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 In Clearwater, a commercial landlord can transform a solar installation from a simple cost-saving measure into a recurring revenue stream by acting as a "mini-utility" for their tenants. While Florida law generally restricts private entities from selling electricity to the public, commercial landlords have several established legal pathways to profit from supplying solar power and EV charging.

1. The "Solar-as-an-Amenity" Model (Rent Increases)

The simplest way to monetize solar is by increasing the property's base rent or net operating income (NOI).

• Premium Rents: Landlords can charge a premium for "green" space, often justifying a 5–10% increase in property value and higher lease retention.

• Reduced Common Area Maintenance (CAM): Solar offsets the power for elevators, parking lot lighting, and HVAC in shared spaces. Landlords can continue to charge standard CAM fees while their actual costs drop, directly increasing profit margins.

2. The Direct Billing Model (Profit via Resale)

For multi-tenant buildings, landlords can use specialized software to bill tenants for the solar energy they consume.

• Fair Market Value Billing: Landlords can bill tenants at the standard Duke Energy retail rate while the solar power effectively costs the landlord much less over time (estimated at $0.04 per kWh over the system's life).

• Master-Metered Advantage: In buildings with a single master meter, the landlord pays the Duke Energy bill and uses a Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) to allocate costs to tenants. By reducing the master bill with solar, the landlord retains the difference as profit.

• Tenant-Specific Solar Agreements: For NNN (Triple Net) leases where tenants have their own meters, landlords can amend leases to require tenants to purchase solar power from the onsite array at a slight discount (e.g., 5%) compared to Duke's rates.

3. EV Charging Revenue Streams

Integrating car charging allows landlords to monetize both the infrastructure and the energy.

• Charging Fees: Landlords can set a markup on the electricity used for EV charging (e.g., charging $0.60 per kWh for energy that costs significantly less to produce via solar).

• Subscription Models: Landlords can offer "unlimited charging" as a monthly subscription for tenants or employees, creating predictable monthly revenue.

• Infrastructure Credits: Landlords can use Duke Energy's Charger Prep Credits to cover the costs of upgrading electrical panels and conduits, reducing the upfront investment needed to start a charging business.

4. Maximizing the "Tax Play"

A landlord’s profit is also tied to significant upfront and ongoing tax savings in Florida.

• 30% ITC & MACRS: Landlords can claim the 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit and use MACRS accelerated depreciation to write off the system’s cost rapidly, often recovering the initial investment in 3–7 years.

• Property Tax Shield: Florida law ensures that 80% of the value added by a commercial solar system is exempt from property tax, allowing the landlord to increase the building’s appraised value without a proportional tax increase.

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Would you like me to find a template for a solar-specific lease amendment or a list of "solar billing" software providers used in Florida?