With over 240 days of sunshine providing an average of 3,000 hours of sunlight per year, installing solar energy panels in Florida seems like a “no-brainer.” As for our other service areas, we install complete solar energy systems in the entire state of Texas and New Jersey, and there are more states to come.
The sun shines on “The Lone Star State” up to 293 days per year and 203 days in “The Garden State” of New Jersey. Solar panels are a great way to reduce your expensive utility bills, while providing clean, renewable energy, to your home or business.
Predominant daily sunshine plus solar tax incentives in Texas, Florida, and New Jersey, added to Federal incentives and net-metering programs that maximize savings, means that going solar in either of these states is worth the initial investment. Plus, you won’t lose power when you encounter wind and rainstorms, hurricanes, or tornados.
At West Bay Energy, in Pinellas Park, Florida, we have established our solar technology company as the premier solar panel and clean energy provider for Central Florida, all of Texas and New Jersey. We offer our clients the chance to achieve maximum energy production, while protecting the environment and reducing your monthly energy bills.
From complete solar energy system design to expert installation, to main electric panel upgrades, West Bay Energy can show you how renewable energy production can save you money, reduce your carbon footprint, and take advantage of any local, state, and federal incentives while they last.
Let’s look at some of the Pros and Cons of solar power in Texas, Florida, and New Jersey (with more states to be added to our service area in the near future).
The state of Texas offers various tax exemptions and incentives for residential solar panels. And some of the larger Texas cities also offer local rebates and incentives to homeowners. Solar panels in Texas are 100% exempt from property tax increases.
The state of Florida also offers 100% property tax exemptions for residential solar panels and additional energy storage devices. For homeowners, this means a new solar energy system will raise the value of your home without increasing the property taxes you pay.
In sunny Texas, the number of solar energy systems is growing by leaps and bounds. With a lower cost per kilowatt hour (kWh), and with the supply and demand costs going down for solar panels, solar energy systems meet about 7% of the state’s electricity needs.
In Florida, we have lots of sunshine every day, which also equals less expensive solar power. With the kWh cost just two cents more than Texas, solar energy systems in Florida meet about 4% of the state’s electricity needs.
In New Jersey, residents are eligible for a 30% investment tax credit which is typically worth several thousand dollars against your federal income tax. New Jersey also offers a 100% sales tax and property tax exemptions. And, right now, solar energy is providing 6.7% of the state’s electricity needs.
While Florida and New Jersey also have a strong net-metering policy, Texas does not have this type of program at this time. Net-metering is when your local power company allows its customers to connect their approved and renewable energy generation solar panels to the local or county electric grid to buy and sell electricity back to the power company.
For example, if your solar energy system generates more electricity than your home or company building uses during daylight hours, that extra electricity can then be sold back to the power company and “banked” in your account. That’s where net-metering comes in.
Net-metering is essentially a billing tool that uses the electric grid to store excess energy produced by your solar panel system. With net-metering, the unused energy produced by your solar panels is credited back to your account.
On that rare cloudy or rainy day, or when it is gray, and snowy in New Jersey when your solar panels might not produce as much energy as your home needs, your local power and utility grid automatically feeds the necessary energy back to your home or business and deducts that usage from the credits you’ve banked over time in your account. Then, as a solar energy customer, you will only be billed for your monthly “net” energy usage.
In addition, Florida and New Jersey have some great incentives for homeowners and business owners who install solar panels. Tax exemptions, a federal 30% tax credit, rebates, sales tax exemptions, and the aggressive net-metering policy mentioned above, are just a few examples.
Texas also allows some incentives and rebates, along with a 100% exemption from raised property taxes once your solar energy system is installed. Some larger Texas cities also offer incentives if you install solar panels.
The state of Florida also offers 100% property tax exemptions for residential solar panels and additional energy storage devices. For homeowners, this means a new solar energy system will raise the value of your home without increasing the property taxes you pay.
Floridians are also exempt from sales and use tax on the purchase and installation of all solar energy systems certified by the Florida Solar Energy Center, including “all components of such systems.”
New Jersey has a cap on net-metering up to 2.9% of the total annual kWh sold in the state by each electric power company supplier. But the state’s other incentives and rebates are excellent.
Federal grants, rebates, and tax credits are also available. And because we have the experience and expertise to translate “government speak” into English, our West Bay Energy customer service department will help you get through the fine print of all these incentives so that you get the most for your money.
What other Pros are there? By installing a solar energy system, you’ll be a part of the country’s clean energy initiatives. And our solar panels come with a 25-year comprehensive warranty, so you can have confidence in the system we install and won’t have to replace panels anytime soon.
Now, let’s examine the Cons.
Right now, the states offering the highest number of solar incentives are offered in New York, Texas, Minnesota, and California. The state of Florida, unlike some other states around the country, does not currently offer rebates or grants for the purchase and installation of a solar energy system.
Another Con is aesthetic. Many people just don’t like the look of solar panels on their roofs, and some roofs just can’t accommodate the weight or combined space used by solar panels. A 5-kilowatt solar panel energy system should generate an average of 20 kilowatt hours of electricity per day. An average home uses 30 to 39 kWh per day, depending on the size of the home. And a 5-kilowatt system on average needs 12 solar panels to produce that amount of electricity.
Lack of space can be another disadvantage. Solar panels and the associated amount of wiring take up space. Depending on the number of solar panels needed, finding enough space on the roof with adequate exposure to the sun can be difficult, especially in less-spacious residential areas. When panels cannot fit on a roof, or the roof is built in such a way that many solar panels just won’t fit, some homeowners install a solar panel array in their yards. Some people don’t like the look of that either. And some cities or towns may not allow them.
Some roofs on older homes may need to be reinforced, adding cost to the project. On average, solar panels weigh about 40 pounds each. Our West Bay installers can help you determine the overall weight that a solar energy system will add to your roofing system, but if you use the example of 12 panels, you will be adding at least an additional 480 pounds onto your roof.
Lastly, the monetary output can be a point of contention. Yes, the upfront investment can be costly. For the same 5-kilowatt systems described above, the initial cost should be between $12,650-$12,900. But, with additional federal, state, and local incentives, you can further lower the price. Add your net-metering program, and your ROI will start sooner than you think.
And West Bay Energy offers our solar clients ZERO DOLLARS DOWN for all new solar energy system installations. Financing is also available.
Bottom line? Solar energy systems have become cost effective, help to reduce carbon emissions, and they give our planet a chance to breathe and repair itself. Here at West Bay Energy, we believe the Pros of renewable solar energy systems outweigh the Cons.
If you’re considering installing a solar energy system, give us a call for a no obligation quote. No matter what the size of your job, whether it’s your home or your business, we apply the highest quality of work to the custom design and expert installation of our solar panels to customers throughout the states of Texas, Florida, and New Jersey.
We always put our customers first, making sure you are backed by flexible financing, excellent warranties, and stellar customer service. At West Bay Energy, we strive to get maximum savings for our customers, while doing our part to improve the air we breathe.
You can count on West Bay Energy.
