Florida and Georgia are among a handful of states that prohibit third-party ownership of residential photovoltaic systems, but initiatives are underway in both states that would open the door to solar leases.
PV Magazine reports that Republican Rep. Mike Dudgeon has introduced a measure that would allow third-party ownership of residential systems of up to 10kw in capacity. The Solar Power Free-Market Financing Act of 2015 also would cover commercial systems with a capacity of up to 125% of a site’s power consumption.
The measure would clear the way for companies such as SolarCity that specialize in installing leased solar systems for homeowners who are unwilling or unable to cover the upfront costs of buying a system outright.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) lists Georgia as 15th nationally with its 141 megawatts of installed solar electricity. That’s enough to power 15,300 homes, the trade group said.
PV Magazine quotes market analysts as saying that the potential for residential PV for the state’s 2.1 million single-family homes is roughly 10.5 gigawatts, an opportunity that is “clearly massive.”
In Florida, it’s a petition drive
A citizens’ group called Floridians for Solar Choice has launched a petition drive to put the question of third-party ownership on a statewide ballot next year. “End the solar eclipse in the Sunshine State,” the group’s website says.
The proposal would amend the state constitution and rescind a restriction that now bars residents from purchasing electricity from any source other than an electric utility.
“It can remove the upfront cost for solar power systems and expand solar power options to residential and commercial tenants–thereby expanding the choice for solar choice to all Floridians,” the website says.
The group says that efforts to change state law in the past have failed because of “the undue influence of monopoly power companies.” Proposals never made it out of committee, prompting the effort to take the issue directly to voters.
SEIA ranks Florida third in the country for solar potential but 13th for installed solar capacity, in part because of the prohibition on power-purchase agreements. In all, Florida has 229 megawatts of installed solar capacity, enough for 26,400 homes.
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Companies such as SolarCity that specialize in installing leased solar electric systems would be allowed to operate in Georgia and Florida if efforts there to overturn bans on third-party ownership are thrown out.
