Sunprint
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Plain-language guides built on Florida numbers, not national averages.
Is solar worth it in Florida in 2026?
Real costs, payback and 25-year savings without the federal tax credit, plus resale value and common myths.
Solar and homeowners insurance in Florida
Whether insurers can drop you, the 15-year roof rule, hurricane deductibles and what to ask before you sign.
How much solar do I need for a $300 to $700 electric bill?
The system size that a $300, $400, $500, $600 or $700 monthly bill needs at Florida's average rate, and how the answer changes at eight different utilities.
How much electricity does a 10, 15 or 20 kW solar system produce?
What each size makes in a year, what that output is worth at FPL, Duke Energy Florida and TECO, and why a bigger system is not always better.
How people pay for solar in Florida
Cash, loans, leases and PACE, compared in plain language, plus what no-cost solar means in Florida.
Florida solar tax credit in 2026: what's gone and what's left
When the 30% federal credit ended and who can still claim it, Florida's property and sales tax exemptions, and the local rebates still paying out.
Florida net metering explained
Why the credit for exported solar ranges from full retail down to a few cents per kWh, utility by utility.
Solar battery backup in Florida
What a home battery costs, what it powers and for how long, and how it compares to a generator.
How to check a solar company in Florida
License checks, the disclosures Florida law requires, your right to cancel, and the door-to-door pitches to walk away from.
Why is my electric bill still high with solar?
The five real causes: undersizing, shading, silent failures, your utility's credit rate, and added usage.
Selling or buying a house with solar in Florida
How leases transfer to a buyer, what UCC-1 filings mean at closing, Florida's PACE disclosure rule, and what buyers should check.
Is a solar lease a good idea in Florida?
How annual escalators compound, how buyouts are priced, and when leasing makes sense at your utility.
Should I replace my roof before going solar?
Real Florida roof lifespans, what panel removal and reinstall costs, and the 15-year insurance inspection rule.
My solar company went out of business. What now?
What happens to your payments and warranties, how to get the system serviced, and how to protect yourself if the job was never finished.
Can your HOA stop you from going solar in Florida?
What Florida Statute 163.04 protects, how condos and co-ops differ from single-family HOAs, and what to do if a board pushes back.
Community solar in Florida: FPL, Duke and municipal programs
How FPL SolarTogether and Duke's Clean Energy Connection price and credit subscriptions, what municipal utilities offer, and whether it's worth it.
Solar for pool homes in Florida
What a pool pump adds to your bill, the rule phasing out single-speed pumps, solar pool heating vs an electric heat pump, and how to size solar around a pool.
Solar panels and hurricanes in Florida
What Florida’s building code requires of rooftop solar in hurricane winds, how panels fail, why solar alone won’t keep the lights on in an outage, and what to do before and after a storm.
How to compare solar quotes in Florida
How to line up two or more Florida solar quotes on the same terms: price per watt, the production estimate, and the disclosures Florida law requires.
How long does going solar take in Florida?
The permit review deadlines Florida law sets, how utility interconnection and permission to operate work, and a realistic timeline from signed contract to turn-on.
Solar and an EV in Florida: FPL vs. Duke programs
How FPL's EVolution Home and Duke Energy Florida's off-peak credit work for a solar home, why one excludes net metering and the other doesn't, and sizing solar for an EV.
Can you install solar panels yourself in Florida?
What Florida's owner-builder rules allow, how county building departments handle solar permits and wiring, and what you still take on by doing it yourself.
Solar on tile and metal roofs in Florida
How solar attaches to tile and metal roofs, what it typically adds to the cost, and the code and warranty issues specific to each roof type.
Can you get free solar panels in Florida?
What "free" and "no-cost" solar offers really are, why no one can sell you power from your own roof, what happened to Florida Solar for All, and the help that is real.
Solar power purchase agreements in Florida
What a power purchase agreement is, why Florida law bars them for homes, where they do exist, and what you can sign instead.
Your electric bill
Why a Florida bill jumps, and how to tell which cause hit yours.
Why is my FPL bill so high?
Summer AC, the higher rate past 1,000 kWh, longer billing periods, cold snaps and the 2026 to 2029 rate plan, with what each usage level costs.
Why is my electric bill so high in Florida?
The eight usual causes at any Florida utility, how to read your bill, and the state rules on estimated bills, meter tests and billing periods.
Why is my Duke Energy bill so high?
Duke Energy Florida's 1,000 kWh price step, its higher winter base rate, the 2026 storm-charge removal and refund, and whether Duke is raising rates.
Why is my TECO bill so high?
Tampa Electric's 2-cent price step past 1,000 kWh, its daily service charge, the storm surcharge that ended in August 2026, and rates from 2025 to 2027.
Why is my JEA bill so high?
JEA's monthly fuel charge (it jumped 20% twice in spring 2026), the tiered rate since October 2025, Jacksonville's winters, and the October 2026 increase.
What's the average electric bill in Florida?
What Florida homes pay each month, by season, by utility and by home size, including a 3-bedroom house, from EIA and utility data through July 2026.
Why is my GRU bill so high?
GRU's pricier tier above 1,000 kWh, a fuel charge that rose four months running in 2026, billing days, and the biomass plant debt behind the rates.
Laws and rules
What Florida law, building codes and utility rules allow.
Is plug-in solar legal in Florida?
What Florida law, utility interconnection rules and the building code say about plug-in and balcony solar, what 800 watts would make here, and the legal ways to go small.
Is it legal to live off the grid in Florida?
What state law and local codes say about power, sewer and wells, the 2014 Cape Coral case, and how much solar and battery an off-grid Florida home needs.
Florida solar laws in 2026, in plain English
Every Florida law that matters for home solar, one card each: HOA rights, taxes, contracts and canceling, PACE, permits, net metering, and what changed in 2026.
PACE financing in Florida: how it works in 2026
Florida's 2024 PACE rules and the 2026 federal rule, the disclosures and 3-day cancel, the tax-bill lien, selling or refinancing, and how to pay it off.
How to cancel a solar contract in Florida
Which 3-day rights apply to you, how to count the days, a sample cancellation letter, what the seller must refund, and what to do after the deadline.
Misled or overcharged by a solar company?
Your disclosure statement, DBPR and Attorney General complaints, the deposit rule, FDUTPA, small claims and the recovery fund.
Panels, roofs and weather
How solar hardware holds up in Florida, and where to put it: storms, lightning, heat, roofs, angles and upkeep.
Can lightning damage solar panels in Florida?
Whether panels attract lightning, what direct strikes and surges do, the grounding and surge protection Florida's code requires, and insurance.
How long do solar panels last in Florida?
How fast panels lose output, what Florida heat and salt air do, inverter lifespans, warranties, and the specs to look for when you buy.
Do solar panels cause roof leaks?
Where solar leaks come from, how Florida code says mounts must be flashed on shingle, tile and metal roofs, Florida rainfall, warranties and what to ask.
Solar panel cleaning in Florida
How often Florida panels need cleaning (rarely), NREL soiling data, pollen, droppings and algae, safe methods, warranties and what a cleaning costs.
Ground-mount solar and solar carports
When a ground mount or carport beats the roof, how much more it can make, setbacks, permits and wind design, HOA rules and the cost premium.
Best angle and direction for solar panels in Florida
Modeled output for five cities by roof direction and pitch: the best tilt, why east beats west, north roofs, and what an HOA can require.
By region
What is different where you live: utilities, permits, HOA rules and storms.
Solar in Southwest Florida
FPL and LCEC side by side, which one serves your town, Lee County and Naples permits, and Hurricane Ian.
Solar in North Florida
JEA's fuel-rate credit, Beaches, Clay and FPU compared, and how colder winters change sizing.
Solar in Central Florida
Six Orlando-area utilities compared on fixed charges, solar credit and savings on a $200 bill.
Solar in Tampa Bay
TECO, Duke and WREC compared, the strongest sun of the seven cities we modeled, and Hurricane Milton.
Solar in South Florida
FPL territory, the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and why Palm Beach County differs.
Solar in the Florida Panhandle
Co-op and city utility fixed charges ranked, winter sun in Pensacola and Tallahassee, and Hurricane Michael.
By utility
Your utility changes your rate, your net metering credit and the system your bill needs.
Solar for FPL customers
FPL's January 2026 rates, how its net metering credits work, the application steps and system size tiers.
Solar for LCEC customers
Lee County Electric Cooperative's flat net metering rate, how leftover credits are paid, and its application fees.
Solar for Duke Energy Florida customers
Duke's June 2026 rates, the 2026 bill reductions, how net metering credits work and the tiers by system size.
Solar for TECO customers
Tampa Electric's rates after its storm surcharge ended, how it credits solar power, and its connection steps.
Solar for JEA customers
Why JEA credits solar exports at its fuel rate, how the credit works, and what a bill needs.
Solar for OUC customers
OUC's TruNet Solar credit after 2025, the November 2026 rate change, fees and connection steps.
Solar for Lakeland Electric customers
The Solar Price Plan with its peak demand charge, peak hours, and net metering limits.
Solar for Tallahassee customers
How the City's banked kWh credits work, why they expire each year, and how to apply.
Solar for Clay Electric customers
Why Clay buys back excess solar at wholesale rates, plus size limits, fees and connection steps.
Solar for Withlacoochee River Electric customers
How WREC nets solar over a year, how to apply by email, and the insurance and inspection rules.
Solar for SECO Energy customers
SECO's wholesale export credit, the $500 to $1,000 application fees, and its battery program.
Solar for Gainesville Regional Utilities customers
Why GRU now credits new solar exports at its fuel rate, and its capacity-check connection process.
Solar for Kissimmee Utility Authority customers
KUA's accumulating bill credits, its 2028 demand credit, fees and connection steps.
Solar for Ocala Electric Utility customers
Ocala's wholesale buyback, the owner-only paperwork rule and the step-by-step process.
Solar for Talquin Electric Cooperative customers
Month-to-month credits, year-end payout at a wholesale rate, the $45 access charge and the in-person signing.
Solar for CHELCO customers
The time-of-use rate new solar members use, the wholesale-based export credit and the steps to connect.
Solar for Keys Energy Services customers
Why only the first 75 customers got full retail, how credits are paid at year end, and the fees.
Solar for Beaches Energy Services customers
Retail credit monthly, a yearly true-up at avoided cost, the fixed 12 cent solar rate and the water-bill option.
Solar for Lake Worth Beach customers
A yearly-resolution export rate, the engineer's letter it requires, and a documented paperwork history.
Solar for New Smyrna Beach customers
Full retail credit banked monthly, and one open question about the original size limit.
Solar for Peace River Electric customers
The $33 facilities charge and why exports earn about half the delivered rate.
Solar for West Florida Electric customers
Why exports earn just 5.2 cents while you pay 11.637 cents, plus fees and insurance rules.
Solar for Florida Keys Electric Cooperative customers
Retail credit paid out yearly, plus FKEC's own solar loan billed through your electric bill.
Solar for Florida Public Utilities customers
Retail netting monthly, a lower rate on yearly excess, and its two separate rate divisions.
Solar for Homestead Energy Services customers
Avoided-cost credit on true excess, paid out yearly, plus the fees and tiers.
Solar for Glades Electric Cooperative customers
A low export credit rate from the co-op's own filings, the $150 fee, and the facilities use charge.
Smaller utilities: what to expect and what to ask
How city-owned utilities and co-ops pay for solar, six questions to ask, and a searchable list.
Electric rates for 52 Florida utilities
Average residential rates by utility, with links to check your savings.
Texas
Texas works differently: no statewide net metering, and in much of the state your retail plan decides what solar power you send back is worth.
Start here
Is solar worth it in Texas?
Payback by utility now that the federal credit is gone, sun by city, and the buyback rule that matters most.
How much solar panels cost in Texas
Real Texas prices per watt, system size by home size, cost by city, and what a battery adds.
How many solar panels do I need in Texas?
Panels by monthly use and city, a quick estimator, roof space and why systems stop short of 100% of use.
Best direction and angle for solar panels in Texas
Modeled output for six cities by roof direction and pitch, east vs. west, and the HOA 10% rule.
Paying for solar in Texas: cash, loan or lease?
Cash versus loan-financed prices, the hidden loan fees federal regulators found, and what leases must disclose.
Texas solar buyback plans and net metering
Why Texas has no statewide net metering, the three kinds of retail buyback plan, and what each does to a year of savings.
Texas solar incentives in 2026
What is left after the federal credit: the property tax exemption, Austin Energy's rebate and the utility programs paid through installers.
Texas solar property tax exemption
What Tax Code 11.27 exempts, how to claim it with your appraisal district, and how long it lasts.
Average electric bill in Texas
What Texas homes pay each month and by season, ten years of bills, and the averages by utility.
Why is my electric bill so high in Texas?
Summer use, expired plans, delivery charges and the fact sheet to check, with what to do about each.
Before you sign
Can you install your own solar panels in Texas?
Who may do the wiring, what Houston's permit guide requires, utility rules and the rebates a DIY system gives up.
Is my solar quote fair?
A one-minute checker: price per watt against what Texans paid, the production estimate against NREL data, and loan fees.
Solar panel permits in Texas
The two 2025 laws that changed city permits for home solar and batteries, and what Dallas, Houston and Austin require.
How to check a solar company in Texas
Look up a seller's state registration, read TDLR's 19-item disclosure form and spot the red flags.
How to cancel a solar contract in Texas
Your five business days, a deadline calculator, a sample notice and the other cancellation rights that may apply.
If your Texas solar company goes out of business
What keeps working, the responsible party Texas now requires, the 10% lien rule and how to get a deposit back.
Free solar panels in Texas?
What no-cost offers really are, where Texas Solar for All stands, and what Texas law now forbids sellers to claim.
Texas solar laws
The right to connect, HOA limits, the 2025 law on solar sellers and your five-day right to cancel.
Selling or buying a Texas home with solar
Owned, financed or leased panels at closing, lien filings, the property tax exemption reset and each utility's new-owner steps.
Texas HOA solar rules
What Property Code 202.010 lets an HOA require, the 10% placement rule, roof tiles and batteries, and how to appeal a denial.
Already have solar
Electric bill still high after solar?
Meter delays, buyback plans and delivery charges, plus a checker for what your panels should make in your city.
Misled or overcharged by a solar company?
Which Texas route fits: cancelling, TDLR and Attorney General complaints, a DTPA demand letter or justice court, and the deadlines.
Texas weather
Solar panels and hail in Texas
Ten years of Texas hail reports, what size hail panels survive, and how Texas home insurance handles a claim.
Solar batteries and Texas power outages
How long outages last by utility, what a battery runs, what it costs and which utilities pay battery owners.
Other ways to go solar
Community solar in Texas
The four utility programs we found, how each is priced, who can join, which are full and whether they save money.
Is it legal to live off the grid in Texas?
What state law says about off-grid power, rainwater, wells, septic permits and county building rules, and the system size it takes.
Is plug-in solar legal in Texas?
What the PUC's interconnection rules say about balcony kits, the UL 3700 safety standard, and what you can do today.
Related upgrades
EV charger rebates in Texas
The federal charger credit ended June 30, 2026. What Austin Energy, CPS Energy, Entergy and SWEPCO still pay.
By region
Solar in Dallas-Fort Worth
Payback for Oncor-area plans, CoServ, Tri-County and TNMP, hail in the Texas counties with the most reports, outages and Dallas permit fees.
Solar in Houston
CenterPoint, TNMP and Entergy Texas payback, outage hours since 2020, Houston sun by month and the city's permit rules.
Solar in Austin and Central Texas
Austin Energy's Value of Solar and rebate, PEC and Bluebonnet credits, Oncor-area plans and Austin's permit rules.
Solar in San Antonio and the Hill Country
CPS Energy and NBU netting, GVEC's full-price buyback, PEC, payback by utility, sun, hail and outages.
Solar in South Texas
Corpus Christi, Laredo and the Valley: AEP Texas Central plans, Magic Valley's netting, sun in three cities.
Solar in West Texas
El Paso, Midland-Odessa, Abilene and San Angelo: the strongest sun in Texas, four different deals, hail and outages.
Solar in Amarillo, Lubbock and the Panhandle
Xcel Energy's three metering options, Lubbock's retail plans, strong sun and frequent hail.
Solar in East Texas
SWEPCO, Oncor, Entergy Texas and co-ops: payback, the long outages on co-op lines, sun and hail.
By utility
Solar for Oncor customers
Who pays for the power you send back in the Oncor area, Oncor's 2026 solar incentive, and how hookup works.
Solar for CenterPoint customers
Solar on CenterPoint's lines around Houston: buyback plans, the five steps to turn a system on, and savings by bill.
Solar for AEP Texas customers
Central and North areas compared, AEP Texas delivery charges, the SMART Source incentive and savings by plan.
Solar for TNMP customers
The highest delivery charge of the Texas wires companies, TNMP's 2026 Solar+ incentive, hookup steps and payback in its four areas.
Solar for Austin Energy customers
The Value of Solar credit on every kWh your panels make, the $4,000 rebate, and what a system saves.
Solar for CPS Energy customers
Monthly netting at the full rate, the small credit for leftovers, CPS's programs and the steps to connect.
Solar for Pedernales (PEC) members
The 7.19 cent Sustainable Power Credit, its base power ceiling, the time-of-use option and PEC's fees.
Solar for CoServ members
Buyback of every exported kWh at CoServ's avoided cost, the $25 solar customer charge and the 2023 change.
Solar for Entergy Texas customers
Exports credited at under 4 cents, the October 2026 bill line by line, and why self-use decides savings.
Solar for El Paso Electric customers
The Distributed Generation Rate's demand charge, who is grandfathered, and the break-even math.
Solar for GVEC members
Exports bought at the same per-kWh price you pay, the $150 fee, the 120-day rule and SunHub community solar.
Solar for Bluebonnet members
The 6.6962 cent production credit, Bluebonnet's own sample bill, hookup steps and payback by bill.
Solar for NBU customers
New Braunfels Utilities' $3,000 rebate tiers by roof direction, its 1:1 kWh credit, the per-kW solar charge and payback.
Solar for SWEPCO customers
SWEPCO's Texas solar credit at its avoided cost, the $9.42 solar fee, the rate case settlement and sizing for a low buyback.
Solar for Tri-County Electric members
TCEC's monthly buyback rate since 2023, the $30 minimum, the $500 application and payback for Fort Worth-area co-op homes.
Solar for BTU customers
Bryan Texas Utilities' 2026 switch to a power-cost export credit, the transition by install year, rates and payback.
Solar for Magic Valley members
Monthly netting at the full rate with month-end surplus lost, how that changes system size, fees and payback.
Solar for Xcel Energy customers
Xcel's three Texas metering options, why the $20 second meter rarely pays, and sizing when exports earn nothing.
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