can a neighborhood association possibly obtain a site where there is plenty of Florida sunshine, erect solar panels and sell the power to the grid?, sharing the credit?

Best answer:

Answer by Archipet
This is exactly how Germany has become the world’s leading nation in distributed renewable energy. The German Government passed laws obliging utility companies to pay private individuals and groups for energy that they generate and feed into the national grid. These payments are called feed-in tariffs and they enable homeowners to get a reasonable payback on their investments in distributed renewable energy.

The real issue is how much you would be paid for the electricity you generate in Florida. Large-scale solar PV panels would be required to generate several kilowatt-hours per day. They cost $ 5 – $ 10 per peak watt (Wp) and an installation of the scale you need will cost your neighbourhood association many thousands of dollars.

I don’t know the laws about feed-In tariffs in Florida so I can’t tell you how to meet local requirements. I suspect the low price of electricity in the US (relative to Germany) will make it an uneconomic proposition for you at the moment. If this is the case, I suggest you re-evaluate the costs and benefits in a few years, when the price of electricity really hurts.

Give your answer to this question below!