of renewable-energy systems:

• Tier 1: 10 kilowatts (kW) or less
• Tier 2: Larger than 10 kW, but not larger than 100 kW
• Tier 3: Larger than 100 kW, but not larger than 2 MW

To qualify for expedited interconnection under the PSC rules, the customer-owned renewable generation must have

In November 1999, JEA, a municipal utility, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sierra Club and the American Lung Association of Florida to formalize the municipal utility's commitment to generate at least 7.5% of its electric capacity from green energy sources by 2015. Eligible renewable-energy resources include solar, biomass, biogas (methane from landfills and sewage treatment plants), and wind, as well as specific efficiency projects (which are located at JEA facilities where improvements made result in additional power output with no additional fuel input). To date, 95 megaWatts of clean power capacity have been achieved by JEA.

JEA is offering rebates for home energy efficiency improvements. LED rebates are deducted immediately at the point of sale. Interested customers can find a list of participating retailers on the program web site

For more information on all programs and incentives, visit the utility's web site.

The JEA Solar Incentive Program provides rebates to JEA's residential customers who install new and retrofit solar hot water heaters on their homes. The rebate is worth $400 for new solar thermal systems installed by an approved contractor.

The incentive applies to the installation of solar water heating systems. Pool heating systems and photovoltaic (PV) systems are not eligible for the rebate. If other incentives (rebates, grants, etc.) are used to fund a solar hot water system, total funding, including JEA funding, cannot exceed the cost of the system.

Kissimmee Utility Authority provides rebates for customers who purchase electric vehicles or electric vehicle chargers. Rebates are $100 for the purchase of a vehicle or a vehicle charger. For more information, visit the program website.

Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) offers a variety of rebates to residential and commercial customers for energy efficiency improvements. These rebates include:

• Duct Leak Repair/Replacement
• Heat Pump Central A/C Replacement
• Insulation Upgrade
• LED Lighting
• Commercial Lighting
• Electric Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater
• Electric Vehicle Purchase
• Electric Vehicle Home Charger Installation
  

Visit the program website or contact the utility for more information.

Lakeland Electric offers a conservation program for residential customers to save energy in their homes. Rebates are available for heat pumps, HVAC maintenance, attic insulation upgrades, and select ENERGY STAR-rated appliances. The $100 HVAC checkup rebate is for residential customers that have completed a pre-season heating and cooling system tune-up by a licensed HVAC contractor. A list of services that must be completed in order to qualify for the rebate is located on the program website. Heat pumps replacing older, inefficient AC systems must meet all efficiency standards on the program website. Rebates are available while funding lasts. Contact Lakeland

Lakeland Electric offers a zero-interest loan program to its customers who wish to make energy efficiency upgrades. Eligible measures include windows, HVAC, heat pump water heaters, air sealing and insulation, solar PV, geothermal heat pumps, and solar water heater systems. The minimum loan amount is $500 and the maximum is $5,000. There is also a one-time filing fee that will be applied to a customer's utility bill. For a $5,000 loan, this fee has been around $90.50. Loans are repaid monthly after the project has been completed.

Lakeland Electric, a municipal utility in Florida, offers solar-heated domestic hot water on a "pay-for-energy" basis. The utility bills the customer $34.95 per month regardless of use. The $34.95 monthly charge is a bulk energy purchase. The water heater is owned and maintained by the vendor. The utility provides program policy management, meter reading, billing and collection services. Residents must live in the Lakeland Electric service territory, and all candidate homes are subject to a site inspection to determine suitability.

The program serves as an incentive to residential customers to utilize solar energy by:

• making solar energy affordable to all

Note:  In 2010, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which has authority over mortgage underwriters Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directed these enterprises against purchasing mortgages of homes with a PACE lien due to its senior status above a mortgage. Most residential PACE activity subsided following this directive; however, some residential PACE programs are now operating with loan loss reserve funds, appropriate disclosures, or other protections meant to address FHFA's concerns. Commercial PACE programs were not directly affected by FHFA’s actions, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not underwrite commercial mortgages. Visit PACENation for more information about PACE financing

In an effort to promote environmentally sensitive design and construction, the Miami-Dade County Commissioners passed an ordinance in June 2005 to expedite the permitting process for “green” buildings certified by a recognized environmental rating agency. Commercial, industrial, and residential projects are all eligible as long as they are located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County and the City of West Miami. Additionally, solar water heating and solar photovoltaic projects are included in the "fast track" for permitting review.

 Project must meet the following criteria:

1. Limited to new construction of residential, commercial and industrial projects.

2. Additions, alterations, repairs and the new

Under Miami-Dade's current permitting process PV projects may be permitted by submitting required documents through the Miami-Dade Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources Plan Status and Application Submittal Portal.

Applicants seeking a permit for a solar PV system in Miami-Dade are required to submit the following items at the time of permit application:

• A completed Building Permit Application signed and notarized by the property owner and contractor.
• A completed Electrical Fee sheet signed by the contractor with the Electrical Category 34- Solar Photovoltaic information completed.
• Plans which contain all drawings and supporting documents in PDF format based on the

The Targeted Jobs Incentive Fund (TJIF) provides financial incentives for select industries, including solar thermal and photovoltaic manufacturing, installation and repair companies that are relocating or expanding within Miami-Dade County. The program is administered by the Beacon Council.  To be eligible, new or expanding companies relocating to Miami-Dade County must create at least 10 new jobs with salaries equal to or exceeding 100% of the state annual average wage, and make a capital improvement of at least $3 million.

Qualifying industries include:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Aviation/Aerospace
• Clean Energy,
• Financial/Professional Services
• Homeland Security/Defense
• Information Technology
• Life Sciences
• Creative Industries
• Global Logistics
• Corporate

New Smyrna Beach offers residential customers incentives for improving the energy efficiency of eligible homes. Eligible measures include insulation upgrades, window solar screens, duct repairs, cool roof products, air conditioners, heat pumps and solar attic fans. The rebates are as follows:

• Window solar screen rebate: $1/sq foot of window area up to a $300 credit
• Added insulation rebate: $0.08/sq foot of conditioned living space up to a $300 credit
• Duct Leak Repair: 50% of cost up to $200
• 16 SEER Central A/C Heat Pump Rebate: 3-ton and under: $300; Over 3 ton: $500
• Cool/Reflective Roof Rebate: $0.14 per square foot

Ocala Utility Services Electric and Telecommunications is a community owned utility that serves around 50,000 customers in Ocala and Marion County area. Ocala Utility Services offers rebates on A/C and heat pumps, refrigerators and freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers, and insulation.

 Commercial customers are only eligible for insulation and lighting rebates. Ocala also has a rebate program for solar water heaters. For more information on these rebates and for downloadable rebate forms please go to the website above.

The Solar Water Heater Rebate Program is offered to residential retail electric customers by the City of Ocala Utility Services. Interested customers must complete an application and receive approval from the Ocala Utility Services before installing equipment. The application can be found on the program website. The system must be installed by a licensed Florida contractor on the customer's premises, which must be located within the Utility service territory. The system must be new and take the place of an electric hot water heater. Solar pool heating systems and other solar thermal technologies are ineligible. Solar pool heating systems of all

Customers of the Orlando Utilities Commission are eligible to receive up to $2,500 in energy and water efficiency home upgrades. Home improvements include:

• A/C tune-up
• Air filter replacement
• Attic insulation
• Attic pull down stair ladder cover
• Blower door testing
• Caulking and weather stripping
• Choice of thermostat replacement
• Duct leak repairs
• Evaporator coil cleaning
• Hot water pipe & A/C refrigerant line insulation
• Irrigation repairs
• Minor plumbing repairs
• Toilet replacement
• Water flow restrictors
• WaterSense labeled irrigation controller
• Window film installation

Customers of the Orlando Utilities Commission are eligible to receive a $200 rebate for the purchase or lease of a plug-in electric vehicle. Visit the program website for more information.

Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) offers rebates on a variety of energy efficient improvements for residential customers. Customers should view the program brochure on the web site listed above for more information. Eligible measures include:

• Window film/solar screens
• High performance windows
• Building insulation
• Heat pumps
• Duct repair/replacement
• Electric Vehicle

To receive the rebate, a proof of purchase needs to be mailed to OU Customer Connection along with a completed application form. Rebates will be awarded as a credit to the customers OUC bill. 

Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), in cooperation with the Orlando Federal Credit Union (OFCU), provides its customers with low-interest loans for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar water heating (SWH) systems. Customers may borrow up to $7,500 for a SWH system or up to $20,000 for a PV system, and loans are repaid over time as fixed payments on customers' monthly utility bills. Interest rates for SWH systems vary from 0% to 4% over a term ranging from three years to seven years. Interest rates for PV systems vary from 2% to 5.5% over a term ranging from three years to

The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) offers residential electric customers a point-of-sale rebate of $1,000 for new solar water heating systems.

Through a partnership with the Orlando Federal Credit Union (OFCU), OUC also offers a Residential Solar Loan Program to finance the solar hot water system. Customers who choose to finance through this special program receive a point-of-sale rebate of $550 in addition to OUC’s interest rate buydown on the loan. All participants must have their systems installed by a licensed contractor and have a permit approved.

Solar pool heating systems are not eligible for the rebate.

OUC offers residential electric customers a rebate of $900. Reimbursement can be applied for after using an OUC Preferred Solar Contractor. The OUC Preferred Contractor provides the customer with the OUC Solar Thermal rebate at the point-of-sale and submits and application to OUC for reimbursement. If the customer is not using a OUC Preferred Solar Contractor, the customer submits the required paperwork to OUC. Pool heating systems are not included in the program.

Florida provides a 100% property tax exemption for residential renewable energy property and an 80% property tax abatement for non-residential renewable energy property. 

Eligible renewable energy property includes solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, solar PV plus storage systems, wind energy systems, solar water heaters, and geothermal heat pumps installed on or after January 1, 2013. For the purpose of assessing property taxes for a home, an increase in the just value of the property attributable to the installation of this equipment should be ignored. The exemption applies to the following types of equipment used as part of a solar, wind or

In June 2006, S.B. 888 established a renewable energy production tax credit to encourage the development and expansion of renewable energy facilities in Florida. The credit was allowed to expire in 2010. In April 2012, H.B. 7117 re-established and updated the renewable energy production tax credit. This summary describes the current version of the credit.

This annual corporate tax credit is equal to $0.01 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity produced and sold by the taxpayer to an unrelated party during a given tax year. For new facilities (placed in service after May 1, 2012) the credit is based on the

Solar energy systems have been exempt from Florida's sales and use tax since July 1, 1997. The term "solar energy system" means the equipment and requisite hardware that provide and are used for collecting, transferring, converting, storing, or using incidental solar energy for water heating, space heating and cooling, or other applications that would otherwise require the use of a conventional source of energy such as petroleum products, natural gas, manufactured gas or electricity. 

This exemption was originally set to expire on July 1, 2002, but it was extended for three more three years. In May 2005, the exemption was

The non-profit Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) provides unsecured personal loans to qualifying Florida Homeowners for:

SELF gives qualifying homeowners the ability to secure financing for:

• Weatherization and insulation
• Replacement of inefficient air-conditioning systems
• Solar thermal and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems
• Roofs, windows, doors, and hurricane shutters
• disability products and aging in place

SELF provides home improvement loans up to $50,000.

History

In June 2010, St. Lucie County received a grant award through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency Block Grant Program (EECBG). The $2.9 million award was used to kick-start the SELF pilot loan program, which began

Florida has licensing requirements for all solar contractors. State licensure for such contractors is required by those who install, alter, repair, maintain, relocate, or replace a solar thermal or solar photovoltaic system. Those employed by a licensed contractor are not required to be licensed. Plumbing contractors are also allowed to provide services related to installing, maintaining, repairing, and altering solar heating water systems. Such contractors can do so without obtaining additional local regulatory licenses, certificates, or registrations.

To qualify for a license, installers must have four years of experience, which may include both installation and education and one year must

Under the Solar Energy Standards Act of 1976, the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) is responsible for certifying all solar equipment sold in Florida, unless the equipment has been otherwise certified by a licensed engineer to meet the standards in Florida's most recent building code. 

A manufacturer who wishes to have their solar equipment certified first contacts FSEC for an application and requests that FSEC test samples of the product at random. Equipment is then subjected to a series of tests in order to be approved or denied certification. Standards and applications procedures for specific technologies are available on the

Tampa Electric provides a variety of financial incentives to promote energy efficiency in the residential sector. The Ductwork Rebate Program gives Tampa Electric customers the opportunity to have a trained professional appraise a home's duct system for accessibility and repair needs, seal any leaks, and help minimize future leaks for only $80.

Tampa Electric also offers a free energy audit to identify areas where homeowners could save energy and money. Another energy-saving measure offered by Tampa Electric is the Energy Planner, which allows customers to program their thermostats and appliances remotely. This is a free program as well.

See the web