Why Now Is Still the Moment for Florida Solar

The rules keep shifting, but the runway is real and so is the demand. Here's how to use the next 18 months.

Featuring Laura LaRosa, Florida Solar Energy Industries Association (FlaSEIA). Adapted from the SunSmart Engineering × Clean Energy Help × FlaSEIA panel, Commercial Solar in 2026. Watch the clip: "15 - Why Now Is Still the Moment for Florida Solar.mp4".

You've heard a lot in this series about deadlines, phase-outs, and acronyms: OBBBA, FEOC, MACR, PWA. It would be easy to walk away thinking the window is closing and the smart move is to wait for the dust to settle. The panel's last word pushed back on that. The policy is changing, true, but the opportunity in front of Florida contractors right now is concrete, time-bound, and wide open.

The change is real, and so is the runway

Nobody on the panel pretended this is simple. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed July 4, 2025, accelerated the credit phase-out for wind and solar and layered on Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) restrictions. As of the June 2026 webinar the guidance was still interim, the safe-harbor litigation was under appeal, and more IRS direction was expected. Plenty of moving parts.

Moving parts are not a closed door. The deadlines give you a defined path. A project must either begin construction by July 4, 2026, which preserves a multi-year window of up to four years to finish, or be placed in service by December 31, 2027. "Placed in service" effectively means getting Permission to Operate (PTO) from the utility.

That second date is the one to anchor on. From the June 2026 webinar, that's roughly an 18-month runway to get projects designed, permitted, built, and energized. Caleb Quaid, President of Clean Energy Help, put it plainly for the group: there are about 18 months left, and now is a great time to fill the funnel. That's not a panic timeline, but it isn't infinite either. A commercial project has to clear design, interconnection, permitting, procurement, construction, and inspection before PTO. The contractors who win are the ones loading the pipeline today, not the ones waiting to see what changes next.

The passion hasn't gone anywhere

Laura LaRosa brought the message that had nothing to do with statutes. FlaSEIA has advocated for and supported solar in Florida since 1977, so when Laura says the energy in the market is still high, that's nearly five decades of perspective talking.

Her read on where things stand:

"With everything always changing, with us going through the One Big Beautiful Bill, and legislation always changing, I wanted to flag for everyone that a lot of Florida House and Senate seats are up for grabs right now. There are going to be elections in November. A lot of people are champions for solar, or for workforce development, or for manufacturing within the state, or keeping energy local."

That last line matters. Solar in Florida isn't a single-issue cause. It's workforce development, in-state manufacturing, and keeping energy dollars local. Those priorities cut across the political spectrum, and they're exactly what a lot of candidates are running on heading into November.

The demand is holding too. In Laura's words: "Everyone I've talked to is still ready to have as many projects as possible, still super excited." That's the part the headlines miss. The appetite for projects hasn't cooled. If anything, the deadlines have sharpened everyone's focus.

Turn your projects into advocacy

Here's where Laura turned motivation into something you can act on. With elections coming and seats genuinely in play, the projects you're already building are one of the most persuasive tools the industry has.

"If you have an event you're planning, a ribbon cutting, or a super cool project, I'd really encourage everyone to reach out to the legislators in your area, see who's running for those seats, and invite them out. ... If these legislators see the economic impact you're making on their community and the workforce you're creating, it's super powerful and impactful."

You don't need a lobbyist or a policy team for this. You need a job site, a ribbon cutting, or a finished installation, plus an invitation. A legislator standing on a commercial roof, looking at a system that put local electricians and roofers to work and is going to cut a local business's energy bill, learns more in ten minutes than any briefing could teach them. Laura's bottom line: "I encourage anyone, now until November in Florida, to invite those legislators out to you."

So the close of this series is two calls to action stacked together. Fill your pipeline before the December 31, 2027 placed-in-service deadline closes the easiest path to the credit. And while you're at it, use those projects to show the people writing the next round of legislation what local solar actually does for their communities. Both are time-bound. Both reward the contractors who move now.

Key takeaways

• The runway is defined, not closing in a panic. Begin construction by July 4, 2026, or be placed in service (PTO) by December 31, 2027, roughly an 18-month window from the June 2026 webinar.
• Fill the funnel now. Commercial projects take time to clear design, interconnection, permitting, and construction, so the contractors loading the pipeline today are the ones who hit the deadline.
• Demand and passion are still high. Per FlaSEIA, the market is still eager for as many projects as possible.
• Your projects are advocacy. Florida House and Senate seats are up in November. Invite local legislators to ribbon cuttings and job sites to show real economic and workforce impact.
• Solar is a broad-coalition issue in Florida: workforce, in-state manufacturing, and keeping energy local.
• Rules are still evolving. Confirm current credit, FEOC, and deadline requirements with a qualified advisor before acting.

How SunSmart Engineering can help

Filling your pipeline before the deadline starts with plan sets and engineering that move fast and clear interconnection the first time. SunSmart Engineering is a full-service engineering firm for solar and energy storage, Florida-based and working nationwide, and we can help you get commercial projects designed, stamped, and ready to build so PTO by December 31, 2027 stays well within reach. Visit sunsmartengineering.com or call 866-786-8655.

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Educational information only, not tax, legal, or engineering advice. Rules referenced (credits, FEOC, safe-harbor litigation, and the July 4, 2026 / December 31, 2027 dates) were current as of the June 2026 webinar and continue to change. Confirm current requirements with a qualified professional before acting.