The Florida Solar Rebate Program provides $4 per watt up to $20,000 for Residential PV Systems and up to $100,000 for Commercial PV Systems.

Solar energy system rebates are issued by the Commission pursuant to Sections 377-801-377.806, Florida Statutes, and Chapter 27N-1, Florida Administrative Code, contingent upon an annual appropriation by the Legislature of the State of Florida for the specific purpose of funding solar rebates. The Commission, in accordance with direction from the Governor and/or Legislature, shall be the final determiner of the availability of any funds. Rebates can only be issued if funding is available, and the requirements of Sections 377.801-377.806, Florida Statutes and Chapter 27N-1, Florida Administrative Code, are met. The Solar Energy Systems Incentives Program, or the solar rebate program, was created in 2006 by the Florida Renewable Energy Technologies and Energy Efficiency Act. The four-year program is designed to encourage residents and businesses to invest in solar energy technologies by providing rebates for purchase and installation of solar energy systems in homes and businesses. Any resident of Florida who purchases and installs a new solar energy system from July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2010, is eligible for a rebate on a portion of the purchase price of that solar energy system. The rebate application must be made within 120 days after the purchase of the solar energy equipment, and must meet one of the following requirements:

• Two kilowatts or larger for a solar photovoltaic system; or
• A solar energy system that provides at least 50 percent of a building's hot water consumption for a solar thermal system; or
• A solar thermal pool heater.

Important Notice:

The Solar Rebate Program is very popular and successful. Due to the large volume of rebate applications, the state currently has a backlog of approved solar rebate applications in excess of $7 million. The Solar Energy Systems Incentives Program is slated to sunset in FY2010 (See, Section 377.806, Florida Statute). The state expects to fund the backlog and further fund the rebate program by using federal funds derived from the State Energy Program (SEP) and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) which were both made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The State of Florida submitted an application for the SEP on May 12, 2009, to the U.S. Department of Energy. This application included an appropriation of $5 million for the Solar Rebate Program and has been approved. In addition, the State submitted an application on June 25, 2009 for the EECBG. This application included an appropriation of $9.4 million for the Solar Rebate Program.

Types of Rebates Available:

Rebate Amounts	Residential	Commercial
Solar Photovoltaic System	$20,000.00	$100,000.00
Solar Thermal System	$500.00	$5,000.00
Solar Thermal Pool Heater	$100.00	n/a

Please apply for the solar rebate program using our new online solar rebate application process:

Online Solar Rebate Application

Please review the following documents before applying for your solar rebate using the online rebate application:

Applying for an Online Solar Rebate Screen by Screen Tutorial (pdf 2.04 MB)

Online Solar Rebate Application Checklist (pdf 64.38 kB)

Important information for contractors:

Screen by Screen Tutorial for Contractors  (pdf 1.87 MB)

The Florida Energy & Climate Commission is currently accepting paper applications.

• Solar Rebate Application (PDF format) (pdf 64.42 kB)
• Solar Rebate Application (Word format) (msword 127.50 kB)

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Solar Photovoltaic System Incentive Qualifications

A solar photovoltaic system qualifies for a rebate if:

• The system is installed by a state-licensed master electrician, electrical contractor, solar contractor, or a certified general contractor.
• The system complies with state interconnection standards as provided by the commission.
• The system complies with all applicable building codes as defined by the local jurisdictional authority.

Rebate Amounts for Solar Photovoltaic System

The rebate amount shall be set at $4 per watt based on the total wattage rating of the system. The maximum allowable rebate per solar photovoltaic system installation shall be as follows:

• Twenty thousand dollars for a residence.
• One hundred thousand dollars for a place of business, a publicly owned or operated facility, or a facility owned or operated by a private, not-for-profit organization, including condominiums or apartment buildings.

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Solar Thermal System Incentive Qualifications

A solar thermal system qualifies for a rebate if:

• The system is installed by a state-licensed solar contractor, plumbing contractor, specialty contractor, or certified general contractor.
• The system complies with all applicable building codes as defined by the local jurisdictional authority.

Rebate Amounts for Solar Thermal System

Authorized rebates for installation of solar thermal systems shall be as follows:

• Five hundred dollars for a residence.
• Fifteen dollars per 1,000 Btu up to a maximum of $5,000 for a place of business, a publicly owned or operated facility, or a facility owned or operated by a private, not-for-profit organization, including condominiums or apartment buildings. Btu must be verified by approved metering equipment.

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Solar Thermal Pool Heater Incentive Qualifications

A solar thermal pool heater qualifies for a rebate if the system is installed by a state-licensed solar contractor, plumbing contractor, specialty contractor, or pool contractor and the system complies with all applicable building codes as defined by the local jurisdictional authority.

Rebate Amount for Solar Thermal Pool Heater

Authorized rebates for installation of solar thermal pool heaters shall be $100 per installation.

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377.806, F.S., the statue governing the Solar Energy Systems Incentives Program can be the Florida Legislature: 2008->Ch0377->Section%20806#0377.806">http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0377/SEC806.HTM&Title=->2008->Ch0377->Section%20806#0377.806

27N-1, F.A.C., the rule relating to the Solar Energy Systems Incentives Programs can be found at the Florida Administrative Weekly: https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleNo.asp?id=27N-1.500

A list of Florida Solar Contractors may be found at the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association: http://www.flaseia.org/.

A calculator for non-experts to quickly obtain performance estimates or grid-connected photovoltaic systems can be found at the Renewable Energy Laboratory: http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/calculators/PVWATTS/version1

Read about Federal solar incentives