Duke Energy Florida solar customers still have access to traditional net metering for customer-owned renewable energy in 2026. Net metering means you get credit for extra solar power you send to the grid.
Florida Public Service Commission Rule 25-6.065 covers investor-owned utilities like Duke Energy Florida. They must offer standard interconnection (grid connection), two-way metering and monthly net-metering credits. This applies to qualifying customer-owned renewable systems up to 2 MW. For a typical homeowner, rooftop solar can still offset power bought from Duke, kWh for kWh, all year. (A kWh, or kilowatt-hour, is the unit on your bill.)
Does Duke Energy Florida Still Have Net Metering?
Yes, and plenty of homeowners use it. At the end of 2024, Duke had about 857 MW of customer-owned renewable generation on net metering. It was close to 1,000 MW (about 105,000 systems) by the end of 2025.
Unlike several other states we've covered, Florida hasn't replaced net metering for new rooftop solar with a low fixed export rate.
How Does Duke Energy Florida Net Metering Work?
Your solar system powers the home first. When solar produces less than the house needs, Duke supplies the difference. When it produces more, the excess flows back to Duke's grid.
Florida's rule requires that excess to be credited toward your usage in the next billing cycle. Credits can keep building up for up to 12 months.
Why This Matters
Suppose your home banks an extra 300 kWh in April. In August, AC drives your usage far above what the panels make. Those banked credits help cover the summer load. That makes Florida's setup better than one where every export is paid right away at a low avoided-cost rate. That's roughly the cost the utility avoids by not producing that power itself.
What Happens at Year-End?
Credits don't build up forever. At the end of each calendar year, the utility must buy any unused credits. It pays the annual average rate from its as-available (COG-1) energy tariff, which is typically well below retail. So extra yearly production is worth less than production that actually offsets what your home uses.
Size Duke Solar Around the Home
If a household uses 14,000 kWh a year and solar produces roughly that much, most of the production can earn strong net-metering value. Now say the system makes 21,000 kWh, and the home can't use or bank it all before year-end. Then a big share falls to the lower year-end rate. That weakens the economics.
What Are Florida's Interconnection Tiers?
- Tier 1: 10 kW or less
- Tier 2: more than 10 kW up to 100 kW
- Tier 3: more than 100 kW up to 2 MW
Most residential rooftop systems fall into Tier 1 or Tier 2. Tier 1 systems get faster handling and can't be charged a separate application fee beyond normal customer charges. Tier 2 and Tier 3 projects may face application fees, extra insurance and more technical review.
How Quickly Does Duke Have to Process Interconnection?
Florida's rule generally requires the utility to sign the standard interconnection agreement within 30 calendar days of a complete application. If a Tier 3 project needs a study, it can take up to 90 days. That gives homeowners a useful guide for project timelines.
Does Duke Install the Net Meter?
Yes. Florida requires the utility to install the two-way net-metering equipment at no additional cost to the customer. The meter tracks electricity flowing between your home and Duke's grid. It doesn't count every kWh your panels produce, because solar you use inside the home never reaches the grid.
Can Solar Eliminate Every Duke Charge?
No guarantee. Florida's rule says net-metered customers still pay the applicable customer charge, and any demand charge if one applies. Solar mainly reduces usage-based purchases. That's different from promising “no utility bill.”
Why 2026 Is an Interesting Time to Evaluate Duke Solar
Duke Energy Florida bills fell sharply this year. For a typical 1,000-kWh customer, bills were about $50 a month lower by June than in January. That came from storm charges ending early, seasonal rates and a temporary summer fuel refund. The refund ended in September, so October bills came back up by several dollars. Duke has also asked regulators for another small decrease, about $0.71 a month, starting January 2027. That request is still pending.
Don't Buy Solar Based on an Inflated January Bill
Watch out if a salesperson bases solar savings on a high January 2026 Duke bill and ignores this year's reductions. The savings estimate can be seriously overstated. Use your current normalized rate and 12 months of usage instead of one unusually expensive bill. (A normalized rate strips out temporary charges and credits.)
When the utility bill itself just fell, the solar proposal needs to know that. Start with the current house and the current rate.
HVAC Can Matter More Than the Rate
Florida cooling loads are enormous. Suppose a home uses 24,000 kWh a year, and an old HVAC system accounts for several thousand unnecessary kWh. After an HVAC replacement and duct repairs, 19,000 kWh may become the efficient annual load. That can shrink the solar system considerably.
Solar vs. HVAC Isn't an Either-Or Question
HVAC changes how much electricity the home needs. Solar changes where part of it comes from. The right answer might be HVAC only, solar only, HVAC then solar, or HVAC plus solar plus a battery. The house decides the order.
What About Duke's Utility-Scale Solar?
Duke is quickly expanding utility-owned solar in Florida. In May 2026, it completed the 74.9-MW Jumper Creek site in Sumter County. Duke expects that site to save customers about $250 million in fuel over its life. It plans about 900 MW of new utility-scale solar by the end of 2028.
That doesn't make rooftop solar unnecessary. Utility-scale solar lowers system-wide fuel costs. Rooftop solar lowers your own home's grid purchases. They're different decisions.
What About Batteries?
A battery paired with rooftop solar can store extra daytime solar, power the home later, provide backup and support critical loads. But Florida's net metering already gives most exports solid value. So you usually don't need a battery just to avoid poor export credits.
The bigger battery case is usually resilience: keeping the refrigerator, internet, medical equipment, well pump, garage door, lights and some AC running during hurricane outages.
Solar Alone Doesn't Provide Backup
Florida's interconnection rule requires customer-owned generation to disconnect from the grid during an outage. That means standard rooftop solar turns off when Duke service is down. Backup requires the right battery, inverter, isolation equipment and design.
Should You Add a Battery Just for Savings?
Not automatically. Because excess solar already carries forward under Florida net metering, a battery has to add value beyond that. It makes a stronger case when you also value hurricane backup, medical resilience, well pump operation or critical cooling.
Look at Lower-Cost Programs Too
Before spending tens of thousands of dollars, check Duke's lower-cost options. Its EnergyWise Home program pays up to $141 a year in bill credits. In return, Duke can briefly cycle certain equipment during high demand. Its free Home Energy Check is the first step toward Duke's home improvement rebates. Neither replaces solar, but both belong in the analysis.
What About the Federal 30% Residential Solar Credit?
Don't include it in a new 2026 proposal. The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit doesn't apply to expenditures made after December 31, 2025. Project economics have to work without it.
Can Solar Still Make Sense in Duke Territory?
Yes, potentially. Florida offers excellent sun, strong net metering and high annual cooling loads. But in 2026, Duke's rates dropped a lot. So the numbers should be built on today's realistic electricity cost, not an outdated higher bill.
Better candidates often have: high annual usage, good roof exposure, little shade, efficient HVAC, a long ownership horizon and reasonable installation cost.
Homes that may need another solution first: an old AC, leaky ducts, poor attic insulation, a roof nearing replacement, very low usage or high-cost financing.
The Ashborn Approach
Before recommending equipment, Ashborn Partners looks at your current Duke usage and your current (not stale) utility rate. We also review your HVAC, roof, solar, battery storage and lower-cost utility programs.
Duke Energy Florida remains subject to Florida Public Service Commission Rule 25-6.065 for qualifying customer-owned renewable generation. Excess kWh credits may carry forward for up to 12 months, with unused credits at year-end paid at the applicable as-available (COG-1) rate. Verify current utility tariffs before signing a solar agreement.