FPL Opening 2013 Application Period for Solar Rebate Program

Florida Power & Light Company customers interested in installing solar-powered upgrades to their homes and businesses can apply at www.FPL.com/solarrebates beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 16, 2012, for about $9 million in available incentive funding for 2013.

This is the third year that FPL has offered rebates for residential and business customers who install solar water heating or solar photovoltaic (PV) systems as part of a pilot program approved by the Florida Public Service Commission to help reduce energy consumption and peak demand.

Rebate reservations for all available 2013 funding will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested customers must apply online for a reservation and then complete the required process to receive a rebate.

"We expect all funding for next year to be reserved quickly so interested customers should plan to apply as soon as the application period opens on October 16," said Marlene Santos, FPL vice president of customer service.

After the available funding has been fully reserved, a limited number of customers who did not receive a reservation will be placed on a "standby list" in the order in which their applications were received. Customers will be notified if they are on the standby list, and they will be contacted should funds become available due to cancelled reservations.

In addition to rebates, FPL's 2013 solar program supports solar installations at schools, solar water heating for low-income customers, and community renewable energy research and demonstration projects.

Applications for approximately $9 million in rebate funds will be accepted for:

• Residential Solar Water Heating – FPL's residential solar water heating program will provide $1,000 per installed solar water heater. According to the Florida Solar Energy Center, a solar water heater can cut a family's water heating costs by up to 85 percent.
• Business Solar Water Heating – Business customers will be eligible for a variable rebate based on the size of the system installed that will equal $30 per 1,000 BTUh/day of the maximum rated output of the installed system. The maximum incentive during the life of the program is $50,000 per site. Businesses with multiple locations can receive a maximum combined rebate of up to $150,000 per funding year.
• Residential Solar PV – The residential solar PV program will provide an incentive of $2,000 per kW of the rated direct-current (DC) output of a PV system up to a maximum of $20,000.
• Business Solar PV – The business PV program will provide a variable incentive depending on the output of the system. The rebate will be up to $50,000 per site during the life of the program and will be calculated as: $2 per DC watt nameplate rating of the solar panel up to the first 10 kW; $1.50 per DC watt nameplate rating of the solar panel from 10 kW up to 25 kW; and, $1 per DC watt nameplate rating of the solar panel greater than 25 kW. Businesses with multiple locations can receive a maximum combined rebate of up to $150,000 per funding year.