The Time for Residential Solar Power in Florida is Now

When it comes to the current state of solar power for homeowners in Florida, there is good news and bad news. The good news includes plummeting costs of equipment and increasing interest at State and national levels to explore the potential of solar energy. However, some things are not quite where they should be yet. In this article, we will explore these areas that need improving and how the good people of Florida can get involved to advance solar power into the future.

Let’s say you are the owner of a single-family home in Fort Myers, and you are intrigued about solar panel installation. So far, so good; after all, they don’t call us the Sunshine State for nothing. You want to lower your carbon footprint and save on monthly payments to the local utility; to this end, you consider making a substantial investment that will cover enough solar panels, batteries, and converters to be entirely self-sufficient.

With that in mind, let’s look at an actual case of a homeowner in Central Florida; specifically in a subdivision of Leesburg, that is served by a small local utility. It so happened that this particular individual could generate enough solar power to bid goodbye to the electric utility; unfortunately, he discovered he would still have to make monthly payments.

Solar Energy Politics in Florida

In most cases, Florida homeowners are required to be connected to the electrical grid, which is not always managed by FPL. The catch is the certificate of occupancy, which cannot be issued or renewed unless a residence is part of the grid, which implies monthly payments. Without a certificate of occupancy, things could get ugly, and evictions could be ordered.

It is no secret that the state utilities have lobbied to keep the status quo, whereby they can build solar energy parks if they like, but they limit the ability of homeowners to install enough panels and equipment to go off-grid.

Homeowners and environmental activists are preparing to battle the Florida utilities in Tallahassee. In the meantime, what can you do to take advantage of sunny days and save some money in the process?

The wheels of the Florida Legislature can turn very slowly, so the best course of action at this time is to get the right amount of solar panels and equipment to reduce your monthly bills as much as possible. It could take a while before Floridians can legally go off-grid, so you might as well take advantage of the reduced costs of solar panels.

Until recently, the solar panel manufacturing process was a labor-intensive and costly process. Things have vastly improved in this regard, and solar panels have become much more affordable.

Keep in mind that residential solar panel systems do not have to be designed for 100 percent self-sufficiency. Some of our customers wish to heat their swimming pools while others may run computer servers from home that need to be powered and cooled. There are many solar energy options available at this time; if you would like to learn more about them, please feel free to give us a call.

All Phase Electric
2340 Bruner Lane Suit 100
Fort Myers, FL 33912
1-866-348-3781
239-939-7093

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