Sunprint
Is there a free solar panel program in Florida?
No. As of September 2026, no federal, state or utility program installs solar panels on a typical Florida home for free:
- Federal: The 30% residential solar tax credit ended for home systems finished after December 31, 2025, and it was always a tax credit, never free panels. EPA's Solar for All program, which planned to cover 80 to 100% of the cost for about 10,000 lower-income Florida homes, was canceled in August 2025 before Florida's program opened. A court has since ruled the cancellation unlawful; more below.
- State: Florida has no state solar rebate or grant for homes. It did once: its Solar Energy System Incentives Program paid $4 a watt, up to $20,000 per home, for systems installed from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2010.
- Utilities: Programs like FPL SolarTogether are subscriptions you pay for each month, not free panels.
What "free solar" offers really are
| The offer | What it really is | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| "$0 down" or "no cost" solar | Usually a lease: the company owns the system and you pay to use it. | A monthly payment, usually for 20 to 25 years, often with a yearly increase. |
| "$0 down" financing | A loan: you own the system and a lender paid the installer. | Loan payments with interest, whether or not your bill drops as promised. |
| "Pay through your taxes" | PACE financing. | An assessment on your property tax bill for years. |
| "A government program" or "your utility sent me" | A sales pitch. Treat anyone who says they're from the government or your utility as a red flag. | Whatever the contract says, so read it. |
| "Only pay for the power the panels make" | A power purchase agreement, which Florida doesn't allow for homes. | Nothing legal to pay; see the next section. |
Leases and loans aren't scams on their own, and some homeowners come out ahead with them. The problem is the word "free." Our solar lease guide shows how leases and their yearly increases work, and how to check a solar company covers the red flags and your rights.
Why nobody can sell you power from panels on your roof
In some states, a company can put panels on your roof and sell you the electricity they make by the kWh, under a power purchase agreement. Florida doesn't allow that for homes. Under Florida Statute 366.02, anyone "supplying electricity ... to or for the public" is a public utility regulated by the Public Service Commission. In 1987 the Commission ruled that a company planning to sell electricity to a single business customer would be making retail sales, and the Florida Supreme Court upheld that in 1988 in PW Ventures v. Nichols. Our guide to solar power purchase agreements in Florida covers the rule in more depth.
Leases are different. Florida's net metering rule lets customer solar include a system leased from a third party "under terms and conditions that do not include the retail purchase of electricity from the third party." In a 2018 ruling on one company's lease, the Commission said fixed monthly payments that don't depend on how much the panels produce are not a sale of electricity. That's why every "no-cost" rooftop deal in Florida is a lease, a loan or PACE, with a fixed payment instead of a price per kWh.
What happened to Florida Solar for All
Solar for All was the closest Florida came to free solar: a $7 billion EPA grant program, created by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, to bring solar to low- and moderate-income households.
- Dec 2023A coalition appliesThe state government didn't apply. Three nonprofits, the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF), Solar United Neighbors and The Nature Conservancy in Florida, asked for $250 million.
- Apr 22, 2024$156 million awardedEPA awarded the coalition $156.12 million to help about 10,000 single-family homes, with planned subsidies of 80 to 100% of the cost for low-income households and 60 to 80% for moderate-income ones.
- Aug 7, 2025CanceledEPA ended Solar for All nationwide, citing the July 2025 federal budget law. Florida's program hadn't opened applications yet.
- Oct 2025 to Jul 2026LawsuitsGrantees, states and others sued. A case by 22 states and D.C. in Washington was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction in June 2026; several grantees are suing for damages in the Court of Federal Claims.
- Sep 18, 2026Ruled unlawfulA federal judge in Rhode Island ruled the cancellation unlawful and vacated it. EPA said it is reviewing the decision and considering an appeal.
For now there's nothing to apply for. Whether money flows again depends on EPA and any appeal, and the program was only ever for income-qualified households. If someone offers you free panels "through Solar for All" today, that offer isn't the program.
What's available in 2026
None of these are free solar panels, but they're real, and a few offer free help with energy costs.
Florida Solar for All
Covered above. As of late September 2026 the Florida coalition's website shows only a waitlist.
Who: Income-qualified households
Local rebates
A few cities and city-owned utilities pay part of the cost: Boynton Beach and Dunedin for solar, OUC and New Smyrna Beach Utilities for batteries. Amounts and funding change each year; our incentives guide has the details.
Who: Residents or customers of those places
SELF solar loans
The Solar and Energy Loan Fund is a Florida nonprofit lender. Its unsecured solar loans run from $5,000 to $50,000 or more at 8.25% to 8.75% fixed for 7 years, with a 2% origination fee and no minimum credit score.
Who: Florida homeowners
PACE financing
A loan repaid as an assessment on your property tax bill, so it stays with the property. Our financing guide compares it with loans and leases.
Who: Homeowners where a PACE program operates
Utility solar subscriptions
FPL SolarTogether and Duke Energy Florida's Clean Energy Connection charge a monthly subscription for a share of a utility solar farm and credit your bill for its output. Nothing goes on your roof. See our community solar guide.
Who: Customers of those utilities
Sales and property tax exemptions
Florida doesn't charge sales tax on qualifying solar equipment, and solar isn't counted in your home's assessed value for property tax.
Who: Anyone who buys solar
LIHEAP bill assistance
Federal money, handed out by local agencies, that pays part of your heating or cooling bill directly to the utility. For households at or under 60% of Florida's median income or 150% of the poverty level.
Who: Family of 4: up to $61,837 a year
Weatherization Assistance
Free energy-efficiency work chosen by an energy audit: air sealing, insulation, duct repair, AC repair or replacement when justified, water heaters, even solar screens. Not solar panels.
Who: Family of 4: up to $62,400 a year
FloridaCommerce runs LIHEAP and weatherization through local agencies, so you apply through the agency that serves your county.
Before you sign a "free solar" offer
- Ask who will own the panels. If it's the company, it's a lease.
- Get the monthly payment, the number of years and any yearly increase in writing.
- Ask what gets recorded on your home: a lien, a UCC-1 filing on the equipment, or a property tax assessment.
- Ask how the savings were estimated. A 2026 price that subtracts a 30% federal credit is wrong for a system you own.
- Know your right to cancel. Our guide to checking a solar company explains it.
Want a number instead of a pitch? The calculator below estimates what solar would cost and save at your home.
Your estimate in three steps
- Enter your billYour ZIP code, your utility and last month's bill.
- See your estimateA yearly savings range based on your utility's rates and Florida sun.
- Choose what's nextAsk for a quote call if you want real pricing, or just keep the number.
See what solar could save you
It takes about a minute. You don't need a site visit, a commitment or a sales call to see your number.
Common questions
Can you get free solar panels in Florida?
No, not in 2026. No federal, state or utility program installs solar on a typical Florida home for free. Offers advertised as free or no-cost are almost always a lease, a $0-down loan or PACE financing, which you pay for over many years.
Is there a Florida government solar program?
Not one that pays for home solar. Florida's old state solar rebate covered systems installed from 2006 to 2010, the state has no income tax credit, and the 30% federal credit ended for home systems finished after December 31, 2025. Florida does exempt qualifying solar equipment from sales tax and keeps solar out of your home's assessed value for property tax.
What happened to Florida Solar for All?
EPA awarded a Florida coalition led by the Solar and Energy Loan Fund $156 million in April 2024 to help about 10,000 lower-income homes go solar. EPA canceled Solar for All in August 2025, before Florida's program opened. On September 18, 2026, a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled the cancellation unlawful and vacated it, and EPA said it was considering an appeal. As of late September 2026, the coalition's website shows only a waitlist.
Is free solar a scam in Florida?
Not always a scam, but free is almost never accurate. Leases and loans are legal financing you repay for years. Be wary of anyone who says they are from the government or your utility, and get the payment, the term and any yearly increase in writing before you sign.
Can a company sell me electricity from solar panels on my roof in Florida?
No. Under Florida law, supplying electricity to the public makes a company a regulated utility, and the state's net metering rule allows third-party solar only on terms that don't include buying electricity from the third party. That's why Florida offers are leases or loans with fixed payments rather than a price per kWh.
Is there still a 30% solar tax credit in Florida?
Not for home systems installed in 2026. The federal residential credit ended for systems whose installation was completed after December 31, 2025. Leasing companies may still claim a separate business credit, which doesn't go to you directly.
Are there free programs to lower my power bill in Florida?
If your income qualifies, yes. LIHEAP helps pay heating and cooling bills for households at or under 60% of Florida's median income or 150% of the poverty level, and the Weatherization Assistance Program makes free efficiency upgrades for households at or under 200% of the poverty level. Neither installs solar panels.
Related guides
- Is a solar lease a good idea in Florida?
- How to check a solar company in Florida
- Florida solar tax credit in 2026: what's gone and what's left
- Solar financing in Florida
- Community solar in Florida
- Is solar worth it in Florida in 2026?
This page is general information as of September 2026, not legal or financial advice. Program terms, rates and income limits change; check each program before you rely on it. Sources: Florida Statutes 366.02 · Florida PSC Order No. PSC-2018-0251-DS-EQ, solar equipment lease (PDF) · Florida Administrative Code Rule 25-6.065 · Florida Statutes 377.806 (2012), Solar Energy System Incentives Program · IRS FAQs on the 2025 changes to section 25D · SELF executive director on the Florida application, December 2023 · WUSF on the $156 million award, April 2024 · Florida Solar For All coalition · CBS News on the cancellation, August 2025 · SELC on the Court of Federal Claims cases, July 2026 · SELC on the Rhode Island ruling, September 2026 · Smart Cities Dive on the ruling and EPA response, September 2026 · pv magazine USA, September 2026 · SELF solar loan terms · FloridaCommerce, LIHEAP · FloridaCommerce, Weatherization Assistance Program. Reviewed September 2026.
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