Learn · 40 guides
What nobody explains before you sign
Guides for Central Florida homeowners, with Duke, FPL and TECO numbers and sources at the bottom. No jargon, no fine print. Start with your bill.
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Your home’s usage
5 things raising your electric bill in Florida (and how to cut them)
Incentives and tax credit
Federal solar tax credit in 2026: the 30% ended for buyers, not for third-party systems
Batteries and backup
Home solar batteries in Florida in 2026: what they do, what they cost, and when you don't need one
Your electric bill
How to read your FPL bill in 2026, line by line
Solar energy
Net metering in Florida in 2026: how your utility credits the energy you don't use
Your roof
Roof before solar: when to replace it first (Florida 2026)
Subscription and other options
7 guidesSolar energy subscription in Central Florida: the complete 2026 guide
How the My Home Solutions subscription works: you save at least 30%, guaranteed in writing, for 3 or 5 years. Who qualifies, the yearly true-up and when it does not fit.
10 min read
Ways to get solar energy in Florida in 2026, compared
Cash, loan, lease/PPA, prepaid lease and a 3-or-5-year subscription: who owns it, who uses the tax credit, what happens when you sell and which one fits you.
9 min read
Solar loan explained: dealer fees, the real APR and what owning means
How a 10-to-25-year solar loan works, what the dealer fee that inflates your price is, why a low rate is not a low price, and what happened to re-amortization in 2026.
7 min read
Solar lease and PPA explained: ownership, escalator, buyout and 48E in 2026
The difference between a lease (fixed payment) and a PPA (pay per kWh), what the annual escalator is, how buyout and transfer at sale work, and why the third party gets the tax credit in 2026.
7 min read
Prepaid solar lease explained: the third party takes 48E, you finance 70%
How a prepaid solar lease works in 2026: a third party owns the system for the first years and captures the federal credit, you pay about 70% of the price, and in year 6 you buy at 'fair market value'. Who it suits and what to check.
7 min read
The escalator in a solar lease: what 0% vs 2.9% means over 25 years, with a table
The escalator is the percentage your lease or PPA payment rises every year. Illustrative table of a $150 payment at 0%, 0.99%, 1.99% and 2.99% over 25 years, and how to decide which one to accept.
6 min read
Solar energy with bad credit in Florida: real options and what to avoid
What you can do if your score is below 650: a subscription with a soft check, PACE, a co-signer, credit unions and improving your score. And the offers to avoid.
7 min read
Your electric bill
8 guidesHow to read your FPL bill in 2026, line by line
What every charge on your FPL bill means (base charge, energy, fuel, storm, taxes), where your 13-month kWh history lives, and how to download the PDF from the app or FPL.com.
8 min read
How to read your Duke Energy Florida bill in 2026
Customer charge, energy charge, fuel, asset securitization, taxes and the $30 minimum: what each line on your Duke Energy bill means and where to see your usage.
7 min read
How to read your TECO (Tampa Electric) bill in 2026
Daily basic service charge, energy, fuel, storm surcharge, storm protection and clean energy transition: what each line on your Tampa Electric bill is and what it costs per kWh.
7 min read
Why electric bills rise in Florida (2026): the 4 real causes
Rate cases, the fuel clause, storm cost recovery and more air conditioning: what moves your bill at FPL, Duke and TECO, and which part you actually control.
8 min read
The utility minimum charge in Florida: why your bill never reaches $0
FPL and Duke bill a $30 minimum base bill every month even if solar covers all your energy; TECO bills a daily basic charge. What it includes, what it does not, and how it affects net metering.
7 min read
Time-of-use rates in Florida 2026: when they save and when they cost you more
What a time-of-use rate is, what FPL, Duke and TECO offer, each one's peak hours, and why it only pays if you can shift big loads (EV, battery, pool) out of the peak.
8 min read
What is a kWh and how much does a Florida home use (2026)
A kWh is the unit your utility bills. The average Florida home used 1,104 kWh a month in 2024. What the AC, water heater, pool pump and dryer draw, with the formula to work it out.
7 min read
How much electricity costs in Florida in 2026: ¢/kWh and average bill
Florida paid 15.10 ¢/kWh residential in June 2026 versus 18.34 in the U.S., but uses more: the average bill was $156 in 2024. Figures from EIA, EnergySage and the FPL, Duke and TECO tariffs.
7 min read
Solar energy
14 guidesHow home solar works: from your roof to your bill
What happens to solar energy from the moment your roof makes it until you use it, what happens at night, and why Florida heat costs you output.
7 min read
Net metering in Florida in 2026: how your utility credits the energy you don't use
What net metering is, how it works with Duke, FPL and TECO in Central Florida, why a minimum charge always remains, and when the year-end bill comes in your favor.
7 min read
How many solar panels do I need in Florida? Sizing from your real kWh
How to size a solar system from your kWh, how much a kW produces in Florida, why 400 W panels are the standard, and why designing at 110% of usage makes sense.
8 min read
Solar cost in Florida in 2026: the real price per watt
Sourced $/W ranges for Florida, a cost-by-size table, what drives the price up or down, and what a fair proposal looks like next to an inflated one.
8 min read
How much solar energy really saves in Florida (and why some do not)
Why solar energy does not leave you with a $0 bill, what the minimum charge is, how much is left when there is a monthly payment, and the five reasons some people save nothing.
8 min read
'Free' solar energy in Florida: what you are really being offered
Nobody gives away solar energy. 'Free' is a lease, a PPA or a loan under another name. What is behind each one, how it gets paid, and the red flags before you sign.
7 min read
Solar panel types and warranties: what to ask for and what to ignore
Mono, poly and thin-film; what 'Tier 1' really means; the three warranties that matter (product, performance, workmanship) and how much a panel actually degrades.
8 min read
String inverters vs microinverters: which one belongs on your roof
What the inverter does, how string, optimizer and microinverter setups handle shade, the warranty each carries (Enphase, SolarEdge) and why it's the part you'll replace.
8 min read
Solar installation process step by step in Florida: from signing to PTO
The seven stages of a Florida solar installation (site survey, design, permits, install, inspection, interconnection, PTO), how long each takes and where it stalls.
8 min read
Solar panel maintenance in Florida: what to do and what to skip
How much maintenance a solar system really needs, whether rain cleans the panels, what to check in your monitoring every month, and what actually breaks.
7 min read
Solar and hurricanes in Florida: what panels withstand and what to do
What wind speed panels are designed for in Florida, what the code requires, how your home insurance treats them, and what to do (and not do) before a hurricane.
8 min read
Selling a home with solar energy in Florida: owned, leased or subscribed
What happens to the solar system when you sell, by who owns it; how the appraisal treats it (Fannie Mae), what it adds to the price per Zillow, and what to prepare.
8 min read
My solar panels aren't producing and the installer is gone: what to do
Steps to diagnose a solar system that isn't producing, which warranties survive when the installer closes, how to recover monitoring access and who to call in Florida.
9 min read
How to read a solar proposal: the 7 numbers you have to find
The seven numbers in a solar proposal (monthly production, offset, $/W, escalator, warranties, minimum charge, tax credit): where to find them and what's reasonable.
9 min read
Your roof
2 guidesRoof before solar: when to replace it first (Florida 2026)
Panels last 25-30 years; if your asphalt shingle roof is over 10, replace it first. What it costs to remove and reinstall panels, and how Florida's 15-year insurance rule weighs in.
7 min read
How long a roof lasts in Florida: asphalt shingle, tile and metal
Lifespan of each roof type in Florida's climate, why asphalt shingles last less here than elsewhere, the signs a roof is ending, and what the 15-year law says.
6 min read
Incentives and tax credit
2 guidesFederal solar tax credit in 2026: the 30% ended for buyers, not for third-party systems
What happened to the 30% solar tax credit (25D) after December 31, 2025, why 48E remains in force through 2027 for third-party-owned systems, and what it means for buying versus leasing in Florida.
7 min read
Florida solar incentives 2026: what exists, what ended and what never existed
Sales tax exemption, property tax exemption, 1-to-1 net metering and utility programs in Florida in 2026. There is no state rebate and the federal credit for purchases ended. Sources: Florida statutes, DSIRE, FPL.
7 min read
Batteries and backup
6 guidesHome solar batteries in Florida in 2026: what they do, what they cost, and when you don't need one
How a solar battery works, the difference between kWh and kW, what one costs installed, and why with 1-to-1 net metering in Florida it is for backup, not savings.
7 min read
Do I need a battery if I have net metering in Florida? The honest answer for 2026
With 1-to-1 net metering at FPL, Duke and TECO, a battery does not lower your bill: it is for backup. When it does pay: time-of-use rates, frequent outages, medical needs.
6 min read
Solar backup in Florida hurricanes and outages: why your solar system shuts off and what a battery keeps running
A grid-tied solar system shuts off when the grid drops. What a battery can keep running (fridge yes, central A/C partly), how it is sized, and partial vs whole-home backup.
7 min read
Solar battery vs generator in Florida in 2026: cost, fuel, noise and which one fits you
Honest battery vs generator comparison for Florida outages: installed price, fuel, noise, maintenance, runtime, permits and resale. Neither one always wins.
7 min read
How long do solar batteries last? Cycles, warranties and why Florida heat matters (2026)
What a cycle is, what Tesla (10 years, 70%) and Enphase (15 years or 6,000 cycles, 60%) guarantee, how a battery degrades, and the difference between LFP and NMC chemistry.
6 min read
Enphase IQ Battery vs Tesla Powerwall 3 in 2026: a comparison with no favorite brand
Capacity, power, warranty, chemistry, efficiency and price per kWh for Tesla Powerwall 3 and Enphase IQ Battery 5P and 10C, straight from the datasheets. Which fits your system.
7 min read
Your home’s usage
1 guides2 minutes · No pressure · Spanish or English
Your Central Florida home could start saving this year.
Tell us about your home in 2 minutes. We review your real bill and tell you how much you would save with the subscription. If it doesn’t make sense for you, we say so.