Is there a federal tax credit for solar with Duke Energy Florida?

No. The federal residential clean energy credit does not apply to installs in 2026 or later, so none is applied. Whether solar pays back with Duke Energy Florida depends on your rates, your usage, your roof and your installer’s price.

How does Duke Energy Florida credit the solar I send to the grid?

Florida uses retail net metering. In our model each kilowatt-hour your panels make offsets one you would buy from Duke Energy Florida, and credit left over at the end of the year counts as worth nothing. Confirm Duke Energy Florida’s current terms with your installer.

Will a battery shorten my payback with Duke Energy Florida?

In our Florida model a battery adds cost but no extra bill savings, because net metering already credits solar you send to the grid, so it lengthens payback. Homeowners add one mainly for backup power during outages.

How are the worked examples calculated?

They come from the same calculator engine as the Florida and California calculators, using the rates, costs and assumptions listed on the methodology page, the sun at a Largo ZIP code, and illustrative bills rather than Duke Energy Florida averages. Your home will differ.

Where do the Duke Energy Florida rates come from?

From Duke Energy Florida’s published RS-1 residential tariff information, read on 2026-10-22. The methodology page lists every source. Rates change, so check your latest bill.

Is solar worth it with Duke Energy Florida in 2026? (No federal tax credit)

The federal residential solar credit has ended for 2026 installs, so payback on Duke Energy Florida rates depends on the rates themselves, how your home uses power and what an installer charges. This page shows how Duke Energy Florida bills and credits solar, and worked examples from the same engine as our Florida calculator.

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A typical Duke Energy Florida home at a glance

Solar only, a $250 monthly bill, no federal tax credit. From the worked examples below.

Installed cost of a 12.1 kW system

Low estimate: $30,100 or less
Likely: $37,400
High estimate: $45,300 or more

By our estimates, a quote below the low end is a good price; above the high end, ask the installer why. Curve shape is illustrative.

Years to pay back

Best case: 10.5 yrs
Likely: 12.5 yrs
Worst case: 15 yrs

Best case: low installed price, high rate increases. Worst case: the reverse. Curve shape is illustrative.

How Duke Energy Florida bills and credits solar

Duke Energy Florida residential rate schedule: RS-1. Energy is billed in tiers, so each extra kilowatt-hour solar replaces is worth the rate of the tier it would have been billed in.

Duke Energy Florida: rates used in our model
Item	Rate
Summer First 1000 kWh/month	$0.136/kWh
Summer Over 1000 kWh/month	$0.154/kWh
Winter First 1000 kWh/month	$0.147/kWh
Winter Over 1000 kWh/month	$0.172/kWh
Fixed monthly charge	$14.43

How the energy rate is built

Duke's RS-1 base energy charge changes with the season: one price applies from March to November and a different one from December to February. All-in rate = base energy + fuel + conservation + capacity + environmental + asset securitization + storm protection plan surcharge (+ storm cost recovery surcharge, which is zero), from Duke's 'Base Rates by Rate Schedule' and 'Clause Rates by Rate Schedule' tables effective October 2026 (cents/kWh, up to / over 1,000 kWh: summer base 7.731 / 8.503, winter base 8.805 / 10.302, fuel 4.127 / 5.197, conservation 0.386, capacity 0.133, environmental 0.040, asset securitization 0.238, storm protection plan 0.936). Taxes and franchise fees are not included. Duke applies a $30 minimum bill.

Florida uses retail net metering. In our model, each kilowatt-hour your panels make offsets one you would otherwise buy from Duke Energy Florida, priced through its tiered rates month by month.

Duke Energy Florida’s tariff sets a minimum bill of $30 a month, so solar cannot take the bill below it. The fixed monthly charge also still applies. Solar banked but unused at the end of the year is counted as worth nothing in our model, and net-metering rules can change, so ask your installer for Duke Energy Florida’s current terms.

Rate data read on 2026-10-22. Tariff source. Every source is listed on the methodology page.

Worked examples on Duke Energy Florida rates

These use illustrative monthly bills, not Duke Energy Florida averages, for a home at a Largo ZIP code (33770) with some shade, and no federal tax credit. Ranges are low to high, with the likely value for payback. Your home will differ.

$150 a month Solar only
Installed cost
$18,300–$27,500
Year-1 savings
$1,400
Payback (years)
11.5–16.5 (likely 13.5)
$150 a month Solar + 1 battery
Installed cost
$30,700–$42,600
Year-1 savings
$1,400
Payback (years)
16.5–24 (likely 19.5)
$250 a month Solar only
Installed cost
$30,100–$45,300
Year-1 savings
$2,500–$2,600
Payback (years)
10.5–15 (likely 12.5)
$250 a month Solar + 1 battery
Installed cost
$42,500–$60,400
Year-1 savings
$2,500–$2,600
Payback (years)
13.5–19.5 (likely 16)
$350 a month Solar only
Installed cost
$39,500–$53,500
Year-1 savings
$3,400
Payback (years)
10–14 (likely 12)
$350 a month Solar + 1 battery
Installed cost
$51,900–$68,600
Year-1 savings
$3,400
Payback (years)
12.5–17.5 (likely 14.5)

Monthly bill	Option	System size	Installed cost	Year-1 savings	Payback (years)
$150	Solar only	6.9 kW–7.7 kW	$18,300–$27,500	$1,400	11.5–16.5 (likely 13.5)
$150	Solar + 1 battery	6.9 kW–7.7 kW	$30,700–$42,600	$1,400	16.5–24 (likely 19.5)
$250	Solar only	11.4 kW–12.7 kW	$30,100–$45,300	$2,500–$2,600	10.5–15 (likely 12.5)
$250	Solar + 1 battery	11.4 kW–12.7 kW	$42,500–$60,400	$2,500–$2,600	13.5–19.5 (likely 16)
$350	Solar only	15 kW	$39,500–$53,500	$3,400	10–14 (likely 12)
$350	Solar + 1 battery	15 kW	$51,900–$68,600	$3,400	12.5–17.5 (likely 14.5)

Payback “more than 25” means it did not pay back within the 25-year analysis period. Estimates, not quotes; installer prices and your usage will differ.

What changes your number

Your bill and usage. Higher use means a bigger system and more bill to offset.
Shade and roof direction. Less sun on the panels means less energy for the same cost.
Installer price. Quotes vary; compare at least a few on the same system size.
Rate changes. If Duke Energy Florida’s rates rise faster or slower than we assume, savings move with them.
Credit rules. Net metering or export credit rules can change, and they affect how solar sent to the grid is valued.
A battery. It adds cost and gives backup power; whether it also saves money depends on the rules above.
How you pay. Our estimates assume buying with cash and leave out financing costs, maintenance and equipment replacement.

See the numbers for your home

Enter your ZIP code and monthly bill to get a payback range for your own home, or compare free quotes from up to 3 installers.

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Frequently asked questions

Is there a federal tax credit for solar with Duke Energy Florida?: No. The federal residential clean energy credit does not apply to installs in 2026 or later, so none is applied. Whether solar pays back with Duke Energy Florida depends on your rates, your usage, your roof and your installer’s price.
How does Duke Energy Florida credit the solar I send to the grid?: Florida uses retail net metering. In our model each kilowatt-hour your panels make offsets one you would buy from Duke Energy Florida, and credit left over at the end of the year counts as worth nothing. Confirm Duke Energy Florida’s current terms with your installer.
Will a battery shorten my payback with Duke Energy Florida?: In our Florida model a battery adds cost but no extra bill savings, because net metering already credits solar you send to the grid, so it lengthens payback. Homeowners add one mainly for backup power during outages.
How are the worked examples calculated?: They come from the same calculator engine as the Florida and California calculators, using the rates, costs and assumptions listed on the methodology page, the sun at a Largo ZIP code, and illustrative bills rather than Duke Energy Florida averages. Your home will differ.
Where do the Duke Energy Florida rates come from?: From Duke Energy Florida’s published RS-1 residential tariff information, read on 2026-10-22. The methodology page lists every source. Rates change, so check your latest bill.