Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.Prices from the September 2026 Cost Index. Updated October 14, 2026.
A typical Florida system is 11.09 kW and costs about $27,281 cash at $2.46 per watt, the lowest of 51 in our Cost Index. Where your utility credits extra power one for one, it pays back in about 11.8 years. Newer Orlando (OUC) solar homes get a lower credit from November 1.
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Check the name at the top of your electric bill. A state rule makes four companies credit extra solar power kWh for kWh. City utilities and co-ops write their own rules.
Rule 25-6.065: extra kWh come off later use and roll forward for up to 12 months. FPL and Duke charge a $30 minimum bill.
Next: ask for savings at your full price, with the $30 minimum bill counted.
From November 1, 2026, for homes connected on or after July 1, 2025. Until then they keep the full retail price. The rate is dated October 1, 2025.
Next: ask OUC in writing for the credit that applies from November 1.
The state rule does not bind them. Gainesville pays a fuel rate that changes monthly. Lakeland adds a demand charge.
Next: get the solar credit rate in writing before you sign.
| Utility | Credit for extra power | Know before you sign |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Power & Light | One for one, in kWh | $30 minimum bill |
| Duke Energy Florida | One for one, in kWh | $30 minimum bill |
| Tampa Electric | One for one, in kWh | A battery can connect but is not net metered |
| Florida Public Utilities | One for one, in kWh | Same state rule as the three above |
| Orlando Utilities Commission | 5.467¢ from November 1, 2026 | For homes connected since July 1, 2025; full retail through October 31, 2026 |
| Gainesville Regional Utilities | That month’s fuel rate | The credit moves with a monthly fuel charge |
| Lakeland Electric | One for one, in kWh | No payment for leftover credits; a $5.77 per kW demand charge |
| City of Tallahassee Utilities | One for one, in kWh | Credits expire each year and are never paid in cash |
| Florida Keys Electric Co-op | A dollar credit at your bill’s per-kWh charges | May limit exports if you make more than you use in a year |
| JEA (Jacksonville) | Set by JEA | We could not read its current rate. Ask JEA in writing |
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At the four regulated utilities, kWh you send out beyond your use roll forward for up to 12 months. Once a year the utility pays for what is left, at a rate based on what power costs it to generate (its COG-1 tariff), not the price you pay. FPL puts that credit on your December bill and does not publish the rate in advance. So power beyond your yearly use earns little.
The rule covers systems you own or lease. It does not cover buying power from a company that owns the panels on your roof (a PPA). OUC homes that applied by June 30, 2025 keep the full retail price through June 30, 2045; a new owner after a sale moves to the lower credit.
Both worked cases use the same 11.09 kW system. Only the value of the power you send out changes. Both assume 40% is used at home as it is made.
| Utility and credit rule | Year-one savings | After upkeep | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| FPL, Duke, Tampa Electric or FPU: one for one (Rule 25-6.065) | $2,649 | $2,316 | 11.8 years |
| OUC, homes connected since July 1, 2025: 5.467¢ from November 1, 2026 | $1,624 | $1,291 | 21.1 years |
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Three parts of Florida’s rule decide how big your system should be and how low your bill can go. The typical system stays under the size line.
11.09 kW of panels × 0.85. Tier 1 runs up to 10 kW AC.
Above it you need liability insurance of up to $1 million, and the utility can charge an application fee.
Paid with or without solar, so your bill does not reach $0.
Leftover kWh are paid once a year at the utility’s cost to generate power, not at your price.
Tier 1 systems pay no application fee and need no liability insurance. The rule has read the same since April 7, 2008, and it binds only the four regulated utilities.
The lowest of 51 benchmarks in the September 2026 Cost Index, $0.43 below the US average. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.
Panels (kW DC) | Cash price | Power made a year | Counts as (kW AC) |
|---|---|---|---|
5 kW | $12,300 | 7,760 kWh | 4.25 kW |
8 kW | $19,680 | 12,416 kWh | 6.8 kW |
10 kW | $24,600 | 15,520 kWh | 8.5 kW |
11.09 kW (typical) | $27,281 | 17,212 kWh | 9.43 kW |
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Florida pays no rebate for panels and has no personal income tax, so there is no state tax credit. Its help comes from two taxes that do not apply.
No 6% state tax or county surtax, under section 212.08(7)(hh). No end date.
Section 193.624, for systems installed since January 1, 2013. Nothing to file.
No state income tax means no state credit. The federal credit ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025.
Up to $2,000, paired with solar of 20 kW or less. Apply within six months.
| Way to pay | Who owns the panels | Florida detail to check |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | You | No sales tax on the solar equipment |
| SELF loan | You | Nonprofit lender: 8.25% to 8.75% fixed for 7 years, plus a 2% fee |
| PACE | You | Repaid on your property tax bill for up to 20 years; 3 business days to cancel |
| Lease | The company | Net metering applies; ask your county property appraiser how leased equipment is taxed |
| PPA | The company | The net metering rule does not cover it |
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Six companies our Florida installer list shows, A to Z, not ranked. Facts from their own sites and the state license registry (DBPR), read September 8 to October 14, 2026.
Momentum Solar and ESD Roofing Solar buy homeowner leads from EcoGen America. That does not change their facts or their place in this A to Z list. How we make money.
Ask each installer to name your utility’s credit rule and the AC size of the system.
Get a Florida solar evaluationEcoGen America does not sell or install solar. When you request quotes, we pass your request to solar providers serving your area, and they pay us for the introduction. Providers can include installers, solar marketplaces and lead exchanges, and more than one may contact you. You never pay us. Privacy policy
CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.
About Dean
Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.
About TrevorEditorial standardsCost Index methodologyVerified Installer methodology