Florida pays no rebate for solar panels and has no state tax credit. Its help is quieter: no sales tax on the equipment, no property tax on the value the system adds, and a credit on your electric bill for the extra power your panels send out. What that credit is worth depends on who sends your bill. Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric and Florida Public Utilities must give it one for one. City-owned utilities and electric co-ops write their own rules.
Changing soon: the Orlando Utilities Commission stops paying the full retail price for extra power from solar homes connected since July 1, 2025. Its last day is October 31, 2026. At the four big utilities nothing has changed: the state rule has read the same since April 7, 2008.
What does Florida give a home that goes solar?
Three things reach most homes. None of them is a check for your panels.
| Program | What you get | How it reaches you | Who can get it | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net metering bill credits | Each extra kWh cancels one kWh you buy later. Example: 100 kWh sent out this month comes off next month’s use | On your electric bill, month by month | Customers of FPL, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric and Florida Public Utilities | In force. No end date in the rule. |
| Sales tax exemption | No 6% state sales tax on solar equipment. Example: $600 not charged on $10,000 of equipment | The seller leaves the tax off your invoice | Every Florida buyer, for a purchase or a lease | In force. No end date. |
| Property tax exemption | The value your solar system adds is not counted in your home’s assessed value | Nothing to file | Every Florida home with a system installed on or after January 1, 2013 | In force for homes. No end date. |
| Orlando battery rebate | $150 per kWh of battery size, up to $2,000 | A credit on your utility bill | Orlando Utilities Commission customers with solar | Open when we checked. |
Florida has no state rebate for panels. It has no personal income tax, so there is no state income tax credit to claim. The federal tax credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Your utility’s name is at the top of your electric bill.
Does your Florida utility credit extra solar power one for one?
It does if your bill comes from FPL, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric or Florida Public Utilities. These four are investor-owned utilities: companies owned by shareholders and regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC). The PSC’s Rule 25-6.065 makes them offer net metering, a bill credit for the solar power you send to the grid.
Here is how it works. Solar power you use at once never reaches the meter. Power you do not use flows out, and the utility counts it in kWh. Those kWh come off the kWh you buy in the next month. Example: send out 100 kWh more than you use this month, and 100 kWh come off next month’s use.
Credits you do not use roll forward for up to 12 months. At the end of each calendar year, the utility pays for what is left. That price is not the price you pay for power. It is based on what the power costs the utility to generate, and FPL does not publish the figure in advance. FPL puts the amount on your bill after the December meter reading.
So power beyond your yearly use earns little. Ask your installer to size the system to your yearly use, not above it.
| Utility | Credit for extra power | Know before you sign |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Power & Light | One for one, in kWh | Minimum bill of $30 a month |
| Duke Energy Florida | One for one, in kWh | Minimum bill of $30 a month |
| Tampa Electric | One for one, in kWh | A battery can be connected, but it is not net metered. Customers on the Energy Planner plan must move to the standard home rate |
| Florida Public Utilities | One for one, in kWh | Same state rule as the three above |
| Orlando Utilities Commission | OUC’s fuel rate plus 0.7 cents per kWh from November 1, 2026, for homes connected since July 1, 2025 | Full retail price only through October 31, 2026 |
| Gainesville Regional Utilities | GRU’s fuel adjustment rate for that month | The credit follows a fuel charge that changes each month |
| Lakeland Electric | One for one, in kWh, with no payment for leftover credits | Solar homes must take the Solar Price Plan. It adds a demand charge, a fee based on the most power your home draws at one moment in peak hours: $5.77 per kW |
| City of Tallahassee Utilities | One for one, in kWh | Credits expire each year on your net metering anniversary. The city never pays cash for them |
| Florida Keys Electric Co-op | A dollar credit at the same per-kWh charges as on your bill | The co-op can make you limit exports if you make more than you use in a year |
| JEA (Jacksonville) | Set by JEA’s own policy | We could not read JEA’s current rate. Ask JEA for it in writing |
City-owned utilities and electric co-ops are outside the PSC rule. State law lets each one set its own terms. If yours is not in the table, ask it for its solar credit rate in writing before you sign.
Watch out: A company that owns the panels and sells you the power is not covered. The rule lets you own your system or lease it. It does not cover buying electricity from a third party, a deal known as a power purchase agreement (PPA).
Orlando: the full-price credit ends on October 31, 2026
The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) serves Orlando and St. Cloud. It is city-owned, so it sets its own solar rule, called TruNet Solar.
Homes that applied on or after July 1, 2025 get the full retail price for extra power only through October 31, 2026. From November 1, 2026 they get a lower credit in dollars. OUC sets it at its fuel rate, the part of your bill that pays for power plant fuel, plus 0.7 cents per kWh. The fuel rate is reset from time to time, so ask OUC for the current rate in writing.
That rate applies until June 30, 2030. After that the credit is the fuel rate alone. Homes that applied by June 30, 2025 keep the full retail price through June 30, 2045. If such a home is sold, the new owner moves to the lower credit.
Watch out: OUC’s posted solar rate was still dated October 1, 2025 on October 1, 2026, and OUC usually sets new rates each October 1. Ask OUC what the credit will be from November 1, 2026 before you sign.
Stay at 10 kW or less and skip the insurance rule
The PSC rule sorts systems by size. A system of 10 kW or less pays no application fee and needs no liability insurance. A system over 10 kW, up to 100 kW, needs liability insurance of up to $1 million. The utility can also charge an application fee.
The 10 kW is not the total on your panels. The rule takes the panel total and multiplies it by 0.85. So the limit is reached at about 11.76 kW of panels. The typical Florida system of 8.52 kW counts as about 7.24 kW, well under the line.
Get Florida quotes built on your utility’s rule
Your ZIP code starts a quote request with installers near you. A good quote states your utility, its credit for extra power and its minimum bill.
- The credit depends on the utilityFPL, Duke and Tampa Electric credit one for one. Orlando and Gainesville do not.
- No sales tax lineSolar equipment is exempt. Your quote should not add Florida sales tax to it.
- Shared only with matched installersYour details go to the installers you are matched with.
Does Florida tax solar panels?
No, in two ways. Both are written into state law, and neither has an end date for homes.
Sales tax: not charged on solar equipment
Florida law exempts solar energy systems and their parts from sales tax. That means the 6% state tax, and with it any county surtax. The law is section 212.08(7)(hh) of the Florida Statutes. Example: on $10,000 of solar equipment, $600 of state sales tax is not charged.
The state’s list of covered equipment names solar panels, inverters (the boxes that turn panel power into household power), batteries that store solar power, and mounting hardware. The exemption applies to a purchase or a lease.
The seller has to document the sale. The Department of Revenue suggests a short signed statement from you that the equipment is only for a solar energy system. The wording is in Tax Information Publication 19A01-09. Most installers put it in the contract. Check that your quote shows no sales tax on the solar equipment.
Watch out: Not everything in a solar job is covered. A new roof is not. Household wiring the home would need anyway is not. A battery that charges only from the grid is not named in the state’s list. Ask the Department of Revenue before you count on it.
Source: Florida Department of Revenue, sales and use tax incentives
Property tax: the added value is left out
Solar panels can raise what your home is worth. Under section 193.624 of the Florida Statutes, the county property appraiser may not count that added value when setting the assessed value of a home. The rule covers panels, inverters and batteries that store solar power, installed on or after January 1, 2013.
There is nothing to apply for. The Department of Revenue’s brochure PT-111 says so, and tells owners to contact the county property appraiser with questions. If your assessed value goes up after the install, that is the office to call.
Some guides say this ends on December 31, 2037. That date belongs to a separate rule for business property. The rule for homes has no end date.
Watch out: The law speaks of residential property. It does not say how leased equipment is treated. If you lease, ask your county property appraiser.
Which Florida utility pays for a home battery?
We found one: the Orlando Utilities Commission. It gives $150 per kWh of battery size, up to $2,000, as a credit on your bill. Example: a 10 kWh battery gets $1,500.
The battery must be paired with a solar system of 20 kW or smaller that OUC has approved. It must be permanently installed and be able to take signals from OUC. You apply in your myOUC account within six months of buying it, with an itemized invoice. One rebate per address.
- Everywhere else: a battery that stores solar power is sold without sales tax and is left out of your property tax, like the panels. Ask your own utility whether it runs a battery program.
Watch out: Taking the rebate means giving up OUC’s full retail credit for extra power. For a home that applied by June 30, 2025, that is a credit it would otherwise keep through June 30, 2045. Work out that trade before you apply.
What if you rent, live in an association, or need a loan?
These are real, but they are not incentives in the usual sense. Each has a cost.
- FPL SolarTogether: a subscription to a share of FPL’s solar farms, open to renters. You pay $6.76 per kW each month and earn a bill credit that starts at about 3.6 cents per kWh and rises 1.5% a year. At first the charge is larger than the credit, so you pay more before you save. Households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, an income limit set by the federal government, pay $5.57 per kW and get a $6.27 per kW credit, so they save from the start. If the program is full, FPL puts you on a waitlist.
- Duke Energy Clean Energy Connection: the same idea for Duke Energy Florida customers. The fee is $8.35 per kW a month. The credit is 4.037 cents per kWh for the first 36 months, then it rises 1.5% a year. Customers in programs such as SNAP or Medicaid get a $9.03 per kW credit, which is more than the fee. Enrollment was open when we checked on September 29, 2026.
- Homeowner associations: under section 163.04 of the Florida Statutes, an association or a deed restriction cannot ban solar panels. It may choose where on the roof they go, facing south or within 45 degrees east or west of south, but only if that does not hurt their output.
- SELF loans: the Solar and Energy Loan Fund is a nonprofit lender, not a state agency. Its solar loans run $5,000 to $50,000 at 8.25% to 8.75% fixed for 7 years, plus a 2% fee. It sets no minimum credit score.
- PACE financing: a loan repaid through a yearly charge on your property tax bill, for up to 20 years. It exists only where your county or city has approved a provider. You have 3 business days to cancel. It puts a claim on your home, which can complicate a sale or a new mortgage.
When a Florida quote promises more than you will get
- Your bill comes from a city utility or a co-op. The one-for-one rule binds only FPL, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric and Florida Public Utilities. JEA, OUC, Gainesville, Lakeland and the co-ops each set their own credit.
- You are an Orlando customer applying now. The full retail credit ends on October 31, 2026. After that, extra power earns OUC’s fuel rate plus 0.7 cents per kWh, well below the retail price.
- The quote shows a $0 electric bill. FPL and Duke Energy Florida charge a minimum bill of $30 a month. Credits do not remove it.
- The system is sized above your yearly use. Leftover credits are paid once a year at a rate based on the utility’s cost to generate power, not at the price you pay.
- The system is larger than 10 kW by the rule’s count. That is about 11.76 kW of panels. Above it you need liability insurance of up to $1 million, and the utility can charge an application fee.
- A company offers to own the panels and sell you the power. The net metering rule covers systems you own or lease. It does not cover buying electricity from a third party.
Florida solar paperwork, from quote to first bill
- Before you sign: name your utility. Look at the top of your electric bill. If it is not one of the four investor-owned utilities, ask the utility for its solar credit rate in writing.You.
- At the sale: confirm no sales tax on the equipment. The seller needs your signed statement that the equipment is only for a solar energy system. The suggested wording is in Tax Information Publication 19A01-09.You sign. The seller keeps it.
- Before the install: apply for net metering. You apply to your utility and sign its standard interconnection agreement, the contract that lets your system connect to the grid. Systems of 10 kW or less pay no application fee.Your installer usually files. You sign.
- After the inspection: the meter is changed. The utility replaces your meter with one that also records the power you send out. Credits start from then.Your utility.
- Property tax: nothing to file. If your home’s assessed value rises after the install, contact your county property appraiser.You, only if needed.
- Orlando battery owners: apply within six months. Apply in your myOUC account with the itemized invoice, the warranty and the wiring diagram OUC asks for.You or your installer.
Compare Florida quotes that name your utility’s credit
Enter your ZIP code to request quotes from installers in your area. Ask each one which credit rule its numbers use, and whether the system stays at 10 kW or less.
The form asks about your home first, then your contact details. EcoGen or its installer partners may contact you.
- A quote request, nothing moreYour ZIP code starts a request for quotes from local installers. It does not apply for any program.
- Home questions firstYou answer a few questions about your home. Your name, email and phone come last.
- Free, and you decideRequesting quotes costs nothing. You never have to sign.
More Florida solar guides
Florida solar incentive questions
Does Florida Have a Solar Tax Credit?
No. Florida has no personal income tax, so there is no state income tax credit for solar. The federal credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025. Florida’s tax help is two exemptions: no sales tax on solar equipment and no property tax on the value a system adds.
Is There a Florida Solar Rebate in 2026?
Not from the state, and not for panels. The one utility rebate we confirmed is for batteries: the Orlando Utilities Commission gives $150 per kWh, up to $2,000, to its solar customers.
Does Florida Have Net Metering?
Yes, at the four investor-owned utilities: FPL, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric and Florida Public Utilities. Each extra kWh you send out cancels one kWh you buy later. Credits roll forward for up to 12 months, and leftovers are paid once a year at a lower rate. City utilities and co-ops set their own rules.
Is Net Metering Ending in Orlando?
For newer solar homes, the full-price credit is. OUC customers who applied on or after July 1, 2025 get the full retail price only through October 31, 2026. From November 1, 2026 they get OUC’s fuel rate plus 0.7 cents per kWh. Ask OUC for the current figure. Homes that applied earlier keep the full retail price through June 30, 2045.
Do Solar Panels Increase Property Taxes in Florida?
No. Under section 193.624 of the Florida Statutes, the value a solar system adds to a home is not counted in its assessed value, for systems installed on or after January 1, 2013. There is nothing to file.
Is Solar Equipment Exempt From Sales Tax in Florida?
Yes. Solar energy systems and their parts, including batteries that store solar power, are exempt from the 6% state sales tax under section 212.08(7)(hh). The exemption has no end date. A new roof is not covered.
Can a Florida HOA Stop You From Installing Solar Panels?
No. Under section 163.04 of the Florida Statutes, an association cannot ban solar panels. It may choose the spot on the roof, facing south or within 45 degrees east or west of south, if that does not hurt their output.
Sources (25)
- Florida Public Service Commission, Rule 25-6.065, F.A.C., Interconnection and Metering of Customer-Owned Renewable Generation (checked September 29, 2026): flrules.org
- Florida Public Service Commission, Order No. PSC-08-0161-FOF-EI with the rule text, as posted by FPL (checked September 30, 2026): fpl.com
- Florida Power & Light, net metering questions and answers (checked September 30, 2026): fpl.com
- Duke Energy Florida, minimum bill (checked September 29, 2026): duke-energy.com
- Florida Statutes, section 212.08(7)(hh), sales tax exemption for solar energy systems (checked September 29, 2026): leg.state.fl.us
- Florida Department of Revenue, Tax Information Publication 19A01-09, Solar Energy Systems (checked September 30, 2026): floridarevenue.com
- Florida Department of Revenue, sales and use tax incentives (checked September 30, 2026): floridarevenue.com
- Florida Statutes, section 193.624, assessment of renewable energy source devices (checked September 29, 2026): leg.state.fl.us
- Florida Department of Revenue, brochure PT-111 (checked September 29, 2026): floridarevenue.com
- Florida Department of Revenue, Tax Information for New Residents, GT-800025 (checked September 30, 2026): floridarevenue.com
- Orlando Utilities Commission, TruNet Solar for rooftop solar (checked September 30, 2026): ouc.com
- Orlando Utilities Commission, SunChoice and the solar energy rate (checked September 30, 2026): ouc.com
- Orlando Utilities Commission, electric rate tariff, Sheets 3.500 and 5.925 (checked September 29, 2026): ouc.com
- Orlando Utilities Commission, Battery Storage System Rebate (checked September 30, 2026): ouc.com
- Gainesville Regional Utilities, Net Energy Metering for Solar PV Systems (checked September 30, 2026): gru.com
- Lakeland Electric, Solar, and Rate Schedules NM and RSD (checked September 29, 2026): lakelandelectric.com
- City of Tallahassee Utilities, Solar Net Metering (checked September 29, 2026): talgov.com
- Florida Keys Electric Cooperative, Solar Net Metering (checked September 29, 2026): fkec.com
- Florida Power & Light, SolarTogether (checked September 30, 2026): fpl.com
- Florida Power & Light, Rate Schedule STR, electric tariff section 8 (checked September 29, 2026): fpl.com
- Duke Energy Florida, Clean Energy Connection and Rate Schedule CEC-1 (checked September 29, 2026): duke-energy.com
- Florida Statutes, section 163.04, energy devices based on renewable resources (checked September 29, 2026): leg.state.fl.us
- Florida Statutes, section 163.081, financing qualifying improvements to residential property (checked September 29, 2026): leg.state.fl.us
- Solar and Energy Loan Fund, Solar PV Loans (checked September 30, 2026): solarenergyloanfund.org
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit (checked September 30, 2026): irs.gov
