Calculator / States / Florida
Solar panel cost and payback in Florida
Measured production, your actual utility's filed rates, and honest payback maths with no federal tax credit applied - because for a home bought today there is not one.
The Residential Clean Energy Credit was terminated for home purchases after 2025-12-31, so the $29,300 above is what a Florida household actually pays - not a headline price with a rebate quietly subtracted. A quote that still shows the credit is overstating your return by about that amount, which on these numbers is roughly 6 years of savings.
What solar costs in Florida at different bills
Worked at 1548.5 kWh per kW per year and $0.1127 per kWh, the midpoints across the 4 metros below, at $2.93 per watt installed.
| Monthly bill | System | Cost | Year-1 saving | Payback | 25-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | 8.3 kW | $24,187 | $1,192 | 16.9 yrs | +$15,365 |
| $200 | 10.0 kWroof limit; covers 73% | $29,300 | $1,444 | 16.9 yrs | +$18,613 |
| $300 | 10.0 kWroof limit; covers 48% | $29,300 | $1,444 | 16.9 yrs | +$18,613 |
Exported surplus is valued at zero throughout, so these are floors rather than best cases. Where fully covering the bill would need more panels than a roof holds, the row shows the largest system that actually fits and the share of your usage it covers - not the lifetime return on an array nobody can build. Your own bill and roof will move them - run your address.
Sunlight and rates by Florida metro
Straight from NREL PVWatts and the utility rate database, by named utility. This is why one statewide figure does not work.
| Metro | Utility | Production | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando | Orlando Utilities Commission | 1,542 kWh/kW | $0.1111 |
| Miami | Florida Power & Light Co | 1,555 kWh/kW | $0.104 |
| Tampa | Tampa Electric Co | 1,566 kWh/kW | $0.1142 |
| Jacksonville | JEA | 1,456 kWh/kW | $0.124 |
What Florida pays you for surplus power
Retail-rate net metering
Investor-owned utilities must offer net metering, and surplus kilowatt hours roll to the next month's bill at retail value.
Florida Administrative Code rule 25-6.065 requires each investor-owned utility to let customer-owned renewable generation net meter, with the meter installed at no extra cost, for systems up to 2 MW. Excess generation in a billing cycle is credited against the next month's consumption. This is one of the more favourable arrangements still standing, and it survived an attempt to curtail it in 2022. Municipal utilities and co-ops set their own terms, so check yours.
Checked 2026-08-21 against Florida Administrative Code, Rule 25-6.065. Export rules are being rewritten across the country, so verify before you sign. Current incentive detail for Florida is maintained at DSIRE, which we link to rather than copy precisely because it changes.
Is solar worth it in Florida?
Worth doing, with realistic expectations. A roof can carry enough for 73% of what a $200-a-month household in Florida uses, not the lot. Power at $0.1127 per kWh is cheap, so a $200 bill in Florida represents a great many kilowatt-hours -- more than 13.8 kW of panels would be needed to cover them all. The 10.0 kW that does fit costs $29,300 and returns about $18,613 over 25 years, paying for itself in roughly 16.9 years. Before enlarging the system, reducing what you use costs nothing and shrinks the array you need.
Your own bill and roof move this more than the state average does, and Florida households vary widely on both. Run your ZIP code through the calculator for numbers worked from your own utility rather than a Florida midpoint. It asks for no email address and nobody will call you.
Florida solar questions
Is Florida net metering safe?
It is currently required of investor-owned utilities by rule 25-6.065, and an attempt to curtail it in 2022 did not take effect. That makes Florida one of the more favourable states still offering retail-rate crediting. Rules can change, so the date this page was checked is shown above - but as of that date the requirement stands.
Does net metering apply to my municipal utility or co-op?
Not necessarily. The rule applies to investor-owned utilities. Municipal utilities such as those serving parts of Orlando and Jacksonville, and rural electric co-ops, set their own terms. Since Florida has a large share of municipal customers, this is worth checking before you assume retail crediting applies to you.
Do hurricanes affect whether solar makes sense?
They affect installation standards rather than the arithmetic. Florida building codes impose stringent wind-load requirements on rooftop systems, which is part of why installed prices are not as low as the sunshine alone would suggest. It is a reason to check an installer's permitting record, not a reason to avoid solar.