Florida Power and Light (FPL) net metering

Florida Power and Light’s net metering program allows homeowners to install and connect solar energy systems to the grid and receive credit for the energy produced by their systems. FPL allows customers to install systems meeting up to 115 percent of their current energy need. Customers’ credits will be applied to their energy bill, and FPL and will provide monetary compensation for any extra credits not used over the course of the year in January.

Florida Power and Light offers net metering to customers across its entire service area, which covers most of Florida, excluding the Panhandle. The service territory includes parts of:

• Clearwater

• Daytona Beach

• Fort Lauderdale

• Fort Myers

• Gainesville

• Kissimmee

• Lake City

• Lakeland

• Melbourne

• Miami

• Naples

• Ocala

• Orlando

• Port St. Lucie

• St. Augustine

• St. Petersburg

• Tampa

• West Palm Beach

FPL’s net metering program differs based on the size of the solar system installed, as explained in the table below. Florida law requires net metering customers are compensated at the retail rate, so FPL customers are credited for the energy produced by their solar systems at their electricity rate. As of June 2017, this was 10.8 cents/kWh for residential customers using less than 1,000 kWh each month. Home solar installations are typically Tier 1.

The net metering capacity limit, or net metering cap, is specified by the state and followed by all utilities in the state. In Florida, individual systems cannot exceed 2 MW, but there is no aggregate cap for the utility as a whole. Florida Power and Light requires that systems not be sized to produce energy exceeding 115% of the household’s monthly kWh usage.

FPL is not the only utility in Florida that offers net metering. Tampa Electric Company, Gulf Power, and Duke Energy all offer net metering programs with similar to structure to FPL’s. All programs provide customers with payment for credits not used to offset energy bills by the end of the year. Of the four utilities, FPL has the highest application fee for Tier 2 and Tier 3 systems, though those costs are largely irrelevant to residential customers.

The duration and intensity of sunlight differs across the year. As a result, a solar system that is designed to meet your total energy needs over the course of a year will overproduce electricity in some months and underproduce in others.

In months when your solar system produces more energy than you need to use, the energy will be sold back to FPL’s grid in exchange for net metering credits. These credits can be used for a future energy bill in the same calendar year. Bill credits do not carry over across calendar years because of Florida’s net metering policies. If you have credits at the end of the year, a cash credit will be offered on your January bill.

No, FPL does not offer rebates or other solar incentives. However, FPL is invested in supporting Florida solar. In 2016, FPL built three 74.5 MW solar arrays, each of which have the capacity to generate power for about 15,000 homes. Since then, they have expanded their investment with goal of installiing 30 million solar panels in Florida by 2030.

Interconnection is the final step in solar installation, and is the act of connecting your solar panels to the grid. This is regulated at the state level and by utility. To qualify for interconnection to Florida Power and Light’s grid customers must follow both state rules and FPL rules, including:

• Compliance with the National Electrical Code

• The system (unless it has a battery backup) must shut down in the case of an FPL grid outage to prevent feedback into the grid.

• Systems using battery storage must have a coupled DC inverter.

• Electrical and mechanical inspection approved by the local inspector, including details regarding the location and construction of the system.

• Systems must either have a U.L. 1741 listed inverter or a visible manual disconnect switch.

• Systems must have a bi-directional meter installed by FPL.

Customers with systems exceeding 10 kW (typically non-residential) must go through the appropriate application process and interconnection agreement, including an interconnection fee. The interconnection fee will vary depending on the size of your solar panel system.

Customers installing systems over 10 kW also need to provide proof of liability insurance as part of the application process (up $1 million for Tier 2, $2 million for Tier 3.)

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