Earlier this week, we wrote about how you can qualify for up to $20,000 in solar rebates from Florida Power and Light for your new solar system installed in 2015. Businesses are not being left out of the solar rebates! This post is about what you need to know in order to qualify for a solar rebate for your business.

Similar to residential solar rebates, FPL rebates for business customers will go quickly as well, and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. The good news, is that if a business customer is well prepared for the solar rebate process, they can earn up to $150,000 in solar rebates through the 2015 program for installing a solar system that is interconnected to the FPL grid.

There are three categories for business customer solar rebates: solar water heating, business PV, and solar for schools. This post will focus on what you need to know about the business PV solar rebate program.

This rebate program is part of a five-year program that allows business owners to install solar systems on their business premises and earn up to $50,000 worth of solar rebates per location. For business owners with more than one location, they can actually earn up to $150,000 in solar rebates in one year.

When: The online application for solar rebates opens at 8:30 am on Wednesday, January 14, 2015.

Where: Customers will go to www.FPL.com/solarrebates in order to complete the application

What: Business owners can earn up to $2 per DC watt, for the first 10 kilowatts. Between 10 kW and 25 kW, they can earn $1.50 per DC watt. For anything beyond 25 kW, business owners can earn an additional $1 per DC watt in solar rebates. This is determined by the DC rating of the solar panels, and a contractor will be able to assist in calculating the total solar rebate that your proposed system could qualify for.

You need to work with a contractor – Business owners cannot install their own PV systems in Florida. You can find a checklist to complete with your contractor here: http://www.fpl.com/landing/solar_rebate/pdf/SolarRebate_Checklist_PV.pdf and a full explanation of requirements here: http://www.fpl.com/landing/solar_rebate/pdf/PV_Business_Standards.pdf

There are many important considerations in the process of selecting a contractor. One of the best ways to ensure that you will be satisfied with a job well-done by the solar contractor you choose, is to check out the reviews of past customers! We are happy to recommend Florida Solar One, a five-star review company, who also offers the lowest cost on installation and equipment in the area! You can read some of the reviews here for yourself here: http://www.solarreviews.com/installers/florida-solar-one-reviews/

Online Access – Confirm that you have access to your FPL online account. You will NEED to be logged into your account in order to apply for the solar rebate on January 14, so this is a very important step. Now is the time to remember usernames, or get password help from FPL if needed.

Questions – Solar rebate processes can sometimes be confusing! This is one of the reasons that FPL requires working with a contractor. We are here to help! If you are interested in learning more and working with us to put solar on your home, contact us today!