Moving to Florida: how solar is different from California, New York and New Jersey

It's closer to California's old system. Under California's net billing tariff, adopted in December 2022 for systems applying after April 14, 2023, exported power is credited at an avoided-cost rate, which pv magazine says cut export credits by about 75% to 80%. Florida's net metering rule still credits each exported kWh at the full retail rate, rolls credits forward up to 12 months and pays leftover credit at year end at a low avoided-cost rate.

That's why so many new California systems include a battery, more than half by 2024, to store power instead of exporting it. In Florida, a battery doesn't add much to bill savings; its value is backup during hurricane outages. See Florida net metering.

Usually much cheaper per kWh. PG&E's average residential rate was about 40.6¢ per kWh in March 2026 and SCE's about 34.4¢ after June 2026, while our estimates use about 13.7¢ for FPL, 14.9¢ for Duke Energy Florida and 15.6¢ for Tampa Electric. Florida homes use more power, though, mostly for air conditioning, so bills are still meaningful. See the average electric bill in Florida.

Florida has no state solar tax credit or rebate. New York offers a state income tax credit of 25% of equipment costs, up to $5,000, and New Jersey pays a per-MWh incentive for 15 years on new systems. NYSERDA has phased out its standard residential NY-Sun incentive in Con Edison and Long Island territory.

New Jersey movers will find net metering familiar: PSE&G also credits at retail with a yearly true-up. The federal homeowner credit ended after 2025 everywhere. See Florida solar incentives.

Two. Solar equipment is exempt from Florida's sales tax, and under s. 193.624 the value solar adds to a home can't be counted in its property assessment. That applies to residential property generally, so it fits alongside your homestead exemption.

• Hurricane design. Rooftop systems must be designed for wind loads under the Florida Building Code. See can solar panels survive a hurricane.
• Leases, not PPAs. Florida allows fixed-payment solar leases but not per-kWh power purchase agreements for homes. See solar lease vs. buy.
• Insurance and roof age. Insurers look closely at roof age, so plan solar around your roof. See solar and home insurance in Florida.
• HOAs can't ban solar. Florida law limits how far associations can restrict rooftop panels. See Florida HOA solar rules.

Separately, and both help. To get the homestead exemption, you must own the home and make it your permanent residence by January 1, then file with your county property appraiser by March 1 of that year, according to the Florida Department of Revenue. The value solar adds to a home is excluded from its assessment under a different law (s. 193.624), so solar won't raise your taxable value either way.

On November 3, 2026, Florida voters approved Amendment 3 with about 62% of the vote, in unofficial results. It raises the homestead exemption from non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. People who weren't Florida residents on December 31, 2026 get the current exemption at first, and the larger one from their fifth year in the state. Check with your county property appraiser before you file.

• New York: systems connected since 2022 pay a monthly customer benefit contribution for each kW of solar. NYSERDA's 2025 list puts it at $1.84 per kW a month on Con Edison and $1.00 on PSEG Long Island, about $18.40 a month for a 10 kW system on Con Ed.
• Illinois: new systems since January 1, 2025 get credit only for the supply part of the bill, not delivery, according to the Citizens Utility Board.
• Florida: FPL, Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric credit exported solar at the full retail rate, and systems up to 10 kW pay no extra fee.

See Florida net metering.

Expect a possible deposit. Tampa Electric says deposits depend on credit history and are generally based on twice the average monthly bill for the address, can be waived after a credit review or with a qualified guarantor, and earn 2% simple interest until refunded.

If the home already has solar, FPL says you need to apply for net metering and sign the interconnection agreement in your own name to activate it. See buying a home with solar in Florida.

Check the roof's age and material, shade from trees and which utility serves the address: municipal and co-op utilities have their own rules. If the home already has panels, find out whether they're owned, financed or leased before closing. See buying a home with solar and run the numbers with our savings calculator.