Florida Solar Guide 2026

Here's my honest take: Florida should be the undisputed solar capital of the country. It has the sun, the roof space, and the population. And yet, for years, utility companies fought hard to limit rooftop solar competition. The good news is that Florida now has solid state-level protections — a 100% property tax exemption, a full sales tax exemption on solar equipment, and mandatory net metering. The not-so-great news is that electricity rates here are lower than in California or New York, which means your payback period is longer and the math requires more care.

I've gone deep on FPL's and Duke Energy Florida's net metering tariffs, talked to homeowners across Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville, and run the numbers from every angle. If you're a Florida homeowner sitting on a sunny roof and paying an FPL or Duke bill every month, solar very likely still pencils out — especially as rates continue to rise. This guide shows you exactly how to think about it.

Florida is one of the better states for net metering right now. Unlike California, which slashed export rates in 2023, Florida still credits excess solar production at the full retail electricity rate — currently around 13¢/kWh for most customers on FPL and Duke Energy Florida. That's not spectacular compared to California's old NEM 2.0 rates, but it's meaningful and it makes the solar math work.

How net metering works in Florida

• When your solar system produces more than you use, excess power flows to the grid
• Your utility credits you at the full retail rate — roughly 13¢/kWh for FPL residential customers
• Credits roll over month-to-month within your annual billing cycle
• At your annual true-up, any remaining excess credits are typically paid out at the utility's avoided-cost rate, which is lower — around 3–4¢/kWh
• The takeaway: size your system to cover your annual usage, not to massively overproduce

FPL vs. Duke Energy Florida — the practical differences

Florida Power & Light (FPL) serves roughly 5.8 million customers across most of South and Central Florida. FPL's net metering program is called the Sunshine Energy Rider, and it follows the standard retail-rate credit structure. FPL has been relatively solar-friendly in recent years, with a streamlined interconnection process and decent online tools for monitoring your system's output.

Duke Energy Florida serves Central Florida including parts of the Tampa Bay area and Orlando suburbs. Duke's net metering program functions similarly to FPL's, with retail-rate credits and annual true-up. Interconnection timelines have historically been a bit slower with Duke, so factor in 60–90 days from permit submission to permission-to-operate when planning your installation.

Other utilities: Florida has several municipal utilities (JEA in Jacksonville, OUC in Orlando, TECO/Tampa Electric) and rural electric cooperatives. Their net metering programs vary — some are excellent, some are more restrictive. If you're served by a co-op or municipal utility, I strongly recommend confirming their specific net metering terms before signing any installer contract.

The honest math on net metering in Florida

Here's the nuance that matters: Florida's electricity rate of 13¢/kWh is about half of what Californians pay. That means the value of every kWh your solar panels produce — whether you use it directly or export it — is worth roughly half as much financially. This is why Florida's payback periods are longer than California's, even though Florida gets excellent sun.

My practical advice: Design your system for self-consumption first. Every kWh you use directly saves you the full retail rate. Exports are fine — you get retail credit — but don't go wildly oversized expecting annual surplus payments. A well-sized system (matching your 12-month usage) is the sweet spot. With AC costs being Florida's biggest electricity draw, also look hard at whether a battery makes sense for you — hurricane backup power has real value here that you don't get in most other states.

There's one factor in the Florida solar math that doesn't show up in the savings spreadsheet: backup power during hurricane season. If you've lived in Florida for any length of time, you've experienced multi-day power outages. Irma, Ian, Idalia — the pattern is clear, and it's not improving. A solar-plus-battery system can keep your refrigerator, lights, medical devices, and some AC running during an outage. That has real dollar value — think hotel costs avoided, food loss prevented, and in some cases, genuine safety implications.

Financially, battery storage in Florida takes longer to pay back than in California (where time-of-use rate arbitrage is a major driver). But the backup power argument here is legitimate and worth pricing in. A 13.5 kWh battery like a Tesla Powerwall 3 or Enphase IQ 5P will run a moderate Florida home through overnight hours and into the next day on solar recharge. For extended outages of 3+ days, you'll need to manage consumption carefully, but you'll be far better off than neighbors without storage.

My recommendation: If you're in a coastal area, or if you have a family member with medical equipment that requires power, the battery case is strong regardless of pure financial payback. If you're inland and mainly care about financial return, solar-only still makes sense and you can add storage later — most modern inverters support battery add-ons.

Important note on hurricane wind ratings: Florida building codes require solar installations to meet specific wind-load requirements — typically 160+ mph for most coastal counties. Make sure any installer you hire is pulling the correct permits and using wind-rated racking hardware. This is non-negotiable in Florida. A properly permitted and installed solar system has survived major hurricanes intact; improperly installed ones have not.

Florida has a few quirks that trip up homeowners who don't do their homework. Here's what I've seen come up repeatedly:

HOA rules — Florida law protects you, but there are limits

Florida Statute §163.04 prohibits HOAs from outright banning solar panels, which is great. However, HOAs can regulate placement and aesthetics to a reasonable degree. In practice, this means they can require panels to be on a rear-facing roof if it doesn't significantly reduce production. Don't assume HOA approval is automatic — submit your plans early and in writing, and know that the law is on your side if they push back unreasonably.

Interconnection timelines

Getting permission to operate (PTO) from FPL or Duke can take 4–12 weeks after your installer submits the application. This is after permits are pulled and installation is complete. Plan accordingly — you won't be earning net metering credits until PTO is granted, even if your panels are physically installed and generating power.

Roof age and condition

Florida's solar installers will typically want your roof to have at least 10 years of remaining life before installing panels — and most lenders and leasing companies require it. Given Florida's harsh UV environment, many roofs are replaced on 20–25 year cycles. If your roof is 12–15 years old, factor a potential re-roof cost into your solar economics. Some installers bundle roof replacement with solar installation, which can be convenient but worth getting separate quotes on.

Shading from trees

Florida's lush tree canopy is beautiful. It's also a real solar production killer. A quality installer will do a shading analysis using tools like Aurora or Solmetric SunEye. If shading is significant on your south-facing roof, ask about microinverters or DC power optimizers — they can minimize the impact of shading far better than string inverters.

The sales tax exemption — make sure it's applied

Florida's full sales tax exemption on solar equipment (FL Statute §212.08) saves you roughly 6% on the cost of panels, inverters, and hardware. This should be reflected in your installer quote automatically — but double-check. I've seen quotes where it wasn't applied, which is either an error or a red flag about the installer's familiarity with Florida tax law.