- If Duke Energy Florida is your utility, rooftop solar exports are credited under Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065: each month your export kilowatt-hours net against your usage at the retail rate, leftover credits roll forward for up to 12 months, and any balance left at the annual true-up is paid at the lower avoided-cost rate (Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065).
- Florida’s average residential price is about 15.38 cents per kWh (EIA, as of April 2026), and Florida homes run big year-round cooling loads, so the bill solar offsets is large in real dollars.
- Duke Energy Florida serves about 2 million customers across 35 counties, including the Orlando area, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater (Duke Energy Florida).
- Florida adds a 100% solar-equipment sales-tax exemption and a property-tax exemption on the added home value, and it has no state income tax, so there is no state solar credit (DSIRE Florida).
- The 30% federal homeowner credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025 (IRS).
If Duke Energy Florida is your electric utility, this page explains how rooftop solar pays you back in 2026. Duke Energy Florida is one of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, and like every Florida investor-owned utility it credits your solar exports under a single statewide rule set by the Florida Public Service Commission. Because Florida homes run heavy air-conditioning loads and power prices sit near the national average in cents but high in monthly dollars, the bill that solar offsets here is meaningful. Below is exactly what Duke credits, how the annual true-up works, how to connect, and how to tell if your roof is a good fit.
Duke Energy Florida at a glance
Duke Energy Florida is the former Florida Power Corporation and Progress Energy Florida, and it serves a broad band of central and northern Florida, including the fast-growing region around Orlando and the Tampa Bay cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Service territory | About 35 Florida counties and roughly 13,000 square miles, including the Orlando area, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Pinellas County |
| Customers | About 2 million electric accounts, one of Florida’s largest investor-owned utilities |
| Who sets net metering | The Florida Public Service Commission, under Rule 25-6.065, statewide for all investor-owned utilities |
| Monthly export credit | Exports net against usage at the retail rate each month; leftover credits roll forward up to 12 months |
| Annual true-up | Any credit balance left after 12 months is paid at the lower avoided-cost rate, not the retail rate |
| Other FL utilities | Florida Power & Light and Tampa Electric follow the same PSC rule but set their own tariff details |
| Source | Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065; Duke Energy Florida |
Why solar pays here. Florida’s average residential electricity price is about 15.38 cents per kWh (EIA retail sales, residential Florida, as of April 2026). That is close to the national average per kilowatt-hour, but the long Florida cooling season pushes monthly bills high in absolute dollars, so every kilowatt-hour your roof makes offsets one you would otherwise buy from Duke. According to MySolarFY’s analysis (August 2026), a typical 7.6 kW rooftop system in Duke Energy Florida’s Orlando-to-St. Petersburg region produces about 11,700 to 12,100 kWh a year, which offsets roughly $1,800 of grid power at Florida’s average residential price of 15.38 cents per kWh (our estimate from NREL PVWatts for ZIP 32801 and 33701; your output and rate vary with roof pitch, shading, and usage).
How Duke Energy Florida credits the power you send back
Florida net metering is retail-rate month to month, with an annual settlement at avoided cost. Under Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065, every investor-owned utility, including Duke Energy Florida, must offer net metering. Each billing month, the kilowatt-hours you export are netted against the kilowatt-hours you use at the retail rate, so within the month your exports are worth full retail. If you export more than you use, that surplus becomes a kilowatt-hour credit that rolls forward to the next month for up to 12 months. At your annual true-up, any credit still left over is paid out as a check at the utility’s avoided-cost rate, which is lower than retail (Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065). The practical takeaway is to size a system to your own annual usage rather than to overbuild for a big year-end payout. For the mechanics of export credits in general, see how net metering credits your solar exports, and for the statewide picture see our Florida net metering guide for 2026.
| What happens to your exports | How it is valued |
|---|---|
| Exports within a billing month | Netted against your usage at the retail rate |
| Surplus above your monthly usage | Becomes a kilowatt-hour credit that rolls forward up to 12 months |
| Credit left at the annual true-up | Paid out at the utility’s avoided-cost rate, lower than retail |
| Who the credits follow | The Duke Energy Florida account holder |
To see how the bill credit lowers your monthly cost, read how solar lowers your electricity bill, and to weigh payback, see the financial case for whether solar panels are worth it, and for the statewide baseline on system prices and payback, see what solar costs in Florida.
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Is Florida net metering being cut for Duke customers?
Not for a system you install now. In 2022 the Florida Legislature passed HB 741, a bill that would have phased down full-retail net metering, and Governor DeSantis vetoed it, so the Rule 25-6.065 framework stayed in place and has held into 2026 for Duke Energy Florida, Florida Power & Light, and Tampa Electric (DSIRE Florida). Net-metering rules can always be revisited by the Legislature or the Public Service Commission, so treat any quote that promises a locked lifetime rate as overstated, and confirm the current tariff with Duke before you size a system.
Note: The honest nuance for Florida is the split between monthly and annual value. Month to month your exports net at retail, which is the strong part. The credits you carry all the way to the annual true-up settle at avoided cost, which is lower, so the smart move is to size to your yearly usage rather than build a system aimed at a large year-end check. Duke Energy Florida also received Commission approval to lower customer bills beginning in March 2026, which changes the retail rate your exports net against, so verify your current per-kWh rate before you model savings (Duke Energy Florida).
How you pay changes which benefits you keep
Florida’s up-front value is the same for everyone (the sales-tax and property-tax exemptions and full monthly net metering), so the ownership question mostly decides who keeps the renewable-energy certificates and whether you pay cash or a monthly amount.
| How you pay | Up-front cost | Who owns the system | RECs | Net metering |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | Full system price | You | You keep them | Yours, credits follow your Duke account |
| Solar loan | Little or none, financed over time | You | You keep them | Yours |
| Lease or PPA | $0-up-front where you qualify | A third-party company | The company usually keeps them | Yours, since credits follow the account |
If you own the system (cash or loan), you keep the Duke net-metering credits and any renewable-energy certificates your generation earns. If you lease or sign a PPA, the company that owns the panels usually keeps the certificates, and your benefit is a lower or fixed power price with no up-front cost, while the net-metering credits still apply to your Duke account because they follow the account holder. Neither path gives a 2026 Florida homeowner the federal residential credit, since that credit ended after December 31, 2025. For a deeper payback comparison, see the financial case for whether solar panels are worth it.
How to connect solar to Duke Energy Florida
Connecting a home system follows a set order under Florida’s interconnection rule, and the key rule is that you cannot turn the system on until Duke grants permission to operate. The general path is:
- Interconnection application. You or your installer submit Duke Energy Florida’s interconnection application for the system you plan to install.
- Review and agreement. Duke reviews the system against Florida’s interconnection standards under Rule 25-6.065; small residential systems (Tier 1) usually take the simplest path, and Duke returns a signed interconnection agreement.
- Install and inspect. The system is installed and passes your local building and electrical inspection.
- Meter set. Duke installs or reprograms a bidirectional net meter that measures both the power you draw and the power you export.
- Permission to operate. Duke issues written authorization, and the system may not run in parallel with the grid before this.
A licensed installer normally manages this whole process for you, but knowing the order helps you spot a quote that promises an instant switch-on. For the questions to ask before you sign, see the right questions to ask a solar installer.
What changed federally, and what it means for Duke customers
The federal homeowner credit is gone, but Florida’s net metering and tax exemptions are not. The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so a Duke Energy Florida customer who buys solar with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS OBBB FAQ; SEIA). Florida’s full monthly net metering, its 100% solar-equipment sales-tax exemption, and its property-tax exemption on the added home value were not affected, so the in-state value that carries the payback is unchanged. For the full timeline, see what the federal solar tax credit change means in 2026.
One federal exception exists, and it is not yours to claim. A separate commercial credit, Section 48E, is claimed by the business that owns a leased or PPA system, not by the homeowner, and it runs for projects placed in service through 2027, with a begin-construction safe harbor by July 4, 2026 (IRS Clean Electricity Investment Credit; SEIA tax policy). For a leased system on a Duke account you do not file for a federal credit yourself; the company that owns the panels does. The 25D homeowner credit, by contrast, ended after December 31, 2025.
How to choose a solar installer in Duke Energy Florida territory
The Orlando area and the Tampa Bay cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater give Duke customers a deep market of licensed installers. Rather than chasing a “best” list, screen any installer against objective criteria:
- NABCEP certification, the industry’s professional standard for PV installers.
- A valid Florida solar or electrical contractor license and any required local building and electrical permits.
- A clear workmanship and equipment warranty in writing.
- Real experience with Duke Energy Florida interconnection, so the application and permission to operate go smoothly.
- A written production estimate and a transparent quote you can compare side by side. For a checklist, see the right questions to ask a solar installer.
Serving a specific city? See our local guides for solar in Orlando and solar in St. Petersburg, or step up to the statewide picture in our Florida solar guide. MySolarFY matches you with licensed installers that serve your area so you can compare real local quotes side by side, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
Reviewed by the MySolarFY team. Figures were verified against the linked Florida (Florida Public Service Commission Rule 25-6.065), DSIRE, Duke Energy Florida, EIA, NREL, and IRS sources as of August 2026; net-metering terms and rates change over time, so confirm current terms with Duke Energy Florida and the Florida PSC before you decide. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. Learn more about the MySolarFY team and how we work, and browse more states from our solar by state hub.
MySolarFY is a free service that matches homeowners with licensed solar installers. We are not an installer, financing company, or government program. “No up-front cost” refers to qualifying lease or PPA financing, where eligible homeowners may have no out-of-pocket cost at installation. Lease and PPA terms typically run 20 to 25 years, may include an annual price escalator, and total payments may exceed the cost of a cash purchase; on a lease or PPA the renewable-energy certificates go to the company that owns the system, not the homeowner. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit that ended after December 31, 2025. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. Eligibility, savings, incentives, and rates vary and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.
