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Sometimes we are asked by a home or business owner why they have to sign a Notice of Commencement (NOC) when installing a solar pool heating, solar water heating, or solar electric system. Buyers may not realize that when purchasing a solar energy system, they are entering into a binding construction contract, which falls under the Florida Construction Lien Laws. Any time permitted improvements are made to real property, owners should consider a contract to be handled as any other construction contract. The laws are a bit complex, but the purpose of a NOC is pretty simple: It notifies the jurisdiction that improvements are beingRead More →

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As expected, Cape Coral passed the Public Service Tax measure on April 29, 2013. The tax impacts every utility electric customer in the City. The more you use electricity, the more tax you pay. As I noted in my earlier post, solar energy producers can avoid tax on every kilowatt-hour they reduce or produce with solar energy. The City of Cape Coral released an online calculator that has a few deficiencies. Most importantly to me is that the calculator ignores solar producing customers using LCEC’s netmetering program (both commercial and residential). If you are a small commercial (non-demand charge) or residential customer with solar electricRead More →

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As a financial analyst by education, I’m surprised at how few posts I’ve made on the investment returns of solar energy products. Residential solar energy systems provide a return on investment that rival investments of similar risk. One factor that is often left out of financial analyses is the impact of personal income taxes, not from the perspective of tax credits, but from the perspective of electricity costs. Let me explain… When you pay for your utility bill each month, you are probably paying with money from your checking account. This is money upon which you have presumably paid taxes, or will pay taxes. Let’sRead More →

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A recent story about a homeowner in Largo, FL casts a shadow on what happens if a neighbor’s trees shade your roof (ref: http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/solar-powered-largo-homeowners-fights-neighbors-trees-gains-little-ground/1231054). In Florida, we do not have particularly strong solar access laws with regards to shading. If your neighbor builds a second story or plants a tree that shades your solar panels, you are most likely out of luck. But that does not mean you can’t install solar panels and see benefits! In the past, shading a single panel, or even part of a panel in a solar array could have devastating performance impacts. Today we have access to technologies that make solar arraysRead More →

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The law is clear in Florida. A homeowner association cannot prevent you from installing solar energy products. This is governed by Section 163.04, Florida Statutes. You have a right to obtain energy from renewable resources on your property Condo associations similarly cannot prevent you from installing solar energy products on your property. Unfortunately, the roof of a condo and the areas outside your walls are rarely considered your property. Courts have upheld this law in favor of homeowners to a great extent. The law event extends to clotheslines that use the sun and wind to dry clothing, again, as long as it is on yourRead More →