ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, is preparing to launch the third round of solar photovoltaic (PV) rebates offered through the utility's innovative SunSense® Solar Energy Program.
Progress Energy first made rebates for customer-owned solar PV systems available in March 2011. The last round of rebates, available for qualifying customer-owned solar PV systems installed in 2012, were fully allocated in less than a day. The utility expects a similar level of interest in the 2013 rebates.
Customers interested in applying for rebates through Progress Energy's 2013 SunSense Solar PV Program can complete the online reservation process starting at 10 a.m. Oct. 1, 2012.
"The SunSense program is a key component of our strategy to assist those customers interested in investing in solar technology," said Vincent Dolan, Duke Energy state president, Florida. "We were pleased with the level of interest demonstrated when the rebates became available the last two years and we're hoping for a similar response this time around."
Through the SunSense program, Progress Energy Florida provides qualifying residential and commercial customers rebates of up to $2 per watt for customer-installed solar PV systems. The utility's residential and commercial customer classes are each allocated more than $1 million in solar PV incentives on an annual basis through 2014.
Progress Energy has implemented a reservation process to help customers qualify for the solar PV rebate prior to installation. Due to the annual solar PV incentives cap, the utility recommends that customers wanting to take advantage of these rebates become familiar with the process prior to the Oct. 1 launch. Additional information about the company's reservation process is available at progress-energy.com/sunsense.
Other components of Progress Energy's SunSense program include:
- SunSense Solar Water Heating Program: Progress Energy offers a rebate of $550 toward the installation of a qualifying system. The company also is working with nonprofit builders to incorporate a free solar thermal water-heating system into qualifying, low-income customers’ homes during construction.
- SunSense Schools Program: Progress Energy is partnering with schools serving as emergency shelters to install a 10-kilowatt (kW) solar PV system with battery backup on up to 10 sites throughout the company’s Florida service territory per year through 2014. The company is also installing a 100-kW solar PV system on one postsecondary school each year.
Alternative energy technologies, such as those included in the SunSense program combined with energy efficiency and state-of-the-art plants collectively form the balanced solution strategy Progress Energy Florida believes will best help meet customers' short- and long-term energy needs.
Progress Energy Florida is an industry leader in the development and implementation of programs to help customers save energy and money. Through the companys energy-efficiency programs, Progress Energy Florida's customers have collectively saved more than $1 billion in energy costs since 1981, reducing the need for enough electricity to power more than 900,000 homes for a year. In all, Progress Energy Florida currently offers its customers 14 programs and more than 100 energy-efficiency upgrades to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprints.
Progress Energy Florida
Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), provides electricity and related services to more than 1.6 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing more than 20,000 square miles including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. Progress Energy Florida is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. More information is available at www.progress-energy.com.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at www.duke-energy.com.