Solar panels stacked on rooftops have become as common a sight in Orlando as cartoon mice. The Central Florida city has set a goal of 100% clean and renewable energy sources by 2050. To that effect, the state has many clean energy initiatives, including private companies showing increasing interest in the switch to solar. Going solar is an appealing choice in the aptly named Sunshine State: Florida ranks fourth overall for solar energy potential, while the average electricity cost was $163.74 in September 2024.
You can of course benefit from the federal tax credit bolstered by the Inflation Reduction Act provides, which a 30% rebate on solar panel systems for any US resident. On top of that, Florida also has some state-level incentives that should cut down the overall cost of switching to solar in Florida. You also property and sales taxes on solar panels in the Sunshine State, and a net metering policy will let you send your excess energy to the grid to get credits on your bill.
If you do explore the possibility of solar energy, there are solar costs and incentives to consider before making the decision. But before breaking those down, here is a list of the best solar installers operating within Orlando.
Best national solar panel companies in Orlando
Palmetto Solar
Best overall
Solar panels are typically low maintenance equipment, but they’re also unfamiliar. If you want to reap the benefits of solar but will have a bit more peace of mind if someone else is making sure it’s working, Palmetto might be a good fit for you. Just remember to add the cost of Palmetto’s monitoring service in to your payback period calculations.
Elevation
Whole home approach
Elevation’s focus on your home’s energy efficiency isn’t the norm in the industry. If you’re planning on addressing energy efficiency first, working with Elevation allows you to keep the whole process with one company. Elevation’s solar equipment comes from well-established and well-regarded companies. Elevation’s warranties on workmanship and weatherization could be a bit longer.
Tesla Solar
Most affordable
Tesla’s solar branch seems to be the least loved of Elon Musk’s ventures. Even Tesla’s Solar Roof seems to get more love.
If price is the thing you won’t budge on, consider Tesla. By all accounts, Tesla installs quality panels and makes the closest thing there is to a household name in solar storage: the Powerwall.
Where you might miss out is customer service. Discussion online seems to suggest Tesla’s service is a bit of a gamble.
Panasun Solar offers residential solar, commercial solar and battery backup services. It offers three types of payment plans including purchases and leases. The company has an A+ plus rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Sunbright Solar boasts of completing 2,500 projects since its launch in 2020. It has an A+ rating from the BBB.
Our interactive map below displays the average total cash price, cost per watt and typical system size for a solar panel system in your state, according to data from FindEnergy.com. Prices shown don’t account for rebates from tax credits or state incentives. Certain states don’t have any FindEnergy solar data and are grayed out on the map.
Orlando solar panels incentives and rebates
The biggest financial incentive for going solar in Orlando is the federal solar tax credit, known as the residential clean energy credit, which will pay you back for up to 30% of the installation costs.
The state of Florida doesn’t offer tax credits or rebates for installation, but there are net metering programs and both property tax and solar sales tax exemptions.
Florida solar panel incentives
The companies we listed above as “the best” are curated from CNET’s best solar companies list. Companies making the best list are scored on the equipment, warranties and customer service they offer. Then, we make sure these recommendations are available in your state. You can read a full breakdown of how we review solar companies here.
Companies listed under the local installers were chosen in a less rigorous way. We chose them because they offered something unique or notable to customers in the state, they seemed well-regarded by internet reviewers or because they were one of the few installers we could find information on in the state.
Whether we’ve completed a full review on a company or not, it’s always a good idea to get multiple quotes from different installers before choosing a company.
Solar panels are a great way to save money in the long term, and they reduce carbon emissions from personal energy usage. For a detailed list of pros and cons associated with solar panel system installation, take a look at this article.
Your solar payback period will vary depending on the size of your solar panel system, whether you bought and installed any additional equipment, and how much energy you use to power your home. This article can help you calculate the solar payback period for your personal situation.
No, Florida does not have a state-level solar tax credit. All US residents are able to claim the residential clean energy credit for a 30% rebate on the cost of their solar panels and additional clean energy home additions, though.
