Is solar worth it in Tampa in 2026?
A roof in Tampa produces about 1,566 kWh a year per kW of panels. For a home with a $150 monthly bill, a 7.5 kW system costs about $23,289 at Florida's median price and pays for itself in roughly 12.9 years, with no federal tax credit. That is 5% more sun than Jacksonville, the city on our Florida page.
1,566kWh 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
12.9 years
- System size
- 7.5 kW
- Installed cost
- $23,289
- Savings, year one
- $1,800
- Net over 25 years
- $19,112
Sized to cover your yearly use at today's price. Panels lose 0.5% a year; prices held flat. Method
How Tampa homes get paid for solar
Export rules are set at the state and utility level, not by the city. Tampa 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. Tampa gets 1,566 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 7.5 kW, roughly 19 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, Orlando.
Method: how we calculate payback. Compare all states in theranking or size a system with the panel calculator.