If you've researched Florida solar incentives, you've probably seen some version of this claim:
“Install solar and get a 30% federal tax credit.”
For homeowners considering solar in 2026, that information is outdated.
The incentives have changed. So before you use an online calculator or decide whether a project makes financial sense, find out which benefits are actually available.
Florida still has several policies that can help homeowners who go solar. These include net metering (credit for extra solar power you send to the grid) and certain state tax exemptions. But you need to understand them correctly.
Is There a Federal Solar Tax Credit in 2026?
For a new home solar system placed in service in 2026, don't assume the former 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit is available. “Placed in service” means installed and ready to use.
The IRS credit applied to qualifying property installed between 2022 and December 31, 2025. It is not available for property placed in service after that date.
This is a big change.
For years, the federal tax credit was one of the best-known money benefits of home solar.
In 2026, homeowners should judge solar costs and savings without automatically subtracting 30% from the price of the system.
That means asking:
- What does the system actually cost?
- What financing expenses are included?
- How much electricity should it reasonably produce?
- What portion of my utility usage could it offset?
- How does my utility handle excess production?
- How long do I expect to own the home?
A project that still makes economic sense without the former federal credit may be worth considering. One that only works after assuming a tax benefit that no longer applies deserves another look.
Does Florida Exempt Solar From Sales Tax?
Florida provides a sales-tax exemption for qualifying solar energy systems.
The exemption can apply to equipment that turns sunlight into energy. It can also cover qualifying parts such as solar collectors and photovoltaic power-conditioning equipment. Certain energy-storage units and accessories built into the system can count too.
That matters, because Florida's general sales tax could otherwise add a lot of cost to a major home-improvement project.
As always, check that your specific equipment and purchase qualify. Don't assume every item in a project is automatically exempt.
Does Solar Raise Property Taxes in Florida?
Solar adds equipment to a home, and it may add value too. That raises a fair question:
If I install solar, will my property taxes immediately rise because of the added equipment?
Florida law gives qualifying renewable-energy devices favorable ad-valorem (property tax) treatment.
How the rules apply can depend on the property and equipment. Ask your county property appraiser or a qualified tax professional about your situation.
The bigger point is this: Florida's tax code has specific rules meant to ease some of the tax burden that could come with solar and other renewable equipment.
Does Florida Have Net Metering?
Yes.
Under Florida's net-metering rules, qualifying home solar and other customer-owned renewable systems can connect to the grid. They can offset the power the home uses.
The basic idea is simple. Your solar system makes electricity, and your home uses that electricity first. When the system makes more than the home is using, qualifying extra power can flow back to the grid. When your home needs more than the system is making, power flows from the utility to your home.
A bidirectional meter (one that counts power flowing both ways) keeps track of electricity moving in each direction.
How Does FPL Net Metering Work?
Florida Power & Light (FPL) says approved rooftop solar customers can receive a smart bidirectional meter. It measures the power you buy from FPL and the extra solar power you send to the grid.
FPL currently describes its program as giving a one-for-one kilowatt-hour (kWh) credit for qualifying extra electricity during the year.
Say your system makes more electricity than you need in one billing period. The extra can be held in a kWh reserve and used against future usage during the calendar year.
Extra kWh still left at FPL's annual settlement are paid for under its generation-cost method. They are not kept as an ongoing kWh bank at the retail rate.
That distinction is important.
A well-designed system shouldn't simply aim to fit as many panels as possible on the roof. System size should be checked against actual household usage, utility rules and the value of any extra production.
FPL's current interconnection guidance (its rules for connecting to the grid) is one example. To be approved for net metering, a qualifying renewable system must be estimated to produce less than 115% of the customer's annual kWh use.
Does Every Florida Utility Work Exactly the Same Way?
No.
Florida homeowners may get electricity from investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities or rural electric cooperatives.
Programs, rates, grid-connection steps, minimum charges and payment for extra power can vary.
Even when two utilities both call their programs “net metering,” the economics may not be identical.
Not
“How many panels fit on my roof?”
“Who is my utility?”
What Is a Minimum Bill?
Solar does not always eliminate every utility charge.
Utilities have costs to maintain the electric grid no matter how much electricity a household buys.
For example, FPL currently states that its net-metering customers pay a minimum base bill. It's designed so customers help cover fixed system costs.
So be careful with phrases such as “eliminate your electric bill.”
Solar can reduce the amount of electricity you buy from the utility. But you may still have minimum bills, fixed charges, taxes, fees or other utility-specific costs. A realistic analysis should show those.
Will My Solar Panels Work During a Hurricane Outage?
Not necessarily.
This may be the most misunderstood solar issue in Florida.
Standard grid-connected rooftop solar systems generally shut down when grid power fails. That shutdown protects utility crews from electricity being fed into lines they're working to repair.
FPL confirms that grid-connected private solar needs extra equipment to run during an outage. One example is a properly configured battery-storage system.
So if hurricane resilience is your main concern, separate two goals:
- Solar generation: Produce electricity and reduce electricity purchased from the utility.
- Backup power: Keep selected loads operating when the utility grid fails.
Solar can be part of a backup-power solution. But solar panels alone do not automatically provide whole-home outage protection.
Does Florida Protect Homeowners' Ability to Install Solar?
Florida law offers meaningful protections.
Florida Statute 163.04 limits what ordinances, deed restrictions, covenants and similar agreements can do. They can't prohibit — or effectively prohibit — renewable-energy devices such as solar collectors.
Homeowners can still face permit requirements, electrical standards, interconnection steps and reasonable association rules.
But Florida generally does not allow a blanket ban on solar just because a neighborhood association doesn't like how panels look.
What Should Florida Homeowners Compare in 2026?
The former federal home solar credit is no longer available for new 2026 installations. That makes project quality matter more than ever.
Before signing anything, compare:
- Your annual electricity usage. Use 12 months when possible. A single summer bill isn't enough to show the home's full usage pattern.
- System production. Ask how production was calculated. It should account for location, roof direction, roof pitch, shading, equipment and system size.
- Your utility. Learn your utility's net-metering policy, interconnection rules, fixed or minimum charges, annual true-up (yearly settling of credits) and how it treats extra production.
- Financing. The solar price and the solar payment are not the same thing. Know the cash price, financed price, interest rate, loan term, financing fees and prepayment terms.
- Your existing HVAC. Is an aging air conditioner driving up your electricity use? Then an HVAC upgrade could change both your usage and the solar size you need.
- Backup-power goals. If outage protection matters, ask exactly which circuits will be backed up and how much battery capacity is included. Also ask whether the system can recharge during a long outage, and what equipment it needs to run on its own (islanded operation).
Florida Solar Incentives Should Improve a Good Project — Not Rescue a Bad One
Solar incentives can matter. But incentives shouldn't be the starting point.
A poorly designed, overpriced or badly financed project doesn't suddenly become a smart investment because of a tax exemption.
Start with the home's energy profile. Understand the utility. Evaluate the equipment. Then look at available programs and incentives.
That's the approach that gives homeowners a realistic picture.
Explore Your Florida Home-Energy Options
Ashborn Partners helps homeowners compare more than one path. Depending on your property, priorities and energy use, that may include solar, battery storage, heating and cooling, energy-efficiency improvements, or a combination of solutions.
Instead of beginning with a predetermined product, we begin with your home.