Florida homeowners pay about 15.38 cents per kWh (EIA residential retail price, April 2026). The real edge is full-retail 1:1 net metering statewide, a 100% sales-tax exemption, and a property-tax exemption on the value solar adds. There is no state solar credit because Florida has no state income tax.
Florida is one of the largest solar markets in the country, and for a simple reason: strong sunshine, a high cooling bill, and one of the better net-metering deals left in the United States. Florida has no state solar tax credit, but that is because it has no state income tax at all, and the incentives it does offer are worth real money. This page covers what Florida solar incentives look like in 2026, how net metering credits your power, which utility serves you, the hurricane and battery angle that is unique to Florida, and how to tell if solar is worth it for your home.
What solar costs in Florida, and what your roof makes
Solar pays in Florida because of the power it replaces and the sunshine that drives it. 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, but Florida homes run large air-conditioning loads for much of the year, so the typical bill is high in absolute dollars, and every kilowatt-hour your roof makes offsets one you would otherwise buy.
Florida’s sunshine turns that rate into strong production. According to MySolarFY’s own analysis (as of August 2026), a 6 kW rooftop system in Orlando is modeled to produce about 9,266 kWh a year (NREL PVWatts v8 run, NSRDB typical-year data). Actual output depends on your roof’s pitch, orientation, and shading, so estimate your own roof with NREL’s free PVWatts calculator before you size a system. Your production drives your bill savings, so it is worth getting right. For the full cost-per-watt tables and payback math by system size, see our Florida solar cost and payback guide. For the full data set behind these figures, see our Florida solar data and statistics. If you want solar with nothing paid at installation, see no upfront cost solar in Florida for the honest $0-down breakdown.
See what solar programs are available in your Florida ZIP code
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Net metering in Florida: full retail, and why it survived
Florida keeps 1:1 retail net metering, and that is the single biggest reason rooftop solar works here. Your utility credits the power you export to the grid against the power you pull back, kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour, at the full retail rate, under the rules set by the Florida Public Service Commission (Florida PSC, Rule 25-6.065, verify current terms). When your panels make more than you use during the day, the surplus banks as a credit you draw down at night.
This deal was nearly cut, and homeowners kept it. In April 2022, Florida’s governor vetoed HB 741, a bill that would have phased down retail net metering, so the full-retail framework stayed in place. It has held into 2026 for the major utilities, but tariff details like the annual true-up and any minimum bill are set per utility and can change, so confirm your utility’s current net-metering tariff before you sign. For the mechanics of how export credits work, see how net metering credits your solar exports, and for the full Florida rules, the monthly rollover, and the annual true-up, see our deep dive on Florida net metering in 2026.
Florida solar incentives at a glance
Florida’s incentive stack is different from high-rebate states. There is no state income-tax credit, but the two tax exemptions and full-retail net metering carry most of the value, and they apply statewide. Here is what each one does in 2026 and the fine print worth knowing.
| Incentive | What it does | 2026 value and status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net metering | Credits exported power against imported power | 1:1 retail credit statewide; true-up set per utility | Florida PSC 25-6.065 |
| Sales-tax exemption | Waives Florida sales tax on solar equipment | 100% of the 6% state sales tax on qualifying systems | F.S. 212.08(7)(hh) |
| Property-tax exemption | Excludes solar’s added home value from assessment | Added residential value excluded from your assessment | DSIRE Florida |
| State solar credit | A state income-tax credit | None; Florida has no state income tax | DSIRE Florida |
| Federal residential (Section 25D) | A 30% homeowner credit | Ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025 | IRS |
The two exemptions are quietly the best part. Florida exempts solar equipment from the 6% state sales tax under Florida Statutes 212.08(7)(hh), so you do not pay tax on the hardware, and it excludes the value solar adds to your home from your property-tax assessment, so a system that raises your home value does not raise your tax bill (DSIRE Florida, verify current terms). Neither depends on the federal credit that ended after 2025, and both apply whether you are in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, or Jacksonville. For a broader view of programs by state, see our solar incentives overview, or get the full Florida breakdown in our Florida solar incentives for 2026.
Heads up on the federal change: the 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (IRS, as of January 2026), so a Florida homeowner who buys solar with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it. Confirm every figure against the linked source, and ask a tax professional about your own situation. MySolarFY does not provide tax advice.
Which Florida utility serves you, and how it credits solar
Your utility sets your rate, your net-metering true-up, and your interconnection paperwork. Florida is served by a handful of large investor-owned utilities, several city-owned municipals, and rural electric co-ops. The three big investor-owned utilities all offer full-retail net metering for residential rooftop solar in 2026.
| Utility | Type | Rough service area | Residential net metering (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Power & Light (FPL) | Investor-owned | Largest in the state, roughly half of Florida | Full retail credit |
| Duke Energy Florida | Investor-owned | Central and north-central Florida | Full retail credit |
| Tampa Electric (TECO) | Investor-owned | Tampa Bay region | Full retail credit |
| JEA, OUC and other municipals | City-owned | Jacksonville (JEA), Orlando (OUC), others | Set per municipal utility; confirm locally |
| Rural electric co-ops | Member-owned | Rural counties statewide | Set per co-op; confirm locally |
FPL is the largest utility in Florida and serves roughly half the state, so most Florida homeowners looking at solar are FPL customers. See our guide to solar on an FPL account for how FPL net metering and its December true-up work, followed by Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric. If you are in the Tampa Bay area, see what solar costs in Tampa under TECO net metering, or what solar costs in St. Petersburg under Duke Energy Florida net metering. In South Florida, see what solar costs in Fort Lauderdale under FPL net metering and Broward County hurricane-zone roof rules, or what solar costs in Hialeah in Miami-Dade County on the same FPL tariff. Elsewhere on FPL, see what solar costs in Port St. Lucie on the Treasure Coast, and what solar costs in Pensacola in the panhandle, where Gulf Power is now part of FPL. Municipal utilities like JEA in Jacksonville, OUC in Orlando, GRU in Gainesville, and City of Tallahassee Utilities, plus member co-ops like LCEC in Cape Coral, set their own net-metering terms, so if you are served by one of those, confirm its current policy before you commit. Enter your ZIP above and we match you with installers who know your specific utility’s rules.
Hurricanes, batteries, and why backup matters in Florida
Battery backup is a real Florida differentiator, not an upsell. Florida sits in the middle of hurricane season from June through November, and grid outages after a major storm can last days. A grid-tied solar system alone shuts off during an outage for line-worker safety, so panels by themselves do not keep your lights on. Pairing solar with a home battery lets essential circuits, your refrigerator, a few lights, a fan, and phone charging, keep running when the grid is down, and the battery recharges from your roof each day the sun returns.
That storm-resilience case is why a growing share of Florida solar quotes include a battery, even though it adds cost. If hurricane backup is your priority, tell your installer up front so the system is designed for it, since backup capability depends on the inverter and battery setup, not just the panels. Weigh the added cost against how much a multi-day outage would cost or disrupt your household. For the full breakdown of backup sizing, battery specs for the heat, and how storage pairs with Florida’s net metering, see our guide to Florida solar batteries and hurricane backup.
Is solar worth it in Florida?
For many Florida homeowners, yes, because the fundamentals line up. High cooling loads, strong year-round sun, full-retail net metering, and two tax exemptions combine into a solid payback even without a state credit. The honest catches are that the federal homeowner credit is gone as of 2026, net-metering tariff details can change per utility, and a battery for storm backup adds cost. Whether it pays for your specific home comes down to your roof, your utility, and your usage. For a deeper look at the numbers, see our guide on whether solar panels are worth it, and for the federal picture see what the federal solar tax credit change means in 2026.
How you pay decides which benefits you keep. The 30% federal homeowner credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, so it is not part of a 2026 purchase on any path. If you buy the system with cash or a loan, you own it and take the net-metering credits and both tax exemptions directly. If you lease or sign a power-purchase agreement, a third party owns the panels, you typically pay little or nothing up front, and the company that owns the system claims any commercial credit (Section 48E), not you. On any path, Florida’s net metering and tax exemptions still apply to the home. MySolarFY matches you with licensed Florida installers so you can compare real local quotes side by side, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
What solar incentives does Florida offer in 2026? Florida offers full-retail 1:1 net metering statewide, a 100% exemption from the 6% state sales tax on solar equipment (Florida Statutes 212.08(7)(hh)), and a property-tax exemption that excludes the value solar adds to your home from your assessment. Florida has no state income tax, so there is no state solar tax credit. The 30% federal homeowner credit ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025. Confirm current terms with each source before you sign.
Does Florida still have net metering? Yes. Florida credits residential rooftop solar exports at the full retail rate, kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour, under Florida Public Service Commission Rule 25-6.065. A 2022 bill (HB 741) that would have phased down retail net metering was vetoed, so the full-retail framework stayed in place and has held into 2026 for FPL, Duke Energy Florida, and Tampa Electric. Annual true-up and minimum-bill details are set per utility, so verify your utility’s current tariff.
Is there a Florida state solar tax credit? No. Florida has no state personal income tax, so there is no state income-tax credit for solar. Instead, Florida’s value comes from a 100% sales-tax exemption on equipment, a property-tax exemption on the added home value, and full-retail net metering. These apply statewide and do not depend on the federal credit that ended after 2025.
Who is my Florida utility, and does it credit solar? Most Florida homeowners are served by Florida Power & Light (FPL), the largest utility in the state at roughly half of Florida, followed by Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric (TECO); all three offer full-retail residential net metering in 2026. Others are served by municipal utilities like JEA in Jacksonville and OUC in Orlando, or by rural co-ops, which set their own terms. Confirm your specific utility’s net-metering policy before you commit.
Should I add a battery for hurricane backup in Florida? It depends on how much a multi-day outage would cost you. A grid-tied solar system shuts off during an outage for safety, so panels alone do not provide backup. A home battery keeps essential circuits running when the grid is down and recharges from your roof, which is valuable during hurricane season from June through November. It adds cost, so weigh that against your need for backup and tell your installer up front so the system is designed for it.
What happened to the federal solar tax credit in Florida? 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 Florida homeowner who buys solar in 2026 with cash or a loan cannot claim it. A separate commercial credit (Section 48E) can apply to leased and PPA systems, but the business that owns the system claims it, not the homeowner. Florida’s own net metering and tax exemptions were not affected.
Reviewed by the MySolarFY team. Figures were verified against the linked Florida (Florida PSC, Florida Statutes), DSIRE, EIA, NREL, and IRS sources as of August 2026; net-metering tariff details reset per utility, so confirm current terms with your utility 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. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit that ended after December 31, 2025; on a leased system the company that owns it claims any commercial credit. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. Eligibility, savings, incentives, and rates vary and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.
