How Much Electricity Can You Send Back To The Grid In Orlando?

Solar panels are one of the most efficient and greenest inventions of the last few decades that have made it possible to produce renewable energy. These panels consist of photoelectric cells that absorb solar energy and, through a process of conversion, change it into electrical energy that can be used within a residential and commercial space.

There are numerous benefits of having a solar panel installed in your home. Some of the main advantages of a solar panel are:

• They help you lead an eco-friendly life
• They are low maintenance
• They can help you save up on electricity bills
• Excess energy produced by the solar panels on sunny days can be sold back to the grid
• You can have diverse working appliances connected to your solar panels

If you are thinking of investing in solar panels, you must know that these panels not only save you money on electrical bills but can also help you earn some extra money through a process called net metering. But how much can you sell electricity for? Let us have a look.

What is Net Metering?

Net metering allows FPL customers who connect approved, renewable generation systems such as solar panels to the electric grid to buy and sell electricity to FPL.

If you have a solar panel system installed that helps you generate green energy for your home or business, you can sell the excess energy back into the grid which will decrease your monthly electric bills or credit towards a future electrical bill. This process of selling back the energy to the FPL is known as Net Metering.

The hypothetical idea of selling electricity to FPL and further reducing electrical bills is extremely exciting but it is important to know how net metering works, how can you sell electricity back to the grid and how much can you sell electricity in Orlando?

How to Sell Electricity Back to the Grid?

Airbnb made everyone a hotelier, while Uber allowed ordinary drivers to become taxi cabs. Now people can become power stations, selling what they generate from solar and other renewables to their neighbors. This is a concept of microgrids – small community electricity networks that exist outside of the monopoly power suppliers. It has attracted investments from giants like Shell and threatens to revolutionize the industry in South East Asia. [1]

Is Income from Solar Panels Tax-Free?

The income from solar panels will be tax-free only if the panels are installed on a private residence. Meanwhile, if businesses and landlords rent out accommodation, they need to know that their income will be seen as taxable.

Do Solar Panels Raise Your Taxes?

Solar panels do not tend to increase or decrease the property taxes on your real property although some states offer an increase in the property tax after the installation of a solar panel. If you are concerned about the tax rate, feel free to get in touch with your state and its laws on solar panels.

Here are some steps to follow if you plan to sell electricity back to the grid and How Much Can You Sell Electricity in Orlando.

1. Check with Your State and Utility Company

There are more than 40 states in the US that allow for the process of net metering to take place. This means that households that generate excess electricity through their solar panels in these states are allowed to receive checks from the power company for the extra energy that is sold back to the grid.

In Florida, the net metering system depends greatly on the size and kind of solar system that is installed in your home. In Florida, the law insists that the net metering customers are compensated for their electricity at the retail price. This means the customers are paid for the energy produced by them at the same rate as their electricity. In 2017, this rate was about 10.8cents/kWh.

These rules of net metering may vary from state to state and also depend on the utility companies. Therefore, if you are producing more energy via your panels that you can use, look into the process of net metering in your state.

2. See About Tax Benefits

Multiple states in the US offer tax baits to people that take an active part in making their homes eco-friendlier, green or sustainable. Depending on where you live in the US, you can avail of federal solar tax credit along with state-level tax credit.

3. Install and Sell

The simple rule of earning money from your solar panels is to generate more electricity than you can use. If you haven't installed your panels, make sure to study your electricity bills in-depth and calculate the average amount of energy your house may need. You can determine the average electrical use on your own or have a professional do it for you.

The solar panel system that you may choose for your home must generate more electricity than is needed. On good sunny days, when your solar panel produces more energy than you can store, sell it back to the grid and get paid for it. Although there is a certain limit to the energy you can sell back.

In Florida, the systems cannot be sized to generate electricity increasing 115% of the home’s monthly kWh usage. Moreover, individual systems are not allowed to send more than 2MW of energy back into the grid.

Final Word

There are many people in all of America that have taken the eco-friendly road and installed solar panels. They generate green electricity from renewable sources which reduces their bills and helps them get paid by the power companies. Solar panels are one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century and there are multiple benefits of going solar.