2022 Florida Solar Incentives Guide (Tax Credits, Rebates & More)
In this EcoWatch guide on the solar incentives in Florida, you’ll learn:
- Whether net metering is available for Florida homeowners
- Which taxes solar panels are exempt from in Florida
- How much longer will the ITC be available
This guide has helped thousands of homeowners in the Sunshine State to save time and money when going solar by providing the latest info on local incentives. Let’s get started!
Why You Can Trust EcoWatch
Our solar experts have sifted through hundreds of local governments’ and utility companies’ websites to find accurate information about current solar incentives in each state. We’ve also unbiasedly ranked and reviewed hundreds of Florida solar installers to empower you to make the right choice for your home.
In this article, we’ll discuss the solar incentives and rebates available to Florida homeowners. When you’re ready to speak with a qualified professional, follow the links below. Each of these companies can help you identify and apply for incentives available in Florida.
Jump to Section:
- Understanding the Solar Rebates and Incentives in Florida
- What Solar Tax Credits and Rebates are Available in Florida?
- Florida Net Metering Programs
- Florida Solar Tax Exemptions
- Local Incentives
- What Do Floridians Need to Know About the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC)?
- FAQs: Florida Solar Incentives
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Understanding the Solar Rebates and Incentives in Florida
Florida is well-known as the Sunshine State because of its year-round sunny weather that draws millions of tourists each year, but historically, Florida hasn’t actually been a national leader when it comes to solar energy generation. That said, financial incentives like Florida solar tax credit and rebate opportunities have played a huge part in its rise to become one of the top states for solar energy.
To the glee of clean energy advocates across the state, various Florida solar incentives have succeeded in bringing solar power throughout the state. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, in 2020, Florida ranked third in the nation for solar energy capacity, and it had the second-most installations during the second quarter of 2021.
This progress in the solar field comes from many different sources, not the least of which is Florida solar incentives. For any homes or businesses feeling left behind while the rest of the state goes solar, these types of solar tax credits are still widely available across Florida, which will be discussed in this article.
Read More: FSU and City of Tallahassee agree to 15-year solar energy pact
What Solar Tax Credits and Rebates are Available in Florida?
As much as transitioning to clean energy is the best thing for the environment and the fight against climate change, the reality has always been that such changes would be slow to happen (if they happened at all) unless they made sense financially. When solar energy systems are proven to save money for those who pay the high upfront costs to install them, those purchases are better considered a worthy investment.
As such, some of the most effective policies encouraging solar installations have been those making the decision a no-brainer from the budgetary perspective. Let’s take a look at some of the top Florida solar incentives.
| Florida Solar Incentive | Program Overview |
| Florida Net Metering Programs | Credits homeowners when their solar panels produce extra electricity and it is exported to the local power grid |
| Florida Tax Exemptions | Florida property tax exemptions and sales tax exemptions for solar and other renewable energy equipment |
| Local Incentives | Incentives, rebates and low-interest financing programs at the town, city, and county level that encourage local solar installations |
Florida Net Metering Programs
Regardless of the state, one of the most critical types of energy policy for solar panels is known as net metering. Through net metering, Florida residents can feed excess electricity produced by their solar panels into the power grid in exchange for utility credits. These credits can be used to pay for the energy a home uses when panels aren’t producing (such as at night).
Net metering tends to be a state-by-state policy, as there is no federal policy regarding net metering. Florida is one of the states where there is, in fact, a statewide net metering program, applicable for homeowners regardless of which utility serves their area.
The specific net metering provision covers up to 2 megawatts (MW) of capacity for any customers who generate electricity with a renewable energy source. Florida Power & Light (FPL), and Duke Energy have the largest net metering programs in the state.
The availability of such net metering serves as an incentive for Floridians to install solar panels on their property. Not only do they benefit by reducing their power bills from pulling energy from the grid less often, but they can even profit when the utility pays them for generating more power than they consume, bringing their solar payback period down.
Related Video: Florida solar customers, others shocked over new charge on electric bills
Florida Solar Tax Exemptions
Another financial mechanism that the Florida state government offers to solar system owners is solar tax exemptions. To start, Florida doesn’t want to make the upfront cost to purchase and install solar equipment to be any higher than the open market says it should be, so since 1997, all solar photovoltaic systems have been completely exempt from Florida’s sales and use tax.
Once a solar PV system is purchased and installed, there is a statewide property tax abatement that further helps homeowners avoid paying taxes on it. Most home additions, such as a new shed or outdoor patio built in a home’s backyard, would be appraised to determine the value it added to the property and thus increase the overall property tax. However, the added home value of solar panels is excluded from the property’s taxable value.
Local Incentives
Florida is also a large, diverse state, so in addition to the state solar incentives, many local jurisdictions enact their own policies to encourage and support installation of solar energy systems. At the town, city or county level, Floridians will commonly find low-interesting solar financing options, specific solar incentives or rebates, and more.
You can determine whether your locality offers such incentives by investigating your local government websites or talking to utility company representatives. When you do, you may come across such successful programs as Jacksonville’s $2,000 rebate for solar battery storage system installations, Boynton Beach’s Energy Edge Rebate Program, or the Solar Energy Rebate Grant Program offered by Dunedin.
What Do Floridians Need to Know About the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC)?
Floridians, of course, can also benefit from all the tax incentives, rebates and credits that are offered at the federal level. Over the past two decades, the federal solar investment tax credit (ITC) has attributed largely to the rapid growth in solar energy across business sectors, geographies and customer types.
For systems installed and operational before the end of 2022, the federal solar tax credit is equal to 26% of the value of the installation, dropping to 22% for systems installed in 2023. It is currently set to expire afterward, though the idea of extending the ITC beyond its current expiration date, as has been done in the past, has been a part of active clean energy policy debates.
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FAQs: Florida Solar Incentives
At EcoWatch, we’re happy to get questions about the process and costs of getting rooftop solar from Florida residents. Below are some of the questions we see most often, along with our responses. If you have specific questions that aren’t answered here, reach out to our team of solar experts at solar@ecowatch.com.
State-wide, there is no specific Florida solar tax credit. However, all utilities in the state of Florida do offer customers the ability to utilize net metering, Florida solar homeowners are eligible for the federal solar tax credit, and some local jurisdictions in Florida may offer their own tax credits.
In Florida, the purchase and installation of a home solar system is exempt from all sales tax, and the value of renewable systems are excluded from 100% of residential property taxes.
For any solar panel system installed before the end of 2022, the federal solar investment tax credit is equal to 26% of the value of the system.
Florida is a great state for solar from the perspective of having year-round sunny weather, higher-than-average solar irradiance and a policy landscape conducive to solar installations. Because of these factors, Florida ranked third among all states in terms of solar capacity installed in 2020 (rising to second when looking at the third quarter of 2021), per the SEIA.
