NWFDailyNews:  For years, Florida has been an underachiever in solar power. Despite being ranked third in the nation for rooftop-solar potential by the Solar Energy Industries Association, Florida annually has finished in the high-teens for actual installations.
But the Sunshine State's solar prospects are beginning to brighten — and the results are making an economic impact.

In 2016, the SEIA reported, Florida recorded 404 solar-energy installations — almost a tenfold increase over the 43 recorded in 2015.

Though Florida ranks 15th among the states in overall installations, it ranked ninth for the number installed last year. And Florida is fifth in the nation in solar-related jobs, with 8,260 positions at 499 companies.

Those numbers will keep rising. The SEIA expects Florida to almost quadruple its megawatts of solar power over the next five years, from the current 686 MW to 2,475 MW.

This burst of solar activity is the result of several factors — a 62 percent price decline over the last five years, plus legislative action, voter support and private initiatives.  Full Article: