Florida Solar Incentives in 2026: What Homeowners Should Know

Florida homeowners researching solar in 2026 run into a lot of overlapping terms — federal credit, state exemption, net metering, utility rebate — and it's easy to lose track of which one applies to what. This is a plain overview of the incentive landscape as it typically works in Florida, written so you know which questions to ask and which agency or professional actually owns the answer, rather than treating any single source (including this one) as the final word.

State-level incentives

Florida offers two incentives specific to solar equipment:

• Property tax exemption. Adding solar typically increases a home's value, but Florida law has historically exempted that added value from increasing your property tax assessment. Rules and qualifying equipment are set by the Florida Department of Revenue.
• Sales tax exemption. Solar energy equipment has historically been exempt from Florida sales tax when purchased for a qualifying installation.

Because these are state programs, the qualifying criteria and paperwork can change from year to year. The most reliable way to confirm current details is the Florida Department of Revenue's published guidance, not a summary on any single company's website.

Net metering — utility-specific, not statewide

Net metering determines how much credit you get for the electricity your system sends back to the grid when you're producing more than you're using. This is set by your individual utility — FPL, Duke Energy, TECO, and others each publish their own net metering tariff, and the terms can differ meaningfully between them. If net metering policy changes for your utility, it can affect the economics of a system sized to offset 100% of your usage versus a smaller system. This is exactly the kind of detail worth asking about directly during a consultation rather than assuming it's the same everywhere in the state.

The federal tax credit

Separate from anything Florida-specific, a federal Residential Clean Energy Credit exists for qualifying solar installations. It's a federal program, so the rate and eligibility rules come from the IRS, and they're subject to change by Congress. Because this affects your personal tax return, the responsible thing to do — and the thing we'd recommend regardless of what any solar company tells you — is confirm the current rate and your eligibility with a qualified tax professional before assuming a specific number applies to your project.

Utility rebates: check before you assume

Some Florida utilities have offered rebate programs for solar or battery storage at various points, though availability changes and isn't universal across the state. Before budgeting around a rebate, confirm directly with your utility whether a program is currently active and what its requirements are.

How to actually use this information

Incentives are real and worth understanding, but they're not a substitute for getting an accurate cost estimate for your specific home first. The order that makes sense:

1. Get a system sized and priced for your actual roof and usage.
2. Separately identify which incentives you may qualify for.
3. Confirm eligibility for tax-related incentives with a tax professional.
4. Confirm your utility's current net metering terms directly with the utility.

Skipping straight to "what will I save with incentives" before knowing the base system cost tends to produce numbers that don't hold up.

Next step

If you want a starting estimate for your own roof, UnionGrid's solar savings calculator uses satellite imagery to give an instant number, and the team can walk through incentive questions specific to your area during a consultation. Browse Florida service areas to see where UnionGrid currently installs, or request a free quote to get started.