Going solar with Florida Power and Light (FPL)

Florida Power and Light serves nearly half of the state’s residents. Chances are, you’re probably tired of giving FPL hundreds, maybe even thousands, of dollars a year just to keep your lights on.

By installing solar panels you can use less electricity from FPL and more of what you generated right on your own roof. Not only does that mean you’re less reliant on a huge utility, but you’re also paying them less money.

If you’re an FPL customer considering solar, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about going solar with FPL from how much installation costs to what incentives are available.

How much does a solar system cost in Florida?

If you're looking to go solar, the first thing you probably want to know is "how much will solar panels cost?". The average homeowner in the Sunshine State can expect to pay about $2.70 per watt of solar installed.

In order to cover a monthly electric bill of $100, you’d need to install around 6.84 kilowatts (kW) of solar in Florida, which would cost about $18,500. When you consider the 30% federal solar tax credit, the cost is closer to $13,000.

The following table outlines the average installation costs for different-sized solar systems in Florida:

Monthly bill	System size*	System cost before tax credit	System cost after tax credit
$80	5.47 kW	$14,700	$10,300
$100	6.84 kW	$18,500	$12,900
$150	10.26 kW	$27,718	$19,400
$200	13.68 kW	$37,000	$25,800

*Estimated system size needed to cover monthly bill, excluding non-energy related fees

The actual system size you need will depend on more than just your monthly bill. The location of your home, the utility rate schedule you have, the direction of your roof, and shading are all factors that can influence your home’s system size. You can use our solar panel calculator to get a better idea of what size solar system is right for you.

Does Florida Power and Light offer net metering?

Yes, Florida Power and Light offers a net metering program for customers who go solar. With full retail net metering, your home consumes the solar energy produced on your roof first. 

If you generate more solar energy than your home needs, the electricity gets sent to the grid, and FPL will put a credit on your bill to offset your future usage. These credits will carry over from month to month.

Check out solar expert Will White explain net metering to get a better idea of how it works:

Annual true-up

FPL’s net metering program has an annual true-up in January that adjusts for the difference between estimated and actual energy consumption and production. 

If you have any excess net metering credits at the time of your true-up, FPL will pay you out at the “average annual cost of generation” per kWh. The annual cost of generation is substantially lower than the retail rate of electricity, usually between $0.02 and $0.03 per kWh for FPL. Then your net metering credit bank will be reset to zero.

Minimum bill requirement

It's important to keep in mind that your solar panels won't be able to cover all of your electric bills. FPL has a minimum bill requirement of $25 that cannot be offset, no matter how much solar electricity you produce. Depending on your rate schedule, there may be other charges that cannot be covered by your solar generation.

Does FPL have any solar rebates or incentives?

No, Florida Power and Light does not offer any rebates or incentives for homeowners going solar.

However, Florida residents can still take advantage of the federal solar tax credit as long as they have a taxable income. The solar tax credit covers 30% of the costs of installing a solar system.

Steps to going solar with Florida Power and Light

Going solar isn’t as easy as installing solar panels and calling it a day. There’s quite a bit of work (and paperwork) that goes into getting a solar panel system up and running safely. Your solar installer will handle a lot of what we’ll describe here, but it’s still good information to keep in the back of your mind during the solar interconnection process.

1. Design the system and figure out what size you need. Your solar installer will be the one designing and sizing your system, but you need to know this information before you can start your installation. Your solar system cannot be expected to generate more than 115% of your historical annual electricity usage, as per FPL rules.

2. Get pre-approved by FPL. Apply online for pre-approval with your FPL account number, taxpayer ID number, and equipment size.

3. Start installation. Once FPL pre-approves your system, installation may begin.

4. Sign the interconnection agreement. FPL's interconnection agreement is what lets you connect your solar panel system to the grid. It outlines the responsibilities of you and the utility and outlines certain equipment and standards the system must comply with.

5. Inspection and permitting submission. Before your solar system can be turned on, it must meet any inspection and permitting requirements held by your municipality or county. All permits must be provided to FPL. Permitting and inspections can take anywhere from one to eight weeks, depending on the municipality, and will be handled by your installer.

6. Install bi-directional meter. When FPL has received all of the proper documentation, they will alert you that your bi-directional meter has been ordered so your system can participate in the net metering program. FPL will install the meter.

7. Permission to operate. After the meter has been installed, FPL will send you confirmation that you have permission to operate. Your system can be turned on and you can start reaping the benefits of solar!

All-in-all, you can expect your system to be up in running in a few weeks, granted you receive all of your approvals and permits in a timely manner. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case.

In fact, some solar installers have expressed frustrations with the permitting upload process, which only allows one image of the permit card to be uploaded, despite the fact that FPL requires information that is on both the front and the back of the permit card. It sounds silly, but these types of clerical issues can lead to substantial delays.

Is going solar with FPL worth it?

Yes, going solar with FPL is totally worth it. The cost of solar in Florida is a little bit lower than what you’ll pay in other states, plus the full retail net metering offered by FPL provides significant savings on your monthly electric bill.

But those savings might not be around forever. Utilities nationwide are trying to eliminate net metering altogether. Without net metering, the amount that solar can save you can be cut drastically.

So, the sooner you go solar, the better. To get started, use our solar savings calculator, which will give you a better idea of what system size you need to cover your monthly electric bill, what incentives are available, and how much electricity your solar panels could produce.

Going solar with FPL FAQs