JUNO BEACH, Fla., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company customers interested in installing solar-powered upgrades to their homes and businesses can apply at www.FPL.com/solarrebates beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 16, 2012, for about $9 million in available incentive funding for 2013.

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This is the third year that FPL has offered rebates for residential and business customers who install solar water heating or solar photovoltaic (PV) systems as part of a pilot program approved by the Florida Public Service Commission to help reduce energy consumption and peak demand.

Rebate reservations for all available 2013 funding will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested customers must apply online for a reservation and then complete the required process to receive a rebate.

"We expect all funding for next year to be reserved quickly so interested customers should plan to apply as soon as the application period opens on October 16," said Marlene Santos, FPL vice president of customer service.

After the available funding has been fully reserved, a limited number of customers who did not receive a reservation will be placed on a "standby list" in the order in which their applications were received. Customers will be notified if they are on the standby list, and they will be contacted should funds become available due to cancelled reservations.

In addition to rebates, FPL's 2013 solar program supports solar installations at schools, solar water heating for low-income customers, and community renewable energy research and demonstration projects.

FPL recommends that customers who are interested in applying for a rebate prepare in advance and have all the necessary components of the application ready. In addition, 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. Application checklists and updated program details are available at www.FPL.com/solarrebates.

Applications for approximately $9 million in rebate funds 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