According to a research study conducted by the Clean Energy Group and SmartPower the number one barrier to market growth of solar energy is high up-front and out-of-pocket costs (The other three major barriers are reliablility, complexity and inertia).  Consumers are more likely to invest in solar power if the initial out of pocket cost is reduced or there is some type of discount or incentive for making such an investment.  In Florida the largest incentive for installing solar is available from the federal government in the form of a tax credit. 

For homeowners, the Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit provides a 30% tax credit on the installed cost of solar photovoltaic systems. Expenditures can include labor costs for onsite preparation, assembly or original system installation, and piping or wiring to interconnect a system to the home.  If the federal tax credit exceeds tax liability, the excess amount may be carried forward to the next taxable year.

For businesses, the Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC) also provides a 30% tax credit on the installed cost of solar photovoltaic systems. Eligible solar energy property includes equipment that uses solar energy to generate electricity, to heat or cool (or provide hot water for use in) a structure, or to provide solar process heat. Hybrid solar lighting systems, which use solar energy to illuminate the inside of a structure using fiber-optic distributed sunlight, are eligible. Passive solar systems and solar pool-heating systems are not eligible.

It is important to note the difference between a tax credit and a tax deduction.  Whereas in the past incentives for renewable energy have involved tax deductions a tax credit is much more valuable.  A tax deduction only reduces taxable income and so the reduction in tax is only a fraction of the deduction.  A tax credit on the other hand is a recognition of partial payment already made towards taxes due.  So for example, if you are completing your tax forms and determine that you owe $15,000 to the government in taxes for the current year and you installed a solar photovoltaic system at a total cost of $20,000 you can deduct $6,000(30%) from your tax liability thereby reducing the taxes due to $9,000 for the current year.  

Until recently the State of Florida provided a $4/watt rebate up to $20,000 on installed solar through the Solar Energy System Incentives Program.  However, there is no more funding for this program and the program itself is set to expire this year unless the state legislature intervenes. 

To see a complete list of federal, state and local incentives for solar energy visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. 

Akeena Solar Inc., manufacturer of the Andalay AC solar system, announced on Wednesday that it will provide residential installation services for Lowe's customers in 21 California stores.  The company announced a few months ago that they would begin selling the Andalay AC system at Lowe's as part of the Lowe's Energy Center.  This made the Andalay AC system the first grid-connected solar power system to be sold by a major retailer.

Barry Cinnamon, CEO of Akeena Solar stated "Homeowners now have the option to install a few panels on their own or use Akeena's professional installation services available through Lowe's. Lowe's and Akeena Solar give homeowners the flexibility they need to get reliable solar energy and immediately decrease their electric bills."

Lowe's launched Energy Centers in 21 California stores in December, giving homeowners a "one-stop destination to save energy and money. These centers feature products that help homeowners measure their energy use, reduce energy consumption and generate clean energy." The Energy Centers will be operational in additional U.S. and Canadian stores later this year.

Solar Global Green of Tampa Bay, Florida is now an official dealer of Andalay AC solar systems. Andalay AC is the next generation in solar power systems with award winning design and superior performance, reliability and safety.  Winner of the 2009 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Product of the Year, the 2009 SEIA Innovator award, and winner of the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) Finalist Award.

Each Andalay AC panel has an Enphase microinverter built right in which is a small device that converts DC output from a single solar panel into grid-compliant AC power.  As a result of power output being managed at the panel level as opposed to one central location, Andalay AC panels perform at high conversion efficiency and greater production in low-light conditions. In fact Andalay AC solar panels perform 5-25% better than ordinary panels. 

Most solar photovoltaic systems are only as good as the weakest panel in the chain.  When one panel is not operating efficiently all of the other panels connected to it lose efficiency.  With Andalay AC there is no single point of failure so the entire system operates at maximum efficiency. Andalay AC has 80% fewer roof-assembled parts and 25% fewer roof attachment points which results in greater reliability of the product and the installation.

Andalay AC has built-in electrical connections and grounding as well as protected wiring for improved reliability and performance.  There are no unsightly external racks and wires dangling everywhere.  Andalay AC panels are sleek and black and look like skylights. 

Andalay AC systems come with an optional energy management unit and free web monitoring for 90 days.  This monitoring system allows you to view information about your system's performance from any standard web browser. 

Best of all Andalay AC systems are safer to install and maintain because there is no dangerous 600 volt DC wiring.

*photo by Andalay Solar

To learn more about Andalay AC watch the installation video below:

To learn more about the Enphase Enlighten web monitoring service watch the demonstration video below:

To learn more about Enphase microinverters watch the demonstration video below:

Once again Florida state legislators are proving that they place more importance on lobbyists than small businesses.  Despite the massive potential for solar power to create good paying green jobs and end the prolific rise of consumer energy costs the state legislature has turned a deaf ear to the concerns of businesses that can revive the state's economy and put Florida in a leadership position with regard to solar development. Florida may be the Sunshine State in name but certainly not when it comes to long term renewable energy solutions.  

Governor Charlie Crist is in the midst of riding off into the sunset.  After advocating for clean energy in his campaign and providing rhetoric in support of the solar industry Crist has done very little to advance the industry in meaningful ways.  Case in point is the $10 million he set aside for the solar rebate fund.  Almost 8,000 applications for the state rebate are now on hold which amounts to approximately $25 million in rebates.  That means that the Governors funding for solar incentives will not even provide rebates to half of those projects on the waiting list.  It is interesting to say the least that funding for solar incentives on the consumer level have all of a sudden dried up just as large enterprise level utility projects which consumers will pay for one way or the other have grown in popularity. 

For their part the state legislature is doing everything they can to cater to the big utility companies when it comes to solar legislation.  Their idea of a renewable energy economy is giveaways to utility companies on the backs of Florida consumers. Take the major legislative efforts taking place this session as an example:

Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, is sponsoring a bill that requires electric companies to generate 20 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020.  I wonder how Nancy Detert thinks that utility companies are going to pay for the cost of the investment required for this to happen?  Are utility companies just going to accept the costs of doing business or are they going to rely on their influence and lobbyists to pass these costs to the consumer as they have done continually?  My money is on the second option.

Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton has introduced an alternative renewable energy bill that would "allow electric companies to build 735 megawatts of renewable energy over the next three years, enough to power thousands of homes".  Why are the same giveaways to utility companies not being provided to consumers who want to stop paying excessive utility bills and surtaxes by investing in their own solar energy?

Thad Altman, R-Melbourne, favors legislation that "allows electric companies to tack on a renewable energy charge to customers' monthly bills. The money would go into a fund to pay for solar and other projects."  At least Thad is being up front about his desire to prop up the massive profits of utility companies on the backs of consumers.

If these developments are not enough look at how they are trying to parlay clean energy efforts into giveaways for their energy lobby friends.  Twice last year, late in the session, the House tried, unsuccessfully, to tie clean energy legislation to concessions on off-shore drilling off the coast of Florida.  Trying to tie renewable energy to off shore drilling is like trying to walk backwards while walking forward and says alot about the influence of the fossil fuel energy lobby on Florida state leaders.

Critics of the state solar rebate program say that we can't continue to subsidize consumers and small businesses in order to increase the level of investment in solar energy.  Unless these critics pay equal attention to the continued subsidization of utility companies at the expense of Florida's consumers whose wages are going down and energy costs are going up their credibility on this issue is nonexistant.  For now the State of Florida will continue to be more of an energy lobby state than a sunshine state.