Trees and solar panels in Florida

More than most people expect. An NREL study of 542 home systems that used panel-level optimizers found shade still cost an average 8.3% of yearly output, and about 13% would have been lost without the optimizers. A separate NREL paper found panel-level electronics recovered 40% to 50% of shading losses in the cases it modeled, so they help but don't erase shade.

Ask every installer for a shade analysis and a production estimate that includes it. A quote that assumes full sun on a roof under a big oak will overstate your savings. See how many solar panels you need.

If the roof is too shaded, a sunny spot in the yard may work better; see ground-mounted solar.

They limit the damage. With a single string inverter, one shaded panel can drag down the whole string; with microinverters or optimizers, each panel works on its own. On a partly shaded Florida roof that's usually worth it. See microinverters vs. string inverters.

Sometimes. Under s. 163.045, Florida Statutes, a city or county can't require a permit, fee or replacement tree to prune, trim or remove a tree on residential property if the owner has documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk to people or property.

• It's about risk, not sunlight. Since a 2022 update (SB 518), the arborist's documentation must follow the ISA's tree risk assessment standard. Wanting more sun on your panels isn't a risk.
• Single-family homes only. Since July 1, 2022, the exemption covers only lots with a single-family detached home used as one.
• Mangroves are excluded. State mangrove rules still apply.

If a healthy tree is in the way, your city or county's normal tree rules apply, so check before you cut.

Many do. Tampa treats trees 32 inches or more in trunk diameter as Grand Trees, which need special approval and public notice before removal. Miami-Dade County protects specimen trees of 18 inches or more in diameter as a separate category. Rules vary widely, so ask your city or county building department, or your installer, before planning panels around a tree that has to go.

Your HOA can't ban solar: s. 163.04 bars deed restrictions that prohibit or effectively prohibit solar, though the association can choose the placement within limits. The statute doesn't address trees. A neighbor's trees are a different matter: Florida has no automatic right to sunlight. Under s. 704.07, neighbors can agree to a solar easement, which must be in writing and recorded like any other easement. See Florida HOA solar rules.

UF/IFAS research after Florida hurricanes ranks live oak, sand live oak, southern magnolia and sabal palm among the most wind-resistant trees; sabal palms had 97% to 100% still standing in its Panhandle studies. Laurel oak fared worse, losing on average more than 25% of its crown in Hurricane Ivan, and UF/IFAS lists coconut palm and queen palm among South Florida trees with poor wind resistance.

If a weak tree overhangs the roof where the panels will go, it's a better candidate for removal or regular pruning than a live oak at the edge of the yard.

• FPL clears its main lines about every three years and neighborhood lines about every six, at no charge, and sends a letter about two weeks before crews arrive.
• Tampa Electric doesn't trim trees near the service line that runs from its pole to your home; that's the owner's job, and TECO will disconnect the line for safe trimming if you call 813-635-1500 two weeks ahead.
• Planting near lines: FPL recommends setting large trees such as oaks at least 50 feet from power lines and palms at their maximum frond length plus 20 feet.

FPL says trees were the top cause of outages in Hurricane Irma, mostly large trees outside its pruning zone, which is another reason a battery is worth considering under a big canopy.

Gently. UF/IFAS advises removing only fully brown fronds that hang below the 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock line and leaving green, healthy fronds alone; its Hillsborough office stresses that line is a limit, not a target. Over-pruned "hurricane cut" palms are weaker, not safer. If a palm drops fronds onto the array, plan on cleaning the panels after storms rather than stripping the tree.

Yes, and early. UF/IFAS advises pruning before hurricane season, using an ISA-certified arborist for large trees, and avoiding so-called hurricane pruning, topping and lion-tailing, which leave trees weaker in the wind. Limbs over the roof threaten panels as much as shingles. See can solar panels survive a hurricane.

Don't trim near the power line to your house yourself. FPL has said the service drop to a home is the owner's responsibility to keep clear, using a qualified line-clearing tree service, and that it will schedule turning off the line for the work. Duke Energy asks customers to call it to turn off the service drop before any tree work.