Solar in Tampa Bay: TECO, Duke, WREC and What to Know

The short answer

Tampa Bay has some of the best sun in Florida, about 1,568 kWh a year from 1 kW of panels in NREL's model, and its two big utilities, Tampa Electric and Duke Energy Florida, both credit solar kWh for kWh at the retail rate under the state's net metering rule. North of the bay, Withlacoochee River Electric nets solar over a year and charges a larger fixed amount.

Three utilities, side by side

Fixed charge and 1,000 kWh bill before taxes. TECO is its January 2026 rate and Duke its June 2026 rate; WREC is the Florida PSC's December 2025 comparison.
Utility	Fixed monthly charge	1,000 kWh bill	Credit for power you send out	$200 bill: savings a year with solar
Tampa Electric (TECO)	45 cents a day	$153	Retail energy rate	$1,690 to $2,130
Duke Energy Florida	$14.35; $30 minimum bill	$143	Retail, up to 12 months	$1,690 to $2,040
Withlacoochee River (WREC)	$39.16	$141	Netted yearly; avoided cost on excess	$1,450 to $1,830

Tampa Electric's daily service charge works out to about $14 a month and Duke's customer charge is $14.35, though Duke's $30 minimum bill sets its floor. WREC's $39.16 consumer charge is also its minimum, so a WREC home keeps a larger bill after solar.

Aerial view of a Tampa Bay waterfront neighborhood with rooftop solar panels and the bay in the background — Tampa had the strongest solar output of the seven Florida cities we modeled.

What panels make here

Monthly output of 1 kW of panels, Tampa and Orlando

kWh per month, south-facing at a 20 degree tilt

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Tampa, 1,568 kWh a yearOrlando, 1,544 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.

Output peaks from March to May at about 151 to 152 kWh per kW, dips in the cloudy summer months, and recovers in October. Over a year Tampa edges out Orlando by about 24 kWh per kW.

What Milton showed

Hurricane Milton came ashore on Siesta Key on the evening of October 9, 2024 with winds near 100 knots, a Category 3 storm, and the National Hurricane Center reports major damage in the Sarasota and Tampa Bay areas. For solar owners the lesson from a storm like that is about outages: a grid-tied system without a battery shuts off when the grid does. If backup power matters to you, read our battery guide before you size a system, and our hurricane guide for how panels are mounted to the code.

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.

Hillsborough: Duke Energy Florida, Peace River Electric, Tampa Electric
Pinellas: Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric
Pasco: Duke Energy Florida, SECO Energy, Tampa Electric, Withlacoochee River Electric
Manatee: FPL, Peace River Electric

Source: EIA Form 861, 2024 service territory data.

Local programs and permits

The City of Dunedin's Solar Energy Grant pays $0.25 per watt, up to $2,500, for Dunedin residents and businesses, not unincorporated areas; check whether funding is open before you count on it. Hillsborough County publishes an owner-builder path for residential solar permits, covered in our DIY guide. The federal 30 percent home solar credit ended for systems finished after December 31, 2025.

How it works

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Common questions

Which utility serves Tampa Bay?

Tampa Electric (TECO) serves Tampa and much of Hillsborough County, Duke Energy Florida serves much of Pinellas County, and Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative serves parts of Pasco and counties to the north. In Manatee County, federal data lists FPL and Peace River Electric. Your bill names your utility.

How much does 1 kW of solar make in Tampa?

About 1,568 kWh a year for south-facing panels at a 20 degree tilt, in NREL's PVWatts model, the most of the seven Florida cities we compared.

Is solar worth it with TECO?

TECO credits power you send to the grid at your retail energy rate under Florida's net metering rule, so the value holds even when you export. Our TECO guide shows what a $200 to $500 bill saves at TECO's 2026 rates.

Will solar keep my power on after a hurricane?

Not on its own. A grid-tied system without a battery shuts off when the grid goes down. A battery with backup-ready equipment is what keeps power on.

Is there a solar rebate in Tampa Bay?

The City of Dunedin's Solar Energy Grant pays $0.25 per watt, up to $2,500, for Dunedin residents and businesses, when funding is open. The federal 30 percent credit for home systems ended for systems finished after December 31, 2025.

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) · Tampa Electric residential rates, January 2026 (PDF) · Duke Energy Florida rate insert filed with the PSC, June 2026 (PDF) · NREL PVWatts v8 (NSRDB weather data), queried October 2026 · NOAA NCEI U.S. climate normals, 1991 to 2020 · National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Milton report (PDF) · City of Dunedin, Solar Energy Grant Program · U.S. EIA Form 861, 2024 service territory data · Florida Statutes 163.04. Reviewed October 2026.

Next guideSolar for TECO customers: rates, net metering and system size →