National nonprofit organization Solar United Neighbors (SUN) has launched a new solar co-op in Miami-Dade County for a second year in a row – what members say is a “response to the growing demand for solar” energy.
The co-op, which is free to join, is an opportunity for residents and business owners to harness their bulk-purchasing power and save money on solar panel installations. SUN brings a group of interested community members together and teaches them how to submit a competitive request for proposals so that installation companies can respond with discounted rates and deals.
More than 250 people signed up for last year’s county co-op as state-level threats against pro-solar policies stirred members of the public to act fast and lock in tax credits before the year was up.
Since then, however, the U.S. government passed the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022, which now offers a tax credit that can cover up to 30% of the costs of a new solar installation. That credit begins this year and will last until 2032.
The Miami-Dade County 2023 solar co-op closes to new members on July 22.