Solar panels in Florida
Roofs across Florida get about 1,769 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 38 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 79% of the cities we measure, and its electricity costs more than 48% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key West | 1,919 | 17 | $13,566 | 8.2 yrs |
| Clearwater | 1,813 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.6 yrs |
| Bradenton | 1,812 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.6 yrs |
| Cape Coral | 1,810 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.6 yrs |
| Miami | 1,807 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.6 yrs |
| Largo | 1,806 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.6 yrs |
| Naples | 1,805 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.6 yrs |
| Pompano Beach | 1,801 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.6 yrs |
| Sarasota | 1,799 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Davie | 1,795 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| St. Petersburg | 1,794 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Coral Springs | 1,792 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Palm Bay | 1,789 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Fort Myers | 1,783 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Miami Gardens | 1,780 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| West Palm Beach | 1,775 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Port St. Lucie | 1,773 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Boca Raton | 1,773 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Plantation | 1,769 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Tampa | 1,765 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Deerfield Beach | 1,760 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Melbourne | 1,759 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Lakeland | 1,753 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Fort Lauderdale | 1,745 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Kissimmee | 1,738 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Hialeah | 1,734 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Sunrise | 1,730 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Pensacola | 1,721 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Sebring | 1,712 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Daytona Beach | 1,704 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Orlando | 1,692 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.1 yrs |
| Ocala | 1,685 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.2 yrs |
| Deltona | 1,684 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.2 yrs |
| Palm Coast | 1,682 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.2 yrs |
| Jacksonville | 1,612 | 20 | $15,960 | 9.6 yrs |
| Tallahassee | 1,575 | 21 | $16,758 | 10 yrs |
| Gainesville | 1,534 | 21 | $16,758 | 10.1 yrs |
| Panama City | 1,511 | 22 | $17,556 | 10.5 yrs |
What a system costs in Florida
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 4,812 | $6,384 | $736 | 8.7 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 7,218 | $9,576 | $1,104 | 8.7 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 9,623 | $12,768 | $1,472 | 8.7 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 12,029 | $15,960 | $1,699 | 9.4 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 15,638 | $20,748 | $1,837 | 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 1,769 usable sun hours, a typical Florida system pays back in about 8.7 years and returns roughly $26,971 across a 25-year panel life. That is a solid return, and rising electricity prices only improve it. Individual cities in Florida vary widely around this average.
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 601 kWh annually at Florida sunlight levels. Your own figure depends on actual usage — pull a year of bills rather than assuming average consumption, since heating and EV charging change it a lot.
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, or roughly $2.85 per watt installed. Quotes vary widely by installer, roof complexity and whether your electrical panel needs upgrading — get three before deciding.
Worth reading before you buy
Regional estimates generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples across 38 Florida cities, and average Florida electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial or tax advice.