Does Florida Law Allow Solar Panels

The purpose of these laws is to prevent homeowner s associations from banning solar panels and often also prevents them from having contracts that restrict homeowners from installing solar panels on their homes.

Does florida law allow solar panels. Florida statute 163 04 forbids any binding agreement between hoas or otherwise to prohibit a property owner from installing solar. These sorts of restrictions can make it difficult or costly for a homeowner to go solar. An association may require approval of a system installation and may establish restrictions for installations. An hoa may restrict where you place your solar panels but not if the system s performance suffers as a result.

According to the florida statute section 163 04 no deed restrictions covenants or similar binding agreements running with the land shall prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting solar collectors clotheslines or other energy devices based on renewable resources from being installed on buildings erected on the lots or parcels covered by the deed restrictions covenants or binding agreements. Unfortunately this model is illegal in florida and therefore it has been much harder for policymakers to figure out an effective alternative. People who generate their own solar energy are able to receive credits on electric bills. They earn these credits because of the surplus energy that they produced.

Florida solar panel law allows credits. According to the law on solar panels the florida solar rights act homeowners can earn back funds. Examples of states that have enacted solar access rights laws including california utah texas arizona and florida. 163 says about coa and hoa restrictions on solar panels in so.

The state s utilities have been expanding their own production of solar power. Further fpl doesn t mandate that solar panels power down if the grid goes offline in a crisis. Whether you are a member living within a development governed by a homeowners association hoa or a condominium owners association coa and interested in installing solar panels on your home or a member of the board of directors of a hoa coa or its respective architectural review committees arc in florida it would behoove you to become familiar with florida statute 163. Some of the common restrictions that hoas and historic districts put on solar installations include requiring flush mounted panels prohibiting ground mounted solar panels requiring that rooftop installations aren t visible from the public right of way and using equipment that matches the color of the roof.

Florida law forbids any entity including homeowner associations from prohibiting the installation of solar or other renewable energy devices on florida buildings. Most states use the power purchase agreement ppa which allows a utility company or other energy provider to own a home s solar panel system and then sell that home the electricity at a cheaper rate.