Florida solar incentives in 2026

Florida's biggest solar benefit isn't a rebate at all. It's net metering at the full retail rate, which makes every kWh your panels produce worth what you'd otherwise pay the utility.

Under the Florida Public Service Commission's rule, FPL, Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric credit the power your panels send to the grid as a kWh credit at the full retail rate. Unused credits roll forward for up to 12 months, and anything left at year-end is paid out at the utility's avoided cost, only a few cents per kWh.

That's why a Florida system sized to your yearly use can wipe out nearly all of the energy part of your bill. In our estimate, a 9.6 kW system for a $200 FPL bill saves about $2,012 in the first year. A 2022 bill to phase down net metering was vetoed, and no change had passed as of 2026. See how Florida net metering works.

Yes. Florida law exempts solar energy systems, and all components of those systems, from the state's 6% sales and use tax. The Florida Department of Revenue ties the exemption to the equipment list certified by the Florida Solar Energy Center, which includes power conditioning equipment and storage units, so a battery installed as part of a solar energy system is covered.

You don't file anything: the exemption is built into what your installer charges for the equipment. Labor and general building wiring aren't covered.

Generators fall under a different rule. Since August 1, 2025, Florida permanently exempts portable engine-driven generators of 10,000 running watts or less from sales tax, along with other storm supplies such as tarps and smoke alarms. A whole-home standby generator is a bigger purchase; see generator vs. solar battery for how the two compare in an outage.

No. Under s. 193.624 of the Florida Statutes, the value a renewable energy system adds to a home can't be considered when the property appraiser assesses it. The definition covers panels, inverters and "power conditioning and storage devices", so the value of a 9.6 kW system (about $25,900 in our estimate) stays off your assessment.

The statute describes no application. If you want to be sure nothing needs to be filed in your county, ask your county property appraiser.

No. Florida's solar rights law (s. 163.04) bars HOAs, deed restrictions and covenants from prohibiting solar collectors on a home. An association can choose where on the roof the panels go, as long as its choice doesn't keep them from working well:

• The location can be required to face south or within 45° east or west of due south.
• If a dispute goes to court, the winning side can recover costs and reasonable attorney's fees.
• The law doesn't cover patio railings in condominiums, cooperatives or apartments.
• For approval steps, condos and ground mounts, see Florida HOA solar rules.

The 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025. The IRS counts the expenditure as made when installation is completed, so a homeowner-owned system finished in 2026 gets no federal credit, whether you pay cash or use a loan.

Leases work differently. The leasing company owns the system and can still claim a business credit (Section 48E). For leased solar, that credit generally requires construction to start by July 4, 2026 or the system to be in service by the end of 2027; leased batteries keep the credit for longer. Some of that value can show up as a lower monthly payment, so it's worth comparing a lease and a purchase.

Florida doesn't allow third-party companies to sell electricity to homes, so per-kWh power purchase agreements (PPAs) aren't an option here. Fixed-payment solar leases are.

Not from the state, and not from FPL, Duke Energy Florida or Tampa Electric. Florida's statewide solar rebate program expired in 2010, and we found no current rebate from the three big utilities for home solar or batteries.

Some city-owned utilities and cities, such as JEA in Jacksonville and OUC in Orlando, run their own programs for their customers. Those utilities also set their own net metering terms, so check with yours if you aren't on FPL, Duke or TECO.

The utilities do pay small monthly credits for letting them cycle your AC, water heater or pool pump; see FPL, Duke and TECO programs that pay you.