Florida Solar and Battery Incentives in 2026: What's Actually Available
Updated August 11, 2026 · Research-based guide · Some links may earn us a commission (disclosure).
Quick summary
- The federal 30% residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025.
- Florida still offers a 100% property tax exemption and a sales tax exemption for qualifying solar and battery equipment at the state level.
- Net metering remains available through Florida’s investor-owned utilities (FPL, Duke Energy Florida, TECO, Gulf Power) at close to full retail credit, but rules and credit rates vary by utility and can change.
- Battery-specific rebates are utility-specific and limited — for example, JEA in Jacksonville has offered a rebate for qualifying battery systems, and some municipal utilities offer low-interest financing for solar.
- None of this is tax advice. Confirm current eligibility with your utility, a licensed tax professional, and the Florida Department of Revenue or IRS before making purchase decisions.
This article is a starting point for understanding what’s on the table in Florida — not a substitute for checking with your utility and a tax professional, since program details and rates change and vary by provider.
Federal incentives: what changed
For years, the Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) let homeowners deduct 30% of solar and battery storage costs from federal taxes. That credit ended for any system placed in service after December 31, 2025, following the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed in mid-2025. If you’re installing solar or a battery in 2026, do not assume the 30% federal credit still applies to a cash or loan purchase — verify directly with the IRS before counting on it in your budget.
There’s a narrower path that can still deliver a federal incentive: systems installed through a solar lease or power purchase agreement (PPA) with a third-party owner may still qualify indirectly, since the owner (not you) can claim the commercial Section 48E investment tax credit for standalone storage, sometimes passed through as lower lease payments. This is a business structuring question — ask any installer offering a lease to explain, in writing, what federal incentive (if any) is baked into the price, and confirm with a tax professional rather than taking a sales pitch at face value.
Florida state-level incentives
Property tax exemption
Florida exempts the added home value from residential solar (and qualifying storage) installations from property tax assessment. In practice, this means installing solar shouldn’t raise your property tax bill even though it increases your home’s value. This is administered by county property appraisers — confirm the current exemption process with your county appraiser’s office.
Sales tax exemption
Florida exempts qualifying solar energy systems, including some battery storage equipment, from the state’s 6% sales tax at time of purchase. Ask your installer to confirm the exemption is applied at checkout, and get it itemized on your invoice.
Net metering
Florida’s major investor-owned utilities are required to offer net metering to residential solar customers, crediting excess solar production sent to the grid at close to the retail electricity rate. As of early 2026, published estimates for FPL’s residential rate put net metering credit value in the range of roughly $0.13-$0.14 per kWh, though this number moves with fuel costs and rate cases — do not rely on this article for your exact current rate. Check your specific bill or your utility’s net metering tariff page for the number that applies to you.
Two things worth knowing:
- Municipal utilities and electric cooperatives (like several city-owned providers around the state) are not bound by the same statewide net metering mandate that applies to investor-owned utilities, so their programs can differ — some offer similar 1:1 credit, others use different net billing structures.
- Net metering policy has been a subject of ongoing regulatory and legislative debate in Florida in recent years. Confirm current rules with the Florida Public Service Commission rather than assuming last year’s terms still apply.
Utility-specific battery rebates
Unlike the old federal credit, battery rebates in Florida are not uniform — they depend entirely on which utility serves your address:
| Utility | Program type (verify current details directly) |
|---|---|
| JEA (Jacksonville) | Has offered a fixed rebate for qualifying battery storage systems meeting minimum capacity and warranty requirements |
| City of Tallahassee Utilities | Has offered low-interest financing (loan, not rebate) for solar and related equipment, repaid via utility bill |
| FPL, Duke Energy Florida, TECO | Generally no direct battery purchase rebate as of early 2026, though demand-response or “battery bring your own device” pilot programs occasionally appear and are worth asking about |
Because these programs open, close, and change terms, call your utility’s energy efficiency or renewable energy department directly, or check their official rebate/incentive page, before budgeting around a specific rebate amount.
How to verify current numbers before you buy
- IRS.gov — for federal tax credit status and eligibility rules
- Florida Department of Revenue — for state sales tax exemption specifics
- Your county property appraiser’s office — for the property tax exemption process
- Your specific electric utility’s website — for net metering tariffs and any battery rebate programs
- DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency), dsireusa.org — a widely used, regularly updated third-party database of state and utility incentive programs by ZIP code
FAQ
Is there still any federal incentive for installing solar in 2026? The 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit for direct purchases ended after December 31, 2025. Some lease/PPA arrangements may still indirectly pass through a commercial credit — confirm specifics in writing with the provider and a tax professional.
Does Florida require utilities to offer net metering? Florida’s investor-owned utilities are required to offer net metering to residential solar customers under state rules, but the exact credit rate and terms can change through utility rate cases — always check your utility’s current tariff.
Are there rebates for adding a battery to an existing solar system? Some municipal utilities (JEA is the most commonly cited example) have offered battery rebates; most of the large investor-owned utilities have not, as of early 2026. This varies and changes, so contact your utility directly.
Do I need a permit to install solar or a battery in Florida? Yes — virtually all Florida jurisdictions require an electrical and/or building permit for solar and battery installations, typically pulled by your licensed installer. Ask any installer to confirm permitting is included in their proposal.
Should I trust a solar salesperson’s claims about tax credits and rebates? Get every incentive claim in writing and verify it independently through the official sources listed above. Sales estimates of “your system will pay for itself with incentives” can be outdated or overly optimistic, especially now that the federal 30% credit has changed.
This isn’t tax advice, right? Correct — nothing in this article is tax, legal, or financial advice. Incentive eligibility depends on your specific situation, and program rules change. Confirm details with a licensed tax professional and the official sources linked above before making purchase decisions.