Cost of Solar Panels in Florida

Solar Panels in Florida: Pricing, Savings, and Financial Benefits

Key Details

• Floridians pay an average of $2.60 per watt for solar energy, cheaper than the US average of $2.93.
• Solar panel cost in Florida ranges from $7,800 to $26,400 before considering tax investment credit (ITC) for wattages between 3 kW and 10 kW solar panels.
• Solar leases/Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) are available as a third-party owned option if upfront installation costs are prohibitive.
• Monocrystalline panels are one of the best solar panel type for home use in Florida

How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in Florida?

As of 2023, Floridians pay $2.60 per watt of solar energy. This figure compares favorably with the national average of $2.93 per watt. Floridian residents pay an average of $210 monthly or $2,520 yearly for electricity, about 16% higher than the U.S. monthly average of $177.75 or $2,133 annually.

Like most states in the U.S., solar panel cost in Florida rises with increased wattage. Florida solar panel cost ranges from $7,800 to $26,400 without the solar tax investment credit (ITC) for wattages between 3 kW and 10 kW solar panels.

For instance, 5 kW and 6 kW solar panels cost between $13,000 and $15,800 to install in Florida without solar credit. However, these figures reduce to $9,240 and $11,060 after applying the Federal ITC.

Average Solar Panel Cost in Florida

The residential electricity rate in the U.S. ranges between 6 and 71 cents/kWh. The national average is 20 cents/kWh. Florida's solar energy cost is 10.42 cents/kWh.

This figure is lower than the 10.62 cents/kWh for grid retail energy.

Is it Better to Lease or Buy in Florida?

Solar panels are available through leasing or outright purchase options and each offer unique benefits. Cash purchase (or solar loan financing) will give you outright ownership of the solar energy system while a solar lease or a PPA is third-party ownership (TPO).

Under Solar leases/Power Purchase Agreements, the solar installation company installs the solar panel system on the property and charges for the electricity produced at a predetermined rate.

Typically, the contract is for 25 years and at a rate that is 10 to 30% lower than the average electricity cost. If you want to decide what payment method will meet your needs, you may need to consider its pros and cons.

Ultimately, the better option is the one that meets your energy needs and is within your budget.

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need in Florida?

The number of solar panels you need depends on your energy consumption. In addition, it also depends on the solar panels' wattage. Irrespective of the energy consumption, you will require less number of solar panels with a higher wattage.

For instance, you will need fewer 400-watt than 200-watt panels to meet your energy consumption.

The average Florida family consumes 11,000 kW of energy yearly. To determine the number of solar panels that will meet your energy needs, the following are important and should be considered.

• Your average energy consumption
• Solar panel wattage - Residential solar panels wattage in the U.S. range between 250 to 400 watts.
• The solar panel production ratio - This is the system’s energy production (in kWh) over a period. For instance, a 10 kW solar system producing 17,000 kWh of energy of electricity will have a production ratio of 1.7 (17 kWh / 10 kWh)

Calculating the number of solar panels

To calculate the number of solar panels you need to produce 17 kWh of energy using a 10 kW system consisting of 400-watt solar panels, apply the following steps.

Number of solar panels = System Size / (Production Ratio x Panel Wattage)

11000 kW / (1.7 X 400) = 16 Solar Panels

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need for a 3-Bedroom House?

To produce enough energy to meet the needs of a 3-bedroom house in Florida, you will need ten 3.5 kWp (kilowatt peak) solar panels. The energy consumption of a 3-bedroom home is about 2,645 kWh.

Note: kWp is the rate at which the solar panels produce electricity at peak performance on sunny days.

How Many Solar Panels do I need for a 4-bedroom house?

To meet the energy needs of a 4-bedroom house in Florida, you need fourteen 5 kWp solar panels. A 4-bedroom home consumes an average of 3,700 kWh of electricity yearly and has a roof space of 301.4-square-foot. This measurement should be adequate to accommodate the required number of solar panels.

Do all Solar Panels Produce the Same Energy?

Solar panels do not produce the same energy under similar conditions. The size of energy produced depends on the solar panels' wattage, quality, and efficiency.

For instance, monocrystalline panels in Florida may generate more energy than polycrystalline types because they are more efficient. In addition, the quality of the solar panels contributes to the energy output.

Popular brands, such as Tesla solar panels in Florida, may produce more energy than the lesser-grade ones. In Florida (and the rest of the U.S.), residential solar panels' wattage range from 250 watts to 400 watts. Solar panels with higher wattage tend to produce more energy under similar conditions.

Which type of Solar Panel is best for Home Use in Florida?

The best solar panels for homes in Florida must have an impressive power temperature coefficient to function effectively under hot and humid conditions.

The power temperature coefficient of solar panels is the amount of electricity loss due to temperature build-up in the solar cells. Power loss results from an increase in electrical resistance with temperature rise.

Before you buy solar panels for Florida homes, check the power temperature coefficient rating.

There are three types of solar panels, these are:

• Polycrystalline
• Monocrystalline, and
• Thin-film solar panels.

The different types of solar panels in the Florida market come with varying qualities, as outlined below.

Monocrystalline solar panels

These solar panels are manufactured by placing “seed crystals” of silicon into a vat of pure molten silicon at high temperatures. Monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient and have 17% to 22% efficiency ratings.

Pros

• The efficiency of monocrystalline panels in Florida makes them ideal for homes with limited roof spaces
• Fewer solar panels are needed to meet energy requirements than the other types of solar panels
• Monocrystalline solar panels have higher power capacity ratings than other solar panel types
• Last longer than other types of solar panels
• Better performance than other types under low sunlight, making it better for cloudy weather.

Cons

• Cost more than the other solar panel types.

Polycrystalline Solar Panels

These are mid-tier performance solar panels with an efficiency range of between 15% and 17%. Polycrystalline solar panels are made of multiple silicon cells that prevent the easy movement of electrons, leading to decreased efficiency.

Pros

• Least expensive than the other types of solar panels
• High durability
• More environmentally friendly.

Cons

• Low efficiency
• Requires larger space
• More fragile than monocrystalline panels in Florida
• Shorter life span than the monocrystalline types.

Thin-film Solar panels

These solar panels are the least efficient, they offer single-digit efficiency ratings as of a few years back. Recent research has produced thin-film solar panels with higher than monocrystalline panels.

However, commercially available thin-film solar panels are the least efficient of all solar panel types.

Pros

• Highly resistant to degradation
• Produces more energy in cloudy conditions than the crystalline solar panels
• Lightweight and does not require mounting devices to install
• Ideal for curved/dome-shaped metal roofs
• Do not lose much efficiency under extreme heat

Cons

• Requires much space to install
• Not as durable as the crystalline solar panels
• Commercially available thin-film solar panels have low efficiency
• May be made from toxic materials.

In addition to the qualities outlined above for the different solar panels in the Florida market, monocrystalline solar panels are the most resilient under Florida’s intense heat and humid conditions. Also, monocrystalline solar panels have the highest efficiency and produce consistent energy over time. These features make monocrystalline solar panels the best option for homes in the state.

Can you Run a House Solely on Solar Panels in Florida?

Yes, you can run a house solely on solar panels in Florida. However, this may require a considerable financial investment. The cost of running a home solely on solar power depends on your monthly energy consumption.

To use a solar panel system to run a building, you need power storage to store energy for use during off-peak periods. Although solar installation costs in Florida are dropping in recent years, they may be on the high side for Florida residents.

However, federal tax credits for newly installed solar systems and the various local incentives help reduce costs. In addition, you apply energy-saving methods to reduce the energy you consume where necessary.

For instance, you can use the following tricks to save on energy consumption and maximize the power from your solar panel system.

• Use LED lights instead of the regular incandescent light bulbs in the home
• Run high energy consumption devices during the peak energy production period
• Turn off the standby mode on electrical appliances like computers, kitchen appliances, tv, etc.

How Big of a Solar System do I need to go Off-Grid in Florida?

To go off-grid, you need a solar system that can produce enough power to meet your energy needs. Before you go off-grid, you need to determine the number of solar panels that will generate the energy you need and install a storage system to store energy. You can calculate the number of solar panels you need through the following steps.

Step 1

Determine your monthly electricity needs. Ask your utility company for information on your electricity consumption.

Step 2

Determine the amount of usable space available for installation.

Step 3

Determine the days of direct sunlight in your location and the best position for maximum exposure.

Step 4

Consider your budget and the best solar panels that will meet your needs.

You can calculate how many solar panels you need through the formula below.

((monthly electricity consumption / monthly peak sun hours) x 1000) / power rating of the solar panel

Depending on your energy needs, the table below shows different sizes of solar panel systems and their estimated costs.