Federal solar credit ended Dec 31, 2025
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Solar costs · Jacksonville, FL

Solar Panel Cost in Jacksonville, Florida

Fact-checked by Sorted & Saved data desk
Updated Data verified Nov 5, 2026

Jacksonville gets about 1,455 kWh per kW per year[1] from a rooftop solar array, according to NREL's PVWatts model at the city's coordinates. JEA's residential customers paid an average of 12.43¢ per kWh[2] and used 1,066 kWh a month[2]. A system sized to that use, about 8.8 kW est.[1,2], costs roughly $23,000 to $31,500 est.[1,2,3] before incentives, and pays back in about 21 years est.[1,2,3,4] for a cash buyer.

On this page [ 8 ]

Jacksonville solar at a glance

Output per kW of panels1,455 kWh/yr[1]PVWatts, this city
Sunlight on panels5.48 kWh/m²/day[1]Annual average
JEA avg. price12.43¢/kWh[2]2024 average, bundled customers
JEA avg. home use1,066 kWh/mo[2]2024 average
Typical system8.8 kWCovers 100% of use
Typical price$27,300Estimate, before incentives
Year-1 savings$1,110Estimate
Payback21 yearsEstimate, cash purchase
Estimated monthly output of a 8.8 kW system in Jacksonville (PVWatts, typical weather year)kWh / month

JEA credits exports at 4.98¢ per kWh (JEA Distributed Generation Policy (DG-1, up to 2 MW), effective April 1, 2018). Assumptions: methodology.

How JEA treats solar

UtilityExport policyExport creditAvg. residential priceMonthly basic charge
JEAJEA Distributed Generation Policy (DG-1, up to 2 MW), effective April 1, 20184.98¢ per kWh[4]12.43¢ per kWh[2]$21.00[5]

JEA: JEA Distributed Generation Policy (DG-1, up to 2 MW), effective April 1, 2018

This is not 1:1 net metering. Every kWh bought from JEA is billed at the full retail rate. Every kWh exported earns a dollar credit at JEA's fuel rate. Credits carry forward in dollars through the calendar year, and any remaining year-end balance is paid to the customer. Systems that passed final inspection under the old net metering policy by March 31, 2018 keep retail net metering until March 31, 2038.

  • RS basic monthly charge: $21.00/month, also the minimum bill (Sheet 4.0, effective October 1, 2026)[5]
  • Export credit: Exports credited at JEA's fuel rate, $0.04975/kWh as of Oct 1, 2026[6]
  • Large-system application fee: $1,000 for Tier 3 / DG-2 / DG-3 applications[7]

Permits and local programs in Jacksonville

  • Utility export policy: JEA (municipal) credits solar exports at its fuel rate, not retail. JEA requires an approved application before installation, an electrical permit from the local jurisdiction, and a JEA inspection.[4]

Jacksonville solar cost by system size

SystemPrice before incentives[3]After incentiveskWh in year 1[1]Year-1 savings[2][4]Payback (years)
4 kW$12,400$12,4005,820$51021
6 kW$18,600$18,6008,730$76021
8 kW$24,800$24,80011,640$1,01021
10 kW$31,000$31,00014,550$1,27021
12 kW$37,200$37,20017,460$1,52021

Incentives for Jacksonville homeowners

Federal · tax creditEnding soon

Business credit for leased and PPA systems (48E)

Claimed by the system owner, not the homeowner; solar must begin construction by July 4, 2026 or be in service by December 31, 2027[8]

If a company owns the panels on your roof (a lease or power purchase agreement), that company may claim the business clean electricity investment credit and can reflect it in your price. You cannot claim it yourself.

Who
Third-party-owned systems (leases and PPAs). Ask the provider whether the price assumes this credit.
Deadline
December 31, 2027
Checked
November 5, 2026
State · tax exemptionAvailable

Florida sales and use tax exemption for solar energy systems

Solar energy systems and their components are exempt from Florida sales and use tax (6% state rate plus any local surtax)[9]

Corroborated by FSEC (UCF) Energy Policy page https://energyresearch.ucf.edu/consumer/energy-policy/ : 'Florida law exempts solar systems and components from sales tax. This law doesn't have an expiration date.' The 6% rate figure is not from these pages and is general knowledge; drop it from value_text if strict sourcing is needed.

Who
Applies to solar energy systems or components on the list the Florida Solar Energy Center certifies to the Department of Revenue.
Deadline
No sunset in statute (2026 Florida Statutes); FSEC also states the exemption has no expiration date
Checked
November 5, 2026
State · tax exemptionAvailable

Property tax assessment exclusion for residential renewable energy source devices

For residential property, the added value from a solar (renewable energy source) device is not counted in the assessed value[10]

Nonresidential property gets an 80% exclusion under s. 193.624(2)(b). Constitutional authority is Art. VII s. 4(i), Fla. Const., which says the legislature may prohibit consideration of 'The installation of a solar or renewable energy source device' in assessed value (adopted 2008; amended by C.S. for H.J.R. 193 in 2016, effective Jan 1, 2018 to Dec 31, 2037). Source: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Constitution . History: s. 1, ch. 2013-77; ss. 2, 7, ch. 2017-118; s. 5, ch. 2024-158.

Who
Devices installed on or after Jan 1, 2013 on new or existing residential real property. Covered equipment includes PV modules, inverters, storage and power conditioning devices.
Deadline
December 31, 2037
Checked
November 5, 2026

Every Florida incentive →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much do solar panels cost in Jacksonville?

About $27,300 est.[1,2,3] before incentives for a 8.8 kW est.[1,2] system, using Florida's median installed price of $3.10 per watt est.[3]. Get at least three written quotes; prices for the same system often differ by thousands of dollars.

How does JEA pay for solar I send to the grid?

Under JEA Distributed Generation Policy (DG-1, up to 2 MW), effective April 1, 2018, JEA credits exports at 4.98¢ per kWh[4], well below the retail price, so using your solar power at home is worth more than exporting it.

How long is the payback for solar in Jacksonville?

Our model estimates about 21 years est.[1,2,3,4] for a cash purchase, with year-one savings of about $1,110 est.[1,2,4]. Financing, a battery or a different rate plan changes this; the calculator lets you test each.

sources

[ 10 ]

Every number on this page links to one of these sources. Dates show when we last checked each one.

  1. NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)pvwatts.nlr.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  2. EIA Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price 2024, Table 6: Utility bundled retail sales, residentialeia.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  3. U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage 2026 Data Update (Barbose, Darghouth, O'Shaughnessy, Forrester), Berkeley Labeta-publications.lbl.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  4. JEA: JEA Distributed Generation Policy (DG-1, up to 2 MW), effective April 1, 2018jea.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  5. JEA residential tariffjea.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  6. JEA: Export creditjea.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  7. JEA: Large-system application feejea.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  8. Public Law 119-21 - Sec. 70513(a) and (g)(5) (48E); Sec. 70512(a) and (l)(4) (45Y)govinfo.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  9. 2026 Florida Statutes s. 212.08(7)(hh)leg.state.fl.us · checked Nov 5, 2026
  10. 2026 Florida Statutes s. 193.624, Assessment of renewable energy source devicesleg.state.fl.us · checked Nov 5, 2026

City data last re-checked November 5, 2026.