JUNO BEACH, Fla., April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company announced today that beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 3, customers interested in installing a solar-powered photovoltaic (PV) system can apply for 2012 incentive funding.

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As part of an ongoing pilot program approved by the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) to help reduce energy consumption and peak demand, FPL will offer PV solar rebates on a first-come, first-served basis for residential and business customers. 

"We know FPL customers throughout Florida are interested in owning solar systems for their homes and businesses, and we are once again offering assistance with the upfront costs," said Marlene Santos, FPL's vice president of Customer Service. "We encourage interested customers to act as fast as they can to take advantage of these rebates because the available funding is limited."

FPL suggests that customers who are interested in applying for the solar rebate to prepare in advance of May 3 and have all the necessary components of the application ready. Funds are expected to run out quickly, so interested customers should plan to apply for rebates as soon as the application period opens.

Interested customers should begin exploring options as soon as possible to ensure that they have time to identify and meet with a contractor and gather the required information before the application period opens on May 3. Program details and application checklists are available now at www.FPL.com/solarrebates.

FPL Solar Rebate Program
The PSC has authorized $15.5 million for FPL's 2012 solar rebate program, which opened in October 2011 and will continue through September 2012. The program consists of residential water heating, business solar water heating, residential PV, business PV, solar for schools, low-income solar water heating, and renewable research and demonstration community projects.

The first half of the 2012 PV and solar water heating rebate funding in the amount of approximately $4 million became available to customers when the program initially launched in October 2011. FPL is reopening the application period for the PV programs and adding additional funds to the solar water heating programs on May 3 to distribute approximately $3.3 million. Applications will be accepted for: 

• Residential Solar Water Heating – FPL's residential solar water heating program will provide $1,000 per installed solar water heater. According to the Florida Solar Energy Center, a solar water heater can cut a family's water heating costs by up to 85 percent. 
• Business Solar Water Heating – Business customers will be eligible for a variable rebate based on the size of the system installed that will equal $30 per 1,000 BTUh/day of the maximum rated output of the installed system. The maximum incentive during the life of the program is $50,000 per site. Businesses with multiple locations can receive a maximum combined rebate of up to $150,000 per funding year.
• Residential Solar PV – The residential solar PV program will provide an incentive of $2,000 per kW of the rated direct-current (DC) output of a PV system up to a maximum of $20,000.
• Business Solar PV – The business PV program will provide a variable incentive depending on the output of the system. The rebate will be up to $50,000 per site during the life of the program and will be calculated as: $2 per DC watt nameplate rating of the solar panel up to the first 10 kW; $1.50 per DC watt nameplate rating of the solar panel from 10 kW up to 25 kW; and, $1 per DC watt nameplate rating of the solar panel greater than 25 kW. Businesses with multiple locations can receive a maximum combined rebate of up to $150,000 per funding year.

NOTE: FPL does not endorse or recommend any individual installers for any of its programs, nor does FPL bear any responsibility for the quality or performance of any products or contractors chosen or hired by the customer. Customers should choose products and contractors carefully, given the many variables involved. The decision to select, hire and the management of the contractor that will install the eligible products is the customer's sole responsibility. FPL bears no responsibility for the quality or performance of any products or contractors chosen by the customer. There are many installers with varying levels of capability and experience. Customers should check to make sure the work performed by a contractor meets all applicable licensing and building code requirements.

Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest rate-regulated electric utility in Florida and serves the third largest number of customers of any electric utility in the United States. FPL serves approximately 4.6 million customer accounts and is a leading Florida employer with approximately 10,000 employees as of year-end 2011. During the five year period ended December 31, 2011, the company delivered the best service reliability among Florida investor-owned utilities, while its typical residential customer bills, based on data available in December 2011, are about 25 percent below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and one of the leading energy efficiency programs among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit www.FPL.com

SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company