Sunprint
The short answer
JEA pays for solar differently from most Florida utilities. It credits the power your system sends to the grid at its fuel rate, a few cents per kWh, not at the retail rate you pay to buy power. So what a system saves depends a lot on how much of its output you use at home.
At JEA's average rate of about 13.8 cents per kWh, a $300 monthly bill needs roughly 13 to 16 kW of solar to cover most of your use, and a $400 bill needs roughly 17 to 22 kW. Expect lower savings than the same system would earn at FPL, Duke or TECO, unless you use most of the power yourself.
What a kWh is worth here, in cents
Power your panels make and your home uses never has to be bought from JEA. Only the extra sent to the grid earns the lower fuel-rate credit.
How JEA's solar credit works
- JEA describes itself as a Distributed Generation utility. It reimburses an avoided-cost rate, its fuel rate, for the excess energy your system sends back to the grid.
- The credit is the fuel rate multiplied by the kWh you send to JEA. The rate is variable and posted on JEA's monthly fuel rate table, and the rate that applies matches the reading date on your bill.
- Power you use at home straight from your panels never has to be bought from JEA, so it offsets your bill at the full retail price.
- Your bill lists the power JEA delivered to you, the kWh you bought, and the power JEA received from your system, the kWh you sold, as separate numbers.
- If a month's credit is bigger than your charges, JEA carries the balance over to the next month in dollars.
What that means in numbers
Here is an example, not a quote. Say a system makes 1,000 kWh in a month, and you use 600 kWh of it at home while 400 kWh goes to the grid. The 600 kWh you use yourself save about 13.8 cents each, roughly $83. The 400 kWh you send out earn JEA's fuel rate, and at an example 5 cents each that is $20. The total is about $103, compared with about $138 if every kWh were worth the retail rate.
The closer your usage matches your panels' output during the day, the closer you get to the higher figure. A battery is one way to use more of your own power, and running large loads while the sun is up is another.
What JEA charges and where rates are heading
- Base rate: for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh, the base rate portion went from $91.62 to $99.15 a month on October 1, 2026, under new rates JEA's board approved on June 30, 2026. News reports say JEA has raised the base rate every year since 2021, when it was $76.
- Fuel charge: this changes every month with JEA's fuel costs. Over the past year it ranged from $35.90 per 1,000 kWh in November to $59.68 in April, according to that same reporting, and JEA limits the month-over-month increase to 20 percent.
- Customer charge: JEA charges it for each electric service even if you use no energy.
Our calculator uses JEA's average residential rate of 13.84 cents per kWh from federal EIA data. With the rates that took effect October 1, 2026 and October's fuel charge, a 1,000 kWh month works out to about 14.2 cents per kWh before taxes and fees. Rates beyond that are not set, so any long-range projection, ours included, is an estimate.
What a monthly JEA bill needs
Sizes below assume 13.84 cents per kWh and a system meant to cover 75 to 95 percent of a year's use. Savings and the bill left over use JEA's rates from October 1, 2026: a $21.00 basic monthly charge, 7.815 cents for the first 1,000 kWh and 9.705 cents above that, plus October's 4.326-cent fuel charge.
| Monthly bill | System size | Savings a year if you use it all at home | Bill left each month |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200 a month | 8.5 to 10.7 kW | $1,630 to $2,050 | $30 to $64 |
| $300 a month | 13.0 to 16.4 kW | $2,570 to $3,190 | $34 to $85 |
| $400 a month | 17.4 to 22.1 kW | $3,520 to $4,340 | $38 to $107 |
| $500 a month | 21.9 to 27.8 kW | $4,460 to $5,490 | $43 to $129 |
These are planning numbers, not a quote, before taxes and fees. JEA credits power you send to the grid at its fuel rate, 4.326 cents in October 2026, while each kWh you buy costs 12.1 cents up to 1,000 kWh and 14.0 cents after. So every 1,000 kWh you export instead of using at home is worth about $78 to $97 less than the table shows.
Batteries and JEA
The utility says a battery added to a grid-connected solar system stores the array's excess energy instead of sending it to JEA's grid, and your home draws on it when the panels are not making enough. With a low credit for exports, that stored power is worth more used at home. You may still see a $4,000 JEA battery rebate listed on other websites, but as of September 2026 it isn't on JEA's own rebate list, so don't count on it.
How to connect solar to JEA
- JEA takes interconnection applications through its PowerClerk portal, and it asks you to review its Distributed Generation Policy first, because different rates and fees may apply depending on system size.
- JEA measures system size by the AC nameplate rating, which its policy calls the gross power rating.
- The customer is responsible for any equipment upgrades needed to complete the interconnection.
- Distributed Generation customers cannot be enrolled in JEA's MyWay program.
Older systems and buying a home with solar
JEA retired its net metering policy for solar. Systems that passed final permit inspection by March 31, 2018 are grandfathered under it for 20 years and receive credits at the retail rate. If you buy or rent a home with an existing system, you need an interconnection agreement to receive credit for power sent to the grid, and JEA has separate move-in forms for older and newer systems.
Rebates and tax credits
The 30 percent federal tax credit for homeowners ended on December 31, 2025. Our Florida incentives guide covers what is still available.
Which utility do I have?
Your bill names your utility. JEA serves Jacksonville and nearby areas of Northeast Florida. If you are elsewhere in Florida, compare every utility we cover at solar by utility, or read our OUC guide, another municipal utility with its own solar credit.
Your estimate in three steps
- Enter your billYour ZIP, utility and last month's bill.
- See your estimateA yearly savings range for your home.
- Choose what's nextAsk for a quote call, or just keep the number.
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Common questions
How much solar do I need with JEA?
At JEA's average rate of about 13.8 cents per kWh, a $300 monthly bill needs roughly 13 to 16 kW of solar to cover most of your use and a $400 bill needs roughly 17 to 22 kW. Because JEA pays less for power you send to the grid, how much you use at home changes what that system saves.
Is solar worth it with JEA?
Less than at utilities that credit exports at retail. JEA pays its fuel rate for power you send to the grid, roughly 3.6 to 6.0 cents per kWh over the past year, so most of the value comes from power you use at home. A battery or daytime use helps. Compare our estimate, which is a top end at JEA, with each quote. The federal tax credit ended on December 31, 2025.
Does JEA pay the retail rate for solar power sent to the grid?
No. JEA calls itself a Distributed Generation utility. It credits power your system sends to the grid at its fuel rate, which it updates every month, instead of the retail rate. Only older net metering systems, those that passed final permit inspection by March 31, 2018, are grandfathered for 20 years with retail-rate credits.
How much is JEA's solar credit?
It is JEA's fuel rate multiplied by the kWh you send to the grid. Over the past year, JEA's fuel charge for a customer using 1,000 kWh ranged from $35.90 to $59.68, which works out to about 3.6 to 6.0 cents per kWh. The rate changes monthly, so check JEA's fuel rate table.
What happens to a credit that is bigger than my JEA bill?
Under JEA's Distributed Generation policy, if the credit for a billing period is larger than the charges, JEA carries the credit balance over to the next billing period in dollars, less any included taxes.
How do I connect solar to JEA?
JEA takes interconnection applications through its PowerClerk portal. Review JEA's Distributed Generation Policy first. JEA measures system size by the AC nameplate rating, and the customer is responsible for any equipment upgrades needed to connect.
Does a battery make sense with JEA?
It can. JEA says a battery stores your array's excess energy instead of sending it to JEA's grid, so your home can use it when the panels are not making enough. With JEA's low credit for exports, that stored power is worth more used at home. JEA's rebate list doesn't include a battery rebate as of September 2026, so budget for the full cost.
What if I buy a home in JEA territory that already has solar?
You need an interconnection agreement to receive credit for power sent to the grid. JEA has separate move-in forms in PowerClerk: one for systems installed after March 31, 2018 and one for older systems that are grandfathered under net metering.
Will I still pay a fixed charge to JEA with solar?
Yes. JEA says its customer charge applies for each electric service even if you use no energy during the month. Taxes and fees are extra.
Did JEA raise rates in 2026?
Yes. New rates took effect October 1, 2026, after a board vote on June 30. For a residential customer using 1,000 kWh, the base rate portion went from $91.62 to $99.15 a month, before the fuel charge. The fuel charge is separate and changes monthly, and JEA limits its month-over-month increase to 20 percent.
Related guides
- How much solar do I need for a $300 to $700 electric bill?
- How much electricity does a 10, 15 or 20 kW solar system produce?
- Florida solar incentives: what is still available
- Solar in North Florida
- Florida net metering explained: why credits vary so much
- How to check a solar company in Florida
Sources: JEA solar options · JEA Distributed Generation · JEA distributed generation bill · JEA net metering program details · JEA: apply · JEA rate announcement, June 30, 2026 · News report on the vote, July 8, 2026 · U.S. EIA Form 861 utility data, 2024 and 2025 early release
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