While the residential solar market is collapsing nationwide after President Donald Trump ended a popular tax credit in December, one state is proving to be a surprising exception: Florida.
A big reason why is a sweeping permitting law that took effect in the state last summer, experts said, with new rules aimed at making it both faster and cheaper to install new rooftop solar.
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Florida installed more than 110 megawatts of home solar in the first three months of the year and BloombergNEF recently called it the fastest-growing state for residential solar in the country.
And more is coming: In the first 13 weeks of the year, Florida led the nation with approved permits for at least 450 megawatts-worth of home solar projects — a fourfold increase compared to the same period in the previous two years, according to data compiled by BloombergNEF and Construction Monitor. In other states, meanwhile, the number of applications was lower than in prior years.
