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

Solar Panel Cost in Orlando, Florida

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

Orlando gets about 1,544 kWh per kW per year[1] from a rooftop solar array, according to NREL's PVWatts model at the city's coordinates. Most of Orlando is served by OUC or Duke; we use OUC for the estimates below. OUC's residential customers paid an average of 15.24¢ per kWh[2] and used 984 kWh a month[2]. A system sized to that use, about 7.6 kW est.[1,2], costs roughly $20,000 to $27,000 est.[1,2,3] before incentives, and pays back in about 17 years est.[1,2,3,4] for a cash buyer.

On this page [ 8 ]

Orlando solar at a glance

Output per kW of panels1,544 kWh/yr[1]PVWatts, this city
Sunlight on panels5.63 kWh/m²/day[1]Annual average
OUC avg. price15.24¢/kWh[2]2024 average, bundled customers
OUC avg. home use984 kWh/mo[2]2024 average
Typical system7.6 kWCovers 100% of use
Typical price$23,600Estimate, before incentives
Year-1 savings$1,210Estimate
Payback17 yearsEstimate, cash purchase
Estimated monthly output of a 7.6 kW system in Orlando (PVWatts, typical weather year)kWh / month

OUC credits exports at 5.47¢ per kWh (TruNet Solar for Customer-Owned Renewable Generation (Tariff Sheet 3.500)). Assumptions: methodology.

Which utility serves you in Orlando

Orlando is split between Orlando Utilities Commission and Duke Energy Florida. Your bill tells you which one you have; the rules differ a lot.

UtilityExport policyExport creditAvg. residential priceMonthly basic charge
OUCTruNet Solar for Customer-Owned Renewable Generation (Tariff Sheet 3.500)5.47¢ per kWh[4]15.24¢ per kWh[2]$18.50[5]
DukeNet Metering for Customer-Owned Renewable Generation (Rules & Regulations Part VIII 8.08, Sheet 4.085)Retail rate (net metering)[6]16.63¢ per kWh[2]$14.43[7]

Orlando Utilities Commission: TruNet Solar for Customer-Owned Renewable Generation (Tariff Sheet 3.500)

Systems interconnected (complete, paid application) by June 30, 2025 keep full retail credit until June 30, 2045. Everyone else is credited at the Community Solar Energy Rate until June 30, 2030, then at the levelized fuel charge. A grace period paid full retail through Oct 31, 2026. From Nov 1, 2026 OUC retired the kWh solar bank: exports are credited in dollars in the month produced, leftover credit carries forward, and there are no more annual true-ups.

  • Residential customer charge: $18.50/month plus a DemandLevel charge of $5 (under 8 kW), $10 (8 to under 12 kW) or $15 (12 kW and up) based on peak 15-minute demand, effective Nov 1, 2026. Minimum bill = customer charge + DemandLevel charge.[5]
  • Interconnection fees: Tier 1 none; Tier 2 $340; Tier 3 $1,300[4]
  • Solar bank retired: From Nov 1, 2026, exports are credited monthly in dollars and annual true-ups end[4]

Duke Energy Florida: Net Metering for Customer-Owned Renewable Generation (Rules & Regulations Part VIII 8.08, Sheet 4.085)

Excess generation is credited to the next month's kWh consumption and carries forward up to 12 months. After the calendar year ends, unused credits are paid on the February bill at the average annual COG-1 as-available rate. The customer pays the greater of the $30 minimum bill or the customer charge plus demand charges.

  • RS-1 customer charge: $14.43/month (Sheet 6.120, effective October 1, 2026)[7]
  • Minimum bill: $30/month minimum, applied only when customer, energy, fuel and securitization charges total less than $30[7]

Permits and local programs in Orlando

  • Permitting: City of Orlando has used a digital permit application process for solar since 2017, and the city holds a SolSmart Gold designation.[8]
  • Utility note: OUC serves the City of Orlando. Duke Energy Florida serves parts of the metro area. Service-territory boundaries were not verified from an official map.[4]

Orlando 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$12,4006,180$64017
6 kW$18,600$18,6009,260$96017
8 kW$24,800$24,80012,350$1,28017
10 kW$31,000$31,00015,440$1,60017
12 kW$37,200$37,20018,530$1,92017

Incentives for Orlando 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[9]

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)[10]

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[11]

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 Orlando?

About $23,600 est.[1,2,3] before incentives for a 7.6 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 OUC pay for solar I send to the grid?

Under TruNet Solar for Customer-Owned Renewable Generation (Tariff Sheet 3.500), OUC credits exports at 5.47¢ 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 Orlando?

Our model estimates about 17 years est.[1,2,3,4] for a cash purchase, with year-one savings of about $1,210 est.[1,2,4]. Financing, a battery or a different rate plan changes this; the calculator lets you test each.

sources

[ 11 ]

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. OUC: TruNet Solar for Customer-Owned Renewable Generation (Tariff Sheet 3.500)ouc.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  5. OUC residential tariffouc.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  6. Duke: Net Metering for Customer-Owned Renewable Generation (Rules & Regulations Part VIII 8.08, Sheet 4.085)duke-energy.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  7. Duke residential tariffduke-energy.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  8. Orlando: Permittingorlando.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  9. Public Law 119-21 - Sec. 70513(a) and (g)(5) (48E); Sec. 70512(a) and (l)(4) (45Y)govinfo.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  10. 2026 Florida Statutes s. 212.08(7)(hh)leg.state.fl.us · checked Nov 5, 2026
  11. 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.