Solar and Energy Efficiency

Solar energy provides clean, renewable energy, can help lower utility bills, and can improve the value of a property.

A solar feasibility study for Miami-Dade County, released in October 2018, evaluated the feasibility of on-site solar energy generation and use at County properties. With technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the initial screening revealed 238 County facilities had suitable roof areas for photovoltaic panels. Potential installation of photovoltaic panels at the facilities were determined to have a total solar photovoltaic capacity of 61,725 kW and an annual solar energy production of 87,855,519 (87.8 million) kWh.

• Solar Installations - Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has been integrated into many facilities throughout the County, including parks, school crosswalks and over 900 bus shelters
• SolSmart Gold Designation - SolSmart recognizes local governments for making it faster, easier and cheaper to go solar. Miami-Dade County has a bronze designation
• Read details on solar photovoltaic permitting

Solar United Neighbors is a nonprofit that organizes the Miami Dade Solar Purchasing Cooperatives program. This program facilitates lower pricing through bulk purchasing of solar photovoltaic equipment and special contractor pricing.

The program is open to all single-family homeowners and small business owners in Miami-Dade County who would like to benefit from the advantages of going solar. Each cooperative serves as a neutral third-party organization to educate property owners about solar, bring homeowners together and provide unbiased, installer neutral support to participants who are transitioning to solar power.

Learn more about Solar Bulk Purchasing Cooperatives, including upcoming information sessions.

Read the Solar United Neighbors - Solar Information Session presentation.

Miami-Dade County homeowners, businesses and industries in unincorporated Miami-Dade County interested in solar panels, hurricane windows and other energy saving upgrades now have another financing option through the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program.

PACE allows property owners to receive upfront financing for a variety of energy-related home improvements, then repay the debt through voluntary assessments on their property tax bills.

Although the County has to authorize PACE programs to operate in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, the County does not administer or operate the programs in any way. All contractual PACE agreements are between property owners and the PACE district, a non-County entity.

To foster competition and protect consumers, Miami-Dade County has included compliance requirements in its agreements with each PACE provider such as provisions for clear communication with customers, disclosure of all fees and risks associated with participating in the program, prepayment penalties and hardship exceptions, and mandatory data reporting.

To request a copy of a data report from one of the approved PACE providers, call the resilience department at 305-375-5593 or send an email to [email protected].

Currently, the County has an agreement with four districts to provide services to Unincorporated Miami-Dade County.

Authorized by Miami-Dade County to provide services in Unincorporated Miami-Dade County:

Florida Green Finance Authority
Administered by Renew Financial Group, LLC
Phone: 844-589-7953
[email protected]
Florida Green Finance Authority Related Agreements

Florida PACE Funding Agency
Phone: 850-400-PACE (7223)
[email protected]
www.FloridaPACE.Gov
Florida PACE Funding Agency Related Agreements 

Florida Resiliency and Energy District (FRED)
Administered by Renovate America
Phone: 877-747-4889
[email protected]
FRED Related Agreements

Green Corridor Property Assessment Clean Energy District
Administered by Ygrene Energy Fund
Phone: 305-569-0015 or 855-965-7283
[email protected]
Green Corridor Related Agreements

• PACE is a financing program (not a rebate or grant) the property owner agrees to pay back the financed amount on their annual property tax bill through a legal contract between the property owner and the PACE provider
• PACE Providers are private companies that administer the program. This program is not operated by Miami-Dade County
• Your annual property tax bill will increase. If you pay your taxes through escrow, your monthly mortgage payments will also increase
• PACE financing is considered a Non-Ad Valorem Property Assessment
• Miami-Dade County does not charge the property owner any fees regarding PACE. There are administrative fees and interest associated with PACE financing from the PACE Providers - and those vary depending which PACE Provider you choose
• PACE financing is recorded against the property as an assessment. The tax lien is in the first position, meaning that if a homeowner goes into default, the PACE Provider gets paid before any other creditors, including the lender(s) that hold the mortgage
• Nonpayment risks foreclosure and default on the homeowner’s traditional mortgage
• PACE assessments don’t always show up on the first tax bill; it often shows up in the second tax cycle, so homeowners may find themselves in a situation of having to pay more (up to double) the first year to true up the impound account. You should call your mortgage servicer immediately if you choose PACE financing
• Due to the tax bill cycle, a prepayment made to your PACE Provider between July - November could result in an inaccurate tax bill
• For the most part, conventional loan institutions (i.e. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac) and some banks currently won't lend on a property unless the PACE debt is settled in full prior to closing (selling the property) or refinancing
• Property owners must notify potential buyers that there is a PACE assessment on the property prior to sale
• The Certificate of Completion should not be signed until the improvement project has been completed to your satisfaction.