Sunprint
The short answer
In Florida, each kilowatt of solar panels produces roughly 1,450 kWh a year. That makes a 10 kW system about 14,500 kWh, a 15 kW system about 21,750 kWh and a 20 kW system about 29,000 kWh in a normal year.
For scale, the average Florida home buys about 13,000 kWh a year from its utility, according to federal EIA data. So 10 kW is roughly a full year for an average home, and 15 or 20 kW is for larger homes and heavier users. Where you live and which way your roof faces will move these figures a little.
Output by system size
The figures below use Florida's typical 1,450 kWh per kW per year and assume 400 watt panels. Monthly output is a yearly average. Real months run above and below it with the seasons.
A 10 kW system
Above-average homeThis matches a home using about 15,300 to 19,300 kWh a year, which is a monthly bill of around $190 to $240 at Florida's average rate.
Year-one value uses Florida's average rate of 14.18 cents per kWh. Your utility's rate moves it up or down.
A 15 kW system
Large home or poolThis matches a home using about 22,900 to 29,000 kWh a year, which is a monthly bill of around $280 to $350 at Florida's average rate. Homes with a pool, electric water heating or an EV often land here.
Year-one value uses Florida's average rate of 14.18 cents per kWh. Your utility's rate moves it up or down.
A 20 kW system
Very large or heavy useThis matches a home using about 30,500 to 38,700 kWh a year, which is a monthly bill of around $370 to $470 at Florida's average rate. At this size, roof space often decides what is possible.
Year-one value uses Florida's average rate of 14.18 cents per kWh. Your utility's rate moves it up or down.
Where you live changes the output a little
Florida is a strong solar state from end to end, but the Keys get noticeably more sun than the western Panhandle. Here is what one kilowatt of south-facing panels is modeled to produce in six parts of the state, and what that means for a 10 kW system.
| Area | Per kW, per year (kWh) | 10 kW system, per year |
|---|---|---|
| Pensacola (Panhandle) | About 1,390 | About 13,900 kWh |
| Gainesville (North Central) | About 1,440 | About 14,400 kWh |
| Orlando (Central) | About 1,490 | About 14,900 kWh |
| Fort Myers (Southwest Gulf Coast) | About 1,530 | About 15,300 kWh |
| Miami (Southeast) | About 1,540 | About 15,400 kWh |
| Key West (Keys) | About 1,560 | About 15,600 kWh |
Approximate figures from NREL's PVWatts tool at its default settings, for south-facing panels at a 20 degree tilt. Real roofs will differ.
Southwest Florida sits toward the top of that range, so a system there tends to make a little more than the 1,450 figure we use for the whole state. A roof that faces east or west typically makes somewhat less than one facing south, and shade from trees or neighboring buildings takes more off. Our guide to the best angle and direction for solar panels in Florida has the modeled numbers for every roof direction and pitch.
What the output is worth depends on your utility
Output is measured in kilowatt-hours. What a kilowatt-hour is worth depends on your utility's rate. The same 10 kW system is worth about $2,250 a year at Duke Energy Florida's rate and about $1,990 at FPL's, even though it produces exactly the same electricity.
At FPL, Duke Energy Florida and TECO, power your system sends to the grid is credited at the full retail rate under a state rule, for now. That makes the value of a year of output roughly the kilowatt-hours times the rate. Here is the first-year value at each utility. Output then declines slowly each year; our guide to how long solar panels last shows by how much.
| Utility and rate | 10 kW | 15 kW | 20 kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| TECO (Tampa Electric)15.60 cents per kWh | $2,260 | $3,390 | $4,520 |
| Duke Energy Florida15.50 cents per kWh | $2,250 | $3,370 | $4,500 |
| FPL13.71 cents per kWh | $1,990 | $2,980 | $3,980 |
Not every utility credits exports at retail
Municipal utilities and co-ops set their own rules. Orlando Utilities Commission, for example, credits exports from new rooftop systems at a much lower rate than its retail price, about 4.6 cents per kWh for applications since July 2025. Net metering rules can also change over time, so confirm your own utility's terms before relying on any figure here. Our Florida incentives guide covers what is still in place.
Bigger is not always better
It is tempting to read the numbers above and pick the biggest system. Output is not the same as savings, and these are the reasons to size to your home rather than to the roof.
What limits a useful system size
- Your usage sets the useful size. Beyond what you use in a year, extra kilowatt-hours earn much less, because surplus credits left at the end of the year are typically paid at a low wholesale-style rate rather than the retail rate
- Roof space and shade cap what fits. A 20 kW system is about 50 panels at 400 watts each
- Panel wattage changes the count. At 440 watts, a 10 kW system is about 23 panels instead of 25
- Your utility's fixed monthly charge stays on the bill at any system size
How we work these numbers out
Every figure above comes from a few lines of arithmetic:
- Yearly output is system size in kW times 1,450 kWh. A 10 kW system makes 14,500 kWh. Monthly output is that divided by 12.
- Panel output fades about half a percent a year, so year 25 makes about 89 percent of year one. Over 25 years a 10 kW system makes roughly 340,000 kWh in total.
- Panel count is system size divided by panel wattage, rounded up. We assume 400 watts.
- To find the bill a size matches, we divide yearly output by 95 percent and by 75 percent, the range installers normally design to. That gives the usage it can cover. We then turn that into a typical monthly bill at Florida's average rate of 14.18 cents per kWh plus an $11 fixed charge.
- Value is kilowatt-hours times your utility's rate, with all output credited at that retail rate.
Prefer to start from your bill instead? Our bill-size guide works the other way round. The figures are planning numbers, not a quote, and a site visit is what turns them into a real design.
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Common questions
How many kWh does a 10 kW solar system produce in Florida?
About 14,500 kWh a year, or roughly 1,200 kWh a month on average. That uses about 1,450 kWh per kW per year. Modeled output runs from about 13,900 kWh in the Panhandle to about 15,600 kWh in the Keys.
How much does a 15 kW solar system produce per month?
About 1,800 kWh a month on average, which is 21,750 kWh a year. Some months run above that and some below, depending on the season and the weather.
Does a 20 kW system produce twice as much as a 10 kW system?
Roughly, yes. Output scales with system size, so 20 kW makes about 29,000 kWh a year against about 14,500 for 10 kW, provided the panels get similar sun. But a bigger array may need roof sections that face a less favorable direction or get more shade.
Is a 10 kW system enough for an average Florida home?
For an average one, yes. The average Florida home buys about 13,000 kWh a year from its utility, and a 10 kW system makes about 14,500. Homes with a pool, electric water heating or an electric vehicle often use much more and may need 15 kW or larger.
How much does solar output drop over time?
Panel output fades about 0.5 percent a year, so year 25 comes in at roughly 89 percent of year one. A 10 kW system makes about 340,000 kWh across 25 years.
Does my utility change how much a solar system produces?
No. Production depends on sunshine, not on your utility. What changes is the money: the same 10 kW system is worth about $2,250 a year at Duke Energy Florida's rate but about $1,990 at FPL's, as long as exported power is credited at the retail rate.