How does a solar water heater work?
For a detailed explanation of how a solar water heating system works, click here.
Will solar panels increase my property taxes?
Solar panel systems are excluded by law from the assessed value of residential property, so solar panels will not increase residential property taxes.
HB 277 in the 2013 Legislative Session added Section 193.624, Florida Statutes to read:
Florida provides a property tax exemption for residential photovoltaic systems, wind energy systems, solar water heaters, and geothermal heat pumps installed on or after January 1, 2013. For the purpose of assessing property taxes for a home, an increase in the just value of the property attributable to the installation of this equipment should be ignored. The exemption applies to the following types of equipment used as part of a solar, wind or geothermal system:There is no property tax exclusion in law for commercial property, but in practice, solar panels are not included by county property appraisers in the assessed value of the property. In 2014 a bill to match the residential exclusion for commercial properties was squashed by Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne. There is a bill proposed in the 2015 session that would grant this exclusion by law, and it is promising that it will pass.This exemption applies to assessments beginning January 1, 2014, and for equipment installed on or after January 1, 2013.
- Solar energy collectors, photovoltaic modules, and inverters.
- Storage tanks and other storage systems, excluding swimming pools used as storage tanks.
- Rockbeds.
- Thermostats and other control devices.
- Heat exchange devices.
- Pumps and fans.
- Roof ponds.
- Freestanding thermal containers.
- Pipes, ducts, refrigerant handling systems, and other equipment used to interconnect such systems; however, such equipment does not include conventional backup systems of any type
- Windmills and wind turbines.
- Wind-driven generators.
- Power conditioning and storage devices that use wind energy to generate electricity or mechanical forms of energy.
- Pipes and other equipment used to transmit hot geothermal water to a dwelling or structure from a geothermal deposit.
Is there any sales tax on solar panels in Florida?
Solar pool heating, solar electric (photovoltaic), and solar water heating systems with all associated components are exempt from sales tax in the State of Florida.
