FT. LAUDERDALE, FL—Yesterday, many of FPL’s customers all over Florida sat at their computers anxiously waiting for the clock to read 8:30am, which was when FPL would begin accepting applications for solar rebates. However, visitors’ to FPL’s website were greeted with an error message due to “unrelated technical difficulties.” Like many Florida residents and FPL customers, US Solar Institute/Florida Solar One was ready to submit applications for both residential and business PV system rebates, but was instead greeted by the following message on FPL’s website :
“We are currently experiencing technical difficulties. We’re working to resolve this issue and ask that you please come back shortly to http://www.fpl.com/solarrebates to submit your application.”
Naturally, this was a great disappointment for FPL customers across the state of Florida. What happened to the solar rebates? Since then, FPL has issued a statement:
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. While the issue was fixed within a few hours, we have opted to postpone the application period launch in order to ensure the rebate process continues to be fair to all customers. This will allow ample time to widely communicate the new launch date, enabling our customers to adjust their plans accordingly,” said Marlene Santos, FPL’s vice president of customer service.
The $15.5 million FPL solar rebate program will provide up to $1,000 per installed residential solar water heater, and FPL estimates rebates will be available for about 4,500 customers, depending on the size of the systems. Residential customers can receive up to $2 per kilowatt of output, or a maximum of $20,000 for a PV system. FPL estimates those rebates will be available for only about 400 customers. Business customers can receive up to $50,000 per site for solar water heaters and up to $50,000 for a PV system.
On the bright side, those who were not prepared for the original June 21st application deadline now have another week to prepare their applications for solar rebates. FPL customers can go online to www.FPL.com/solarrebates to view program details and application checklists to ensure they have all of the necessary information ready to complete the application on June 29th. FPL solar rebates will be available on a first come, first-served basis for both residential and business customers so time is of the essence.
For assistance or to work with a solar contractor, both US Solar Institute and Florida Solar One are here to help and are well-versed when it comes to FPL’s solar rebates. Contact us today!
Here’s hoping that June 29th at 8:30am is still a go…
