Tesla will bring its residential solar service to Florida with an installation center that will first serve the Orlando area.

  • SolarCity to open installation center in Clermont
  • Tesla-subsidiary will bring residential service to Florida
  • Says defeat of Amendment 1 made it worthwhile

Tesla subsidiary SolarCity announced Thursday that it would open its first installation center in Clermont, with plans to expand to other areas of the state in the coming months.

In the announcement on the SolarCity website, the company said it had wanted to bring its residential service to Florida for a long time.

The company credits the defeat of Amendment 1 last month with making it worthwhile to come to Florida.

"Today’s announcement was made possible when the citizens of Florida rejected the anti-solar Amendment 1, which would have made it easier for utilities to add fees to make solar more expensive for customers. The Amendment was disguised as pro-solar policy in what amounted to a cynical attempt by solar opponents to slow down solar development in the state. Thanks to this vote, solar customers in Florida will continue to receive full retail credit for any excess solar electricity they provide to the grid when they aren’t at home."

SolarCity says it will initially serve Duke Energy and Orlando Utilities customers. SolarCity is already offering free quotes for Orlando residents on its website.

California-based SolarCity is a recent acquisition for Tesla, the Elon Musk-founded auto company that recently moved into the solar energy business. That includes a battery and a recently-unveiled solar roof.

The acquisition is part of Musk's long term "Master Plan" to provide more affordable, fully-integrated solar systems for the public, from electric cars to homes.