Sunprint
The short answer
Solar works in the Panhandle, but the numbers depend heavily on who sends your bill. Co-ops like Talquin, CHELCO and West Florida Electric charge large fixed amounts each month that solar can't reduce, and several credit the power you send to the grid below the retail price. The sun is a little weaker than on the peninsula: 1 kW of panels makes about 1,491 kWh a year in Pensacola and 1,405 in Tallahassee, the lowest of the seven Florida cities we modeled.
Fixed charges, ranked
The part of the bill you pay even if you use nothing, for each utility in this guide:
Talquin from its October 1, 2026 rates; Tallahassee from the City's current rate; the others from the Florida PSC's December 2025 comparison. FPL's figure is its minimum bill in Northwest Florida, the former Gulf Power area.
A Talquin home with solar still pays at least $45 a month, while a City of Tallahassee home can get down to about $10. On a $200 bill that difference alone is worth roughly $400 a year.
The utilities here
| Utility | Fixed monthly charge | 1,000 kWh bill | Credit for power you send out | $200 bill: savings a year with solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talquin Electric | $45.00 | $170 | Retail monthly, wholesale at year end | $1,410 to $1,770 |
| CHELCO | $35.00 | $230 | Time-of-use, wholesale-based | $1,480 to $1,880 |
| West Florida Electric | $35.00 | $169 | 5.2 cents | $1,480 to $1,880 |
| FPL Northwest Florida | $25 minimum in Dec. 2025 | $140 | Retail, kWh for kWh | $1,740 to $2,100 |
| Florida Public Utilities | $24.40 | $150 | Retail monthly | $1,610 to $2,010 |
| City of Tallahassee | $10.29 | $146 | Full retail, banked; unused credit expires yearly | $1,710 to $2,160 |
CHELCO bills new solar members on a time-of-use rate with a wholesale-based credit, and West Florida Electric pays 5.2 cents for exports against roughly 13 cents a kWh on your bill, so both reward using solar at home. The City of Tallahassee banks your credit at full retail value, but unused credit expires at the end of each year.
Who serves each county
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's 2024 utility survey lists these electric utilities in each county this guide covers. Some serve only a small part of a county, so your bill is the only sure answer for your address.
- Escambia
- Escambia River Electric Cooperative, FPL
- Holmes
- CHELCO, FPL, West Florida Electric
- Washington
- FPL, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, West Florida Electric
- Bay
- Duke Energy Florida, FPL, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative
- Jackson
- Florida Public Utilities, FPL, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, West Florida Electric
- Calhoun
- City of Blountstown, Florida Public Utilities, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, West Florida Electric
- Gulf
- Duke Energy Florida, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative
- Franklin
- Duke Energy Florida
- Gadsden
- City of Chattahoochee, City of Quincy, Havana Power & Light, Talquin Electric
- Wakulla
- Duke Energy Florida, Talquin Electric
Source: EIA Form 861, 2024 service territory data. Utilities without a link don't have their own guide yet; our smaller-utilities guide lists them.
Sun and seasons
Monthly output of 1 kW of panels, Pensacola and Tallahassee
kWh per month, south-facing at a 20 degree tilt
Pensacola, 1,491 kWh a yearTallahassee, 1,405 kWh a year
Source: NREL PVWatts v8 with NSRDB weather data, 1 kW of panels facing south at a 20 degree tilt, standard modules, roof mount, 14 percent system losses.
May is the best month in both cities, and December and January the weakest, at under 100 kWh per kW. Winter is also when Panhandle homes heat: Tallahassee averages 1,473 heating degree days a year, the most of the seven cities in our comparison, with January lows near 40°F. Pensacola averages 1,304. Size from a full year of bills, not a summer month.
After Hurricane Michael
Hurricane Michael came ashore near Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base on October 10, 2018 as a Category 5 storm, with maximum sustained winds the National Hurricane Center puts at 140 knots, about 160 mph. Rooftop solar anywhere in Florida has to be engineered for the wind at its address under the Florida Building Code, and our hurricane guide covers how systems are mounted and what fails. Panels alone also shut off when the grid goes down; a battery is what keeps power on.
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
Which utility serves the Panhandle?
Several do. Talquin Electric, CHELCO, West Florida Electric, Gulf Coast Electric and Escambia River Electric are cooperatives; the City of Tallahassee and Florida Public Utilities serve their own areas; FPL serves the former Gulf Power area as FPL Northwest Florida; and Duke Energy Florida serves parts of Bay, Gulf, Franklin, Leon and Wakulla counties. Your bill names your utility.
Does the Panhandle get less sun for solar?
A little. In NREL's PVWatts model, 1 kW of panels makes about 1,491 kWh a year in Pensacola and 1,405 in Tallahassee, against about 1,568 in Tampa. December and January are the weakest months.
Why do Panhandle co-ops leave a bigger bill after solar?
Because of their fixed monthly charges, which solar can't reduce: $45 at Talquin and $35 at CHELCO and West Florida Electric, against about $10 at the City of Tallahassee.
Is Gulf Power still a utility?
No. The former Gulf Power area is now part of FPL and is listed by the Florida Public Service Commission as FPL's Northwest Division.
Can an HOA in the Panhandle stop me from installing solar?
Not outright. Florida Statute 163.04 bars associations from prohibiting solar, though they can set where panels go within limits.
Related guides
- Solar for Talquin customers
- Solar for CHELCO customers
- Solar for West Florida Electric customers
- Solar for City of Tallahassee customers
- Solar panels and hurricanes in Florida
- Solar battery backup in Florida
Savings are modeled from each utility's rate for a system covering 75 to 95 percent of a year's use; your roof, usage and equipment will change them. Sources: Florida PSC comparative rate statistics, December 31, 2025 (PDF) · Talquin Electric rate schedules · City of Tallahassee Utilities rate plans · NREL PVWatts v8 (NSRDB weather data), queried October 2026 · NOAA NCEI U.S. climate normals, 1991 to 2020 · National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Michael report (PDF) · U.S. EIA Form 861, 2024 service territory data · Florida Statutes 163.04. Reviewed October 2026.
Next guideSolar for Talquin customers: the credit and the $45 charge →