Tallahassee Solar Program

Residential, small- and medium-sized commercial electric utility customers with the City of Tallahassee can subscribe for all or a portion of their monthly electric bill to be powered by solar energy. Customers can opt for one of three participation levels: 25, 50 or 100 percent.

The City’s largest electric customers will also be eligible. In lieu of percentage options, these commercial customers will specify a fixed number of monthly kilowatt hours that will be designated as solar energy.

Customers who choose to participate will pay 5 cents per kWh for their solar energy in lieu of the normal Fuel Charge portion of their bill. This rate will remain fixed for the next 20 years. Sign up for solar here.

Yes, all City residential and commercial electric utility customers are eligible to participate in the program. This group includes Solar Net-Metering and Nights & Weekends Pricing customers. Sign up for solar here.

Yes, initially participants will pay more. However, by participating in Tallahassee Solar, customers will likely see a lower energy bill over the long term. Tallahassee Solar is unique in that it provides customers with the option of using solar energy without the up-front cost of installing solar panels on their home or business, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. 

The rate for Tallahassee Solar is 5 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), which will be charged in lieu of the normal Fuel Charge. This rate is fixed for the next 20 years. Customers who do not participate in Tallahassee Solar will pay the normal Fuel Charge, which is currently 3.5 cents per kWh. The Fuel Charge is a rate paid by all customers to recover the costs of the natural gas used to generate electricity in the City’s power plants.

Since it is expected that in the future the Fuel Charge will rise from its current historically low level, the difference between the two rates will likely narrow. It is expected that the fuel charge will rise above 5 cents per kWh in the next 20 years. When this occurs, Tallahassee Solar customers will pay less than non-participants. Sign up for solar here.

Enrollment for Tallahassee Solar ended December 31, 2017. Enrollment was limited to the estimated energy output of the first solar farm. Customers can now ask to be placed on a waiting list for the next farm. Customers are encouraged to add their name to the waiting list early to insure a place in the program. Sign up for the solar waiting list here.

Yes. Since moving is a part of life, the City has made solar energy portable. As long as customers using solar energy remain a City electric utility customer, their subscription moves with them from residence to residence. Sign up for solar here.

There will be no change to the way energy is delivered to customers. The solar energy produced will be fed directly into the City’s electric grid and will replace energy that would have otherwise been generated by the City’s fossil fuel power plants.

The average Tallahassee household that participates in Tallahassee Solar at the 100 percent level will save 5.9 tons of carbon dioxide from entering our atmosphere annually. That’s the equivalent of planting 2.4 acres of new forest each year. Sign up for solar here.

Customers can enroll by filling out an application. Once your application is approved, you will get an email confirming that solar has been added to your account.

Billing for Tallahassee Solar will not begin until the first solar farm is completed and delivering energy to the City’s electric grid. This is anticipated to occur in January 2018. Sign up for solar here.

Yes, customers can discontinue service at any time without penalty; however, once they leave, they are no longer eligible to re-enroll in the program.

There are many reasons to participate. Solar power has many environmental benefits. By powering your life with solar energy, you can reduce your carbon footprint, reduce air and water emissions and reduce your family’s use of fossil fuels. Solar power is clean and renewable.

Additionally, Tallahassee Solar allows customers to take advantage of solar energy without installing solar panels on their home or business. It also allows for the use of clean energy without the risk of direct ownership.

Given the volatility of the fuel markets, Tallahassee Solar customers, which will have a fixed fuel rate of 5 cents per kilowatt-hour for the next 20 years, will likely see their energy bill decrease over time as compared with non-participants. Sign up for solar here.