Solar panels in Hillsborough County, FL

• Hillsborough County's solar permit checklist, filed through HillsGovHub, calls for plans sealed by a Florida-licensed design professional covering roof load, wind load, roof access and setbacks, plus electrical drawings sealed or certified by the Florida Solar Energy Center.
• On the evening of October 11, 2024, after Hurricane Milton, about 484,000 of Tampa Electric's 700,000 Hillsborough accounts (69%) were without power, per the Public Service Commission.
• The Public Service Commission set Tampa Electric's storm plan for 2026 to 2035 at about 75 miles of underground conversion a year across its service area.

Permits and zoning rules are set town by town. Highlights from each town's own rules:

• Apollo Beach: Apollo Beach is unincorporated, so Hillsborough County issues solar permits. Plans must show wind loads under the Florida Building Code, and the county's rough-in inspection can be done virtually.
• Balm: Tampa Electric's Balm Solar plant, a 74.4-megawatt array on about 548 acres in south Hillsborough County, began operating in 2018.
• Bloomingdale: Bloomingdale's southern edge is the Alafia River, and after Hurricane Milton in October 2024 Hillsborough County listed Bell Shoals Road among the areas facing major flooding, so homes near the river should mount batteries and inverters above flood level.
• Brandon: After Hurricane Milton in October 2024, Tampa Electric named Brandon among its harder-hit areas, with crews still working there after most of the region had power back.
• Carrollwood: Carrollwood is unincorporated, so Hillsborough County issues the permit: a roof-mounted system is an Electrical Trade permit filed through HillsGovHub, and a contractor with a Florida EC or ER electrical license can apply.
• Citrus Park: Hurricane Milton dropped 12.32 inches of rain on Citrus Park in October 2024, Bay News 9 reported.
• FishHawk: FishHawk is unincorporated, so Hillsborough County issues solar permits: an Electrical Trade permit for a rooftop system, applied for online through HillsGovHub.
• Keystone: The Keystone-Odessa Community Plan, adopted by Hillsborough County in 2000, calls for rural development of at least one home per 5 acres, so many Keystone homes sit on large lots with space for a ground-mounted array.
• Lake Magdalene: Tampa Electric's 2026-2035 storm protection plan includes a feeder-hardening project on its Lake Magdalene circuit covering 49 poles, scheduled for 2027.
• Lutz: Lutz's county community plan describes much of Lutz east of Dale Mabry Highway as semi-rural, with homes on lots of half an acre or more along narrow roads around lakes and wetlands, which often leaves room for a ground-mounted array if the roof is shaded.
• Northdale: Northdale is deed restricted but has no community-wide HOA: each village's restrictions send exterior changes to an architectural review committee, so take a solar plan there first. Florida's s. 163.04 lets it set placement but not ban panels.
• Plant City: Hurricane Milton dropped about 13.5 inches of rain on Plant City in October 2024, and crews rescued 35 people overnight. Tampa Electric sent restoration crews to Plant City after the storm.
• Riverview: Riverview is unincorporated, so Hillsborough County issues solar permits. For a rooftop system the county uses an Electrical Trade permit, applied for online through HillsGovHub with signed and sealed plans.
• Ruskin: Hurricane Helene's flooding in September 2024 closed the Shell Point Road East and U.S. 41 intersection in Ruskin and damaged wastewater pumps serving Ruskin and Apollo Beach.
• Seffner: After Hurricane Milton in October 2024, water from Baker Creek flooded roads and homes in Seffner's Lake Shangri-La neighborhood, which county officials described as a bowl with no natural drainage.
• Sun City Center: Sun City Center's community association isn't an HOA; many neighborhoods have their own property owner association with deed restrictions, so check yours before you sign. Under Florida law it can choose where panels go but can't ban them.
• Tampa: Tampa's solar checklist says residential trade permits, including the Electrical Trade permit for rooftop solar, are issued automatically once the application is filed and the permit fees are paid.
• Thonotosassa: After Hurricane Milton in October 2024, rising water in Lake Thonotosassa cut off about 60 homes in the Pemberton Creek neighborhood, and crews rescued about 60 people and 12 pets.
• Town 'n' Country: Hurricane Helene's storm surge and tides pushed water into Town 'n' Country homes in September 2024, and Hillsborough County named the area a debris-collection priority.
• Valrico: Valrico is unincorporated, so Hillsborough County issues solar permits through HillsGovHub: an Electrical Trade permit for a rooftop system, or a Residential Miscellaneous permit for a ground-mounted one, which suits Valrico's larger lots.
• Westchase: Most of Westchase belongs to the Westchase Community Association, a deed-restricted community organized into 28 villages. Under Florida law (s. 163.04) an association can set where panels go on your roof but can't ban them.
• Wimauma: Berry Bay, a roughly 1,100-acre master-planned community in Wimauma, is expected to reach at least 3,200 single-family homes, and in September 2026 its developer filed plans for 436 more.

Each town page has the full details and sources.

No. Under Florida law (s. 193.624), the value a solar system adds to a home isn't counted in its assessed value. If you're unsure whether anything needs to be filed, ask the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser.

Solar equipment is also exempt from Florida sales tax, so it's already left out of the installed price.

TECO credits the solar you 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 only a few cents per kWh, so systems are sized to cover a year of use. Solar can't take a bill below the monthly minimum ($13.50 at TECO).

See the full TECO solar guide.

Choosing a company? Check each installer's Florida license, compare at least two quotes and run them through our solar quote checker.