More solar in Florida – Yes on Four

Yes on Four Fact Sheet

Have you ever wondered why there isn’t more solar being installed in Florida? It is not the lack of available sunshine – second to the pristine beaches – record numbers of tourists visit Florida year over year just to simply get a little sun on their skin. So what is holding back Florida’s solar energy market? Answer: Taxes.

Home solar installations which are owned (not leased) by the property owner are exempt from property taxes – business solar is not. If you have the money or credit to buy your solar installation, unlike if you build a swimming pool or renovate an addition, your local tax assessor cannot increase your property taxes because you made a solar improvement. In 2008 Floridians voted this into law – extending an existing (since 1980) exemption – with one small change – the law inadvertently removed the exemption for businesses.

So – to be clear – average to high income homeowners have access to zero down solar ownership models that make solar affordable without that installation being taxed – businesses and low-income or fixed income seniors do not.

Level the playing field for Florida businesses – Yes on Four

We need to extend that same fair, competitive tax rules to businesses. Florida lawmakers have sought ways to make Florida more competitive by reducing taxes on businesses and this one was an easy target. After eight long years,  Sen. Jeff Brandes, Rep. Ray Rodrigues and Rep. Lori Berman worked with industry advocates like Vote Solar and the Solar Energy Industries Association to pass a bill (nearly unanimously) that would start the process to remove the taxes on businesses -- but now it needs your approval in August. Join the Yes on 4 Campaign.

The approval by voters in August will extend the same benefits to businesses that home solar installations receive. Eliminating this tax will cut the cost of solar energy by $0.05 cents per kilowatt-hour making it competitive to generate energy on the rooftops of Florida businesses.

Just to put this into perspective -- the property tax levied on business owned solar is higher than the cost of natural gas – gas that is mechanically extracted from the earth's bedrock, damages the environment and is pumped thousands of miles to Florida. It is unrealistic to think an industry can compete when the tax on free sunshine is higher than the fully loaded cost of extracting fossil fuel.

Provide low-income and seniors fair access to solar – Yes on Four

Approval from the voters in August will also give the legislative body the approval to write similar rules for leased solar installations making it easier for lower-income families and seniors to switch to solar for zero down.

While solar leasing is legal in Florida this tax makes it uneconomic for businesses to pursue.

Leasing provides access to affordable, fixed solar payments, to low-income families and seniors who are on low, fixed incomes, like social security. While the savings over time is not as great as ownership, low-income families and seniors typically are not eligible for federal tax credits that incentivize ownership. Once voters approve this Amendment in August, the Florida legislature can write rules to lower taxes on leased solar installations.

Reduced taxes puts boots on the roof in Florida – Yes on Four

Florida’s construction industry was one of the hardest hit during the housing crisis in 2008. While many Floridians have seen their property values rebound, construction workers have not seen their jobs come back. Florida has received millions of dollars of Federal funding to train workers in solar panel installations – but the state has lacked policy to put those boots on the roof. Supporting Amendment Four in August will help put people to work in Florida instead of exporting them to our solar friendly neighbors like Georgia and South Carolina.