Florida Solar Incentives Explained

Incentives are designed to encourage investment in renewable energy, reduce reliance on traditional power generation, and support long-term energy resilience. Understanding them is less about politics and more about knowing what’s available to you as a homeowner.

This is the single most important update for Florida homeowners researching solar right now. According to the IRS, the Residential Clean Energy Credit equaled 30% of the cost of qualifying clean energy property installed from 2022 through December 31, 2025, and the credit is not available for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025.¹

In plain English: if you are shopping for solar today, you should not assume a 30% federal credit will reduce your tax bill, and you should be cautious about any proposal, savings projection, or financing offer that still builds one in. Verify the current federal treatment on the IRS page above and with a qualified tax professional before relying on any number.

If you already installed and placed a qualifying system in service in an eligible year, the IRS states the credit is nonrefundable and that any excess unused credit can be carried forward to reduce tax owed in future years.¹ How that applies to your return depends on your individual tax situation.

Under Florida law, solar energy systems — or any component of one — are exempt from Florida sales tax, with the Florida Solar Energy Center certifying the list of qualifying equipment and hardware.² Because the exemption is applied at the point of sale, it reduces the purchase cost without requiring you to file additional paperwork.

Many homeowners worry: “If solar increases my home’s value, will my property taxes go up?”

Florida law addresses this directly. In determining the assessed value of real property used for residential purposes, the just value attributable to a qualifying renewable energy source device may not be considered. The statute applies to qualifying devices installed on or after January 1, 2013 on new and existing residential real property.³ The statute defines which equipment qualifies, so your specific installation and county assessment should be confirmed with the official source.

Some Florida utilities offer additional programs or policies that interact with residential solar. Offerings vary by provider and can change over time. The Florida Public Service Commission publishes consumer information on customer-owned renewable generation and can help you identify your utility.⁴

Rather than trying to list every possible program, SolarFit™ takes your utility into account when generating personalized guidance.

The best reason to consider solar isn’t because incentives exist. It’s because solar makes sense for your home. This is especially true now that the federal credit is no longer available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025¹ — the underlying fit of the system to your home and usage matters more than ever.