Boynton Beach received the highest designation of Gold from the national SolSmart program for making it faster, easier, and more affordable for homes and businesses to go solar. This designation recognizes Boynton Beach for taking bold steps to encourage solar energy growth and remove obstacles to solar development.
Benefits include a greater return on investment for solar customers, improved business prospects for solar companies, time and money savings for the City, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions to help meet the goals of our Climate Action Plan.
Solar Energy in City Facilities
The City installed a rooftop solar PV system at Fire Station #5, which offsets approximately $133 dollars per month from the station’s electric bill. Visit the Fire Station 5 live-monitoring website.
As part of its “SolarNow” program, FPL installed two solar “trees” at Boynton Beach’s Oceanfront Park and a solar canopy at Barrier Free Park, with another canopy coming soon at Oceanfront Park. Currently we have a total of 213.35 kW of solar energy in the City.
Solar Permitting
Boynton Beach offers expedited permitting with 3-day turnaround for residential rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Permit fees are 2.3% of total construction cost. Please visit the Building Division with questions about permits and inspections.
Download forms:
- Expedited Permitting Process Form
- Expedited Permitting Checklist
- Building Permit Application
Solar Financing
Solar costs have dropped 90% since the 1970s, but paying the up-front costs can still be a challenge. Financing options include standard bank loans, home equity lines of credit, and bridge loans (which help cover the costs until the federal tax credit is received). Another option is Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, which finances solar PV and other upgrades (energy efficiency, water conservation, wind resistance) with little or no upfront costs. The financed amount is repaid over a term of up to 20 years as a non ad valorem assessment on the annual property tax bill.
Palm Beach County Solar Co-op
A solar co-op is a group of homeowners who use their bulk-purchasing power to get discounted pricing and quality installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
There is no cost or obligation associated with joining. Learn more and sign up to join the co-op here.
Florida Solar Laws
Florida law forbids any entity, including homeowner associations, from prohibiting the installation of solar or other renewable energy devices on Florida buildings. Any restrictions must not impair the performance or increase the cost of a solar system: Title XI 163.04
Florida’s “net metering” rules allow utility customers who connect a solar PV system to the electric grid to sell electricity back to the utility company and have the cost deducted from their monthly bill. To be eligible, the customer must apply with the utility company and have their electric meter replaced with one that measures excess power supplied to the grid: Title XXVII 366.91
Consumer Protections
The following resources will assist homeowners in making informed decisions about purchasing solar PV.
- Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar, Department of Energy
- Going Solar in America: A Guide for Homeowners Considering Solar in America’s 50 Largest Cities (PDF), NC Clean Energy Technology Center
- Residential Consumer Guide to Solar Power/July 2017 (PDF), Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
- IREC’s (Interstate Renewable Energy Council) Clean Energy Consumer Bill of Rights
The following websites provide information about fair and honest business practices for solar installers:
- SEIA Code of Ethics
- SEIA Solar Business Code
Solar Incentives
