Is solar worth it in Orlando in 2026?
A roof in Orlando produces about 1,528 kWh a year per kW of panels. For a home with a $150 monthly bill, a 7.7 kW system costs about $23,868 at Florida's median price and pays for itself in roughly 13.3 years, with no federal tax credit. That is 3% more sun than Jacksonville, the city on our Florida page.
1,528kWh per kW a year
Source: PVGIS, NSRDB data
15.3¢per kWh
Source: EIA, 2026 year to date
$3.10per watt
Source: Berkeley Lab
Calculator · 2026 data, no federal tax credit
How long would solar take to pay for itself?
Simple payback
13.3 years
- System size
- 7.7 kW
- Installed cost
- $23,868
- Savings, year one
- $1,800
- Net over 25 years
- $18,533
Sized to cover your yearly use at today's price. Panels lose 0.5% a year; prices held flat. Method
How Orlando homes get paid for solar
Export rules are set at the state and utility level, not by the city. Orlando is under Florida's full net metering: Investor-owned utilities credit monthly exports against your next bill at the kWh rate under PSC Rule 25-6.065; unused credits are paid out once a year at a lower avoided-cost rate. The full rules, incentives and sources are on theFlorida page.
Why the city matters
Two things change from one city to another in the same state: the sun, which sets how many panels you need, and the utility, which sets what exported power is worth. Orlando gets 1,528 kWh per kW a year on a south-facing roof at a 20° tilt, so covering a year of use for a $150 bill at 15.3¢ takes about 7.7 kW, roughly 20 panels of 400 W. Electricity prices in the calculator are the Florida residential average; your utility's rate can be higher or lower, so put your own bill in.
Other Florida cities: Miami, Tampa.
Method: how we calculate payback. Compare all states in theranking or size a system with the panel calculator.