Solar panels in Florida
Roofs across Florida get about 1,765 hours of usable sunlight a year, and electricity costs 15.3¢/kWh. That combination puts a typical system's payback at 8.7 years. Here's the detail, from real rooftop data across 11 Florida cities.
Check your own roof in Florida → These are regional figures; your roof's size, pitch and shading move them a lot.
How Florida compares
Florida gets more sunlight than 78% of the cities we measure, and its electricity costs more than 57% of states and provinces. Both matter, but not equally: the electricity rate usually matters more, because solar saves money by replacing power you would otherwise buy. A sunny state with cheap power often pays back slower than a cloudy state with expensive power. Why that happens →
Solar by city in Florida
| City | Sun hrs/yr | Panels | Net cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral | 1,810 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.6 yrs |
| Miami | 1,807 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.6 yrs |
| Sarasota | 1,799 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| St. Petersburg | 1,794 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Port St. Lucie | 1,773 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Tampa | 1,765 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Fort Lauderdale | 1,745 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Hialeah | 1,734 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Orlando | 1,692 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Jacksonville | 1,612 | 20 | $15,960 | 9.6 yrs |
| Tallahassee | 1,575 | 21 | $16,758 | 10 yrs |
What a system costs in Florida
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 4,801 | $6,384 | $735 | 8.7 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 7,201 | $9,576 | $1,102 | 8.7 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 9,602 | $12,768 | $1,469 | 8.7 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 12,002 | $15,960 | $1,698 | 9.4 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 15,603 | $20,748 | $1,836 | 11.3 yrs |
Payback stops improving as systems grow, then gets worse. You can only save on electricity you were going to buy, so once a system covers your usage the extra panels mostly export at a lower rate.
Florida solar incentives
Every US household can claim the 30% federal residential clean energy credit, which is what the "after credit" figures above assume. On a $20,520 system that is $6,156 back. How the credit works →
State, utility and municipal incentives stack on top and change often — Florida may offer rebates, property or sales tax exemptions, or performance payments. We deliberately don't list specific state programmes here because they change several times a year and stale numbers are worse than none. The DSIRE database is the standard reference and is kept current.
Florida solar questions
Is solar worth it in Florida?
At 15.3¢/kWh and 1,765 usable sun hours, a typical system pays back in about 8.7 years and returns roughly $26,948 over 25 years. That is a solid return.
How many solar panels do I need in Florida?
About 18 panels for a home using 10,800 kWh a year. Each 400W panel produces roughly 600 kWh annually at Florida sunlight levels.
How much do solar panels cost in Florida?
A 7.2 kW system runs about $20,520 before incentives and $14,364 after the 30% federal credit. Quotes vary widely by installer and roof complexity — get three.
Worth reading before you buy
Regional estimates generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples across 11 Florida cities, and average Florida electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial or tax advice.