Should you lease or buy solar in Florida?

The 30% federal credit for homeowners (Section 25D) ended for systems whose installation is finished after December 31, 2025. Leasing companies own the panels, so they claim a business credit (Section 48E) instead, and installers have shifted toward leases to keep that value.

That business credit has its own deadline for solar: construction had to start by July 4, 2026, or the system has to be in service by the end of 2027. Many leasing companies bought equipment early to qualify, so ask whether the credit is factored into your payment. Leased batteries keep their credit well into the 2030s.

No. Florida law treats selling electricity to the public as a utility business, so a company can't sell you solar power by the kWh. In 2018 the Florida Public Service Commission approved Sunrun's fixed-payment residential lease, and fixed-payment leases have been allowed since.

With a lease, you're still on full-retail net metering under the state rule, as long as the system meets its size and interconnection requirements.

In our estimate, a 9.6 kW system for a $200 FPL bill costs about $25,900 to buy outright, saves about $2,012 in the first year and about $64,300 over 25 years.

With a lease, your savings are your bill reduction minus the lease payments. To compare, add up every lease payment over the full term, including the escalator, and set that against the cash price or the total of loan payments. Use the solar savings calculator for your own bill.

• Length. Most leases run 20 to 25 years.
• Escalator. Many leases raise the payment each year; the FTC has noted escalators of 1% to 3% a year. EnergySage advises getting as close to 0% as you can.
• What's covered. Maintenance, monitoring and repairs are usually the company's job, but get it in writing, including who pays to remove and reinstall panels for a new roof.
• End of term. Options usually include buying the system at a fair market value the company sets, renewing, or having it removed.
• Insurance. Some leases require you to carry more liability coverage than your policy has.

Florida law requires a separate, separately signed disclosure, in at least 12-point type, for any solar sale or lease. Read it before you sign. The solar quote checker can help you test the numbers.

• The buyer usually has to qualify to take over the lease. Sunrun, for example, runs a credit check on the buyer, and the seller can pay off the lease if the buyer won't take it.
• Leasing companies typically record a UCC-1 fixture filing on the panels, which may have to be lifted temporarily for a refinance and transferred at a sale.
• Fannie Mae doesn't count leased panels in a home's appraised value, so a lease adds nothing to what lenders will finance.

If you expect to move within several years, factor in the time a lease transfer can add to a sale.

• Sales tax. Florida's sales tax exemption covers solar equipment that is purchased or leased.
• Property tax. For a system you own, Florida excludes the full value solar adds from your home's assessment. Leased equipment is the leasing company's property, and Florida exempts 80% of its value from tangible personal property tax.
• Insurance. Some insurers, such as Kin, don't cover leased panels, while others note the leasing company insures its own equipment. Ask your insurer before choosing a lease.

See Florida solar incentives for the full list of tax breaks.

Florida's Attorney General sued a Tampa-area solar company in 2023 after more than 400 complaints, and in 2026 about 750 complaints against three Treasure Coast companies prompted an investigation, many of them over loans sold door to door.

• Get the cash price in writing, even if you plan to lease or finance.
• Don't sign on the first visit, and get at least two other quotes.
• Check the installer's license and reviews, and read the state disclosure form line by line.