Florida Energy and Mild serves almost half of the state’s residents. Likelihood is, you’re most likely uninterested in giving FPL tons of, perhaps even 1000’s, of {dollars} a yr simply to maintain your lights on.
By putting in photo voltaic panels you should utilize much less electrical energy from FPL and extra of what you generated proper by yourself roof. Not solely does that imply you’re much less reliant on an enormous utility, however you’re additionally paying them much less cash.
If you happen to’re an FPL buyer contemplating photo voltaic, we’ve compiled every part you’ll want to learn about going photo voltaic with FPL from how a lot set up prices to what incentives can be found.
How a lot does a photo voltaic system price in Florida?
If you happen to’re seeking to go photo voltaic, the very first thing you most likely need to know is “how a lot is it going to price?”. The common house owner within the Sunshine State can anticipate to pay about $2.59 per watt of solar installed.
In order to cover a monthly electric bill of $100, you’d need to install around 5.82 kilowatts (kW) of solar in Florida, which would cost about $15,074 before the federal solar investment tax credit (ITC), and $11,155 after.
The following table outlines the average installation costs for different sized solar systems in Florida:
| Monthly bill | System size* | System cost before ITC | System cost after ITC |
|---|---|---|---|
| $80 | 4.55 kW | $11,785 | $8,721 |
| $100 | 5.82 kW | $15,074 | $11,155 |
| $150 | 8.42 kW | $21,807 | $16,137 |
| $200 | 11 kW | $28,490 | $21,083 |
*Estimated system size needed to cover monthly bill
The actual system size you need will depend on more than just your monthly bill. The location of your home, the utility rate schedule you have, the direction of your roof, and shading are all factors that can influence your home’s system size. You can use our solar panel calculator to get a better idea of what size solar system is right for you.
Does Florida Power and Light offer net metering?
Yes, Florida Power and Light offers net metering, which is what lets you save big on your electric bill.
How does FPL’s net metering program work?
FPL has what is called a full retail net metering program for customers who go solar. With full retail net metering, every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of solar energy a solar panel produces will be worth the same amount of money that your utility charges you for electricity. Let’s say FPL charges $0.07 per kWh of electricity, every kWh of solar electricity would also be worth $0.07.
Check out solar expert Will White explain net metering to get a better idea of how it works:
When you’re approved for FPL’s net metering program, FPL installs something called a bi-directional meter at your house. The bi-directional meter tracks how much electricity you send and take from the grid, so you can be compensated for your solar energy.
If your solar system produces more electricity than your home needs, the solar electricity will be sent to the grid, the bi-directional meter will spin backward, and you’ll receive a credit on your electric bill. These credits can then be used to offset the cost of electricity you use from the grid in the future.
At the end of the month, FPL will net how much solar electricity you sent to the grid versus how much electricity you used from the grid to find your total bill. If you produced more electricity than you used from the grid, any excess net metering credits will carry over to the following month.
Annual true-up
FPL’s net metering program has an annual true-up in January. Sometimes, utility companies will use estimated numbers for your usage and production, instead of what is actually on your meter. The annual true-up adjusts for the differences between these estimated numbers and your actual consumption and production.
If you have any excess net metering credits at the time of your true-up, FPL will pay you out at the “average annual cost of generation” per kWh. The annual cost of generation is substantially lower than the retail rate of electricity, usually between $0.02 and $0.03 per kWh for FPL. Then your net metering credit bank will be reset to zero.
Minimum bill requirement
It’s important to keep in mind that your solar panels won’t be able to cover all of your electric bills. FPL has a minimum bill requirement of $25 that can not be offset, irrespective of how a lot photo voltaic electrical energy you produce. Relying in your fee schedule, there could also be different fees that can not be lined by your photo voltaic era.
Does FPL have any photo voltaic rebates or incentives?
No, Florida Energy and Mild don’t supply any rebates or incentives for owners going photo voltaic.
Nevertheless, Florida residents can nonetheless reap the benefits of the federal solar tax credit as long as they have a taxable income. The solar tax credit covers 26% of the costs of installing a solar system.
Steps to going solar with Florida Power and Light
Going solar isn’t as easy as installing solar panels and calling it a day. There’s quite a bit of work (and paperwork) that goes into getting a solar panel system up and running safely. A lot of what we’ll describe here will be handled by your solar installer, but it’s still good information to keep in the back of your mind during the solar process.
- Design the system and figure out what size you need. Your solar installer will be the one designing and sizing your system, but you need to know this information before you can start your installation. Your solar system cannot be expected to generate more than 115% of your historical annual electricity usage, as per FPL rules.
- Get pre-approved by FPL. Apply online for pre-approval with your FPL account number, taxpayer ID number, and equipment size.
- Start installation. Once FPL pre-approves your system, installation may begin.
- Sign the interconnection agreement. FPL’s interconnection agreement is what helps you to join your photo voltaic panel system to the grid. It outlines the obligations of you and the utility and descriptions sure gear and requirements the system should adjust to.
- Inspection and allowing submission. Earlier than your photo voltaic system could be turned on, it should meet any inspection and allowing necessities held by your municipality or county. All permits should be offered to FPL. Allowing and inspections can take wherever from one to eight weeks, relying on the municipality, and will probably be dealt with by your installer.
- Set up bi-directional meter. When FPL has obtained the entire correct documentation, they are going to warn you that your bi-directional meter has been ordered so your system can take part within the web metering program. FPL will set up the meter.
- Permission to function. After the meter has been put in, FPL will ship you affirmation that you’ve got permission to function. Your system could be turned on and you can begin reaping the advantages of photo voltaic!
All-in-all you may anticipate your system to be up in operating in just a few weeks, granted you obtain your entire approvals and permits in a well timed method. Sadly, this is not at all times the case.
In actual fact, some photo voltaic installers have expressed frustrations with the allowing add course of, which solely permits one picture of the allow card to be uploaded, even though FPL requires info that’s on each the entrance and the again of the allow card. It sounds foolish, however some of these clerical points can result in substantial delays.
The reply to this one is a bit tough. FPL has two photo voltaic packages that do not require you to put in photo voltaic panels in your roof, however they do not function like a real group photo voltaic program. Mixture group photo voltaic initiatives as we all know them are unlawful within the state of Florida, as state legislation prohibits any entity in addition to a utility from promoting electrical energy.
FPL SolarTogether Program
SolarTogether is really the wolf in sheep’s clothes of group photo voltaic packages. With the SolarTogether program, owners can decide into this system by paying a $6.76 subscription price per kW of photo voltaic you need to “subscribe” to.
In return to your subscription price, you’ll be given power credit in your invoice for the photo voltaic power your share of the photo voltaic system produces.
With true group photo voltaic packages, owners will begin to see financial savings on their electrical payments instantly upon becoming a member of this system. SolarTogether, however, isn’t projected to offer you electrical invoice financial savings till 5 years into this system, and also you gained’t break even till after Yr 7.
Try our deep dive on FPL’s SolarTogether program right here.
FPL SolarNow Program
The FPL SolarNow Program isn’t for individuals who need to see electrical invoice financial savings. It by no means reduces your electrical energy invoice. The SolarNow Program is only for FPL clients who can’t or don’t need to set up photo voltaic on their roof, however nonetheless need to assist the event of photo voltaic power.
Whenever you join the SolarNow program, you pay $9 further in your utility invoice each month simply to assist the expansion of renewable power.
Goes photo voltaic with FPL price it?
Sure, going photo voltaic with FPL is completely price it. The price of photo voltaic in Florida is a bit bit decrease than what you’ll pay in different states, plus the total retail web metering supplied by FPL offers important financial savings in your month-to-month electrical invoice.
All of these financial savings add up – a 5.82 kW system put in in FPL’s territory is estimated to save lots of you $17,148 over the lifetime of the system after the photo voltaic panels are paid off. Not dangerous in case you ask us!
However, these financial savings may not be round eternally. Utilities all throughout the nation are attempting to, and a few are succeeding at, eliminating web metering altogether. With out web metering, the quantity that photo voltaic can prevent could be minimize drastically.
So, the earlier you go photo voltaic, the higher. To get began, use our state-of-the-art photo voltaic financial savings calculator that offers you a greater concept of what system dimension you’ll want to cowl your month-to-month electrical invoice, what incentives can be found, and the way a lot electrical energy your photo voltaic panels might produce.
Key takeaways
- In an effort to get rid of a $100 month-to-month FPL electrical invoice, you would want a photo voltaic system about 5.82 kW in dimension, which might price about $15,074 earlier than incentives.
- FPL has a full retail web metering program the place web metering credit could be carried over from month to month. On the finish of a billing yr, any leftover web metering credit are bought by FPL at a fee lower than the retail fee of electrical energy.
- There aren’t any photo voltaic rebates or incentives supplied by FPL except for web metering.
- FPL requires pre-approval earlier than a photo voltaic set up might start and all allowing, inspections, and the interconnection settlement should be submitted prior to creating the system operational.
- Going photo voltaic with FPL is price it as a result of they provide full retail web metering and Florida has respectable photo voltaic set up costs.
