Tampa, Florida is an ideal location for installing solar panels, given the combination of solar incentives, local solar companies and an impressive number of sun days per year. Located in Florida, Tampa also offers the chance to enjoy net metering where you can generate money for your excess solar energy production. Whether solar makes sense in Tampa or is worth it is a common question, so we’ve decided to answer the key question:

Is Tampa Good for Solar?

Given that solar panels only need 4-5 hours per day of sunlight to become fully powered, you can’t find many better locations for solar than Tampa.

Days of Sun in Tampa, FL

Tampa, like most of Florida, provides very sunny weather year-round. While there are cloudy and stormy days, they are significantly outnumbered by days of sun. If you include a solar battery in your configuration, you can also ensure you have power during outages and extremely sunless days.

• Tampa gets around 246 days of sun per year. [1]
• The shortest day of the year has 10 hours, with the longest at nearly 15 hours. [1]
• The brightest time of year is between April and June – with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter of over 6.2 kWh. [1]
• The darkest period of the year is between November and January – with an impressive average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter of 4.1 kWh. [1]

Weather source [1]

Are Solar Panels Worth It in Tampa, FL?

Here’s an example of a Tampa solar installation and the potential savings you could make from it: Note: This size is just an example and we regularly install larger and smaller solar systems.

	Utility	Solar (Bought with Loan)	Solar (Bought with Cash)
Cost	-$199 (Monthly Average Utility Bills)	-$165 (Estimated Loan Payment)	-$33,665 (Cash Price)
Rising Cost of Utility Power	5%	5%	5%
Utility Interconnection Fee	-$12	-$12	-$12
10-Year Cost/Earnings	-$31,538	-$21,240	+$6,078
20-Year Cost/Earnings	-$82,910	-$42,480	+$60,603
25-Year Cost/Earnings	-$119,671	-$55,224	+$96,875
% of Savings Over Utility	0%	54%	181%

Federal Tax Credits

Installing solar panels in Tampa also allows you to benefit from Federal Tax Credits, giving you a chance to get thousands of dollars reimbursed following your solar panel installation.

• Federal tax credits are a reduction on the amount of income tax you’re required to pay. For example, $2,000 of Federal tax credits = $2,000 less required income tax.
• 30% of your solar installation can qualify and be claimed on your federal income taxes.
• There is no maximum amount that you can claim.
• The current rate of 30% is available until 2033, when it will drop to 26%.
• On a $30,000 solar installation, you would save $9,000!

Read more in our Florida Solar Tax Credits Guide.

Net Metering Savings

Net metering was recently saved for Tampa residents, allowing solar customers to send their excess energy generation back to the grid in exchange for payment from their local energy provider. For example, if you install solar panels in Florida but on some days generate more energy than you use, then you can feed that back into the grid. The result? Money! The local energy provider will give you retail rate credits for that power that you’ve shared. Best of all, this significantly reduces how long it will take you to make a return on your Tampa solar investment. You’ll also be helping your local neighborhood to be using cleaner energy.

• On average, 20% of solar energy is unused and rewarded via Net Metering.

Boost Property Value

Solar energy owners in Tampa can also benefit from their property value increases significantly. The future is green, especially in Florida. Potential home buyers find homes with future-proofed technology, such as solar panels, far more appealing than other properties. Homebuyers will also not have to worry about theoretical stress and costs associated with solar installations, and therefore residential solar homeowners can expect to see a significant rise in their property value.

• One study reported that a solar installation can increase property value by up to $5,911 for each kilowatt of solar panels installed.

No Money-Out-of-Pocket Loans

No money-out-of-pocket solar loans make solar panel installations in Tampa affordable for all. Solar loans are considered a subcategory of a home improvement loan, and can be used to purchase solar panels and related components. Florida Solar Power Services ‘The Solar Power Company’ provides financing support for solar panel installations in Tampa, with loans that require no upfront payment for the installation. From day one of use, you can make savings to go towards your Tampa solar loan repayment.

• Own your solar panels on day one of installation.
• Benefit from immediate savings on your utility bill.
• No money out of pocket.
• NO need for a large cash sum.

Types of Solar Loans in Tampa, FL

Solar loans have maturity periods of anywhere from 3-30 years. In Tampa, the average solar loan lasts for 10-20 years. If you have a higher loan length, then you’ll get a lower loan rate. Here are the types of solar loans in Tampa you can get:

• Secured loans: With lower rates, as they’re asset-backed.
  • Home equity loans
  • HELOCs
  • Residential PACE Loans (For those with lower credit scores).
• Unsecured Loans
  • No assets are required.
  • A good credit score is required.
  • Tends to have higher rates than secured loans.

Are Solar Panels More Efficient in Tampa, Florida?

Solar panels in Florida are more efficient than the majority of the U.S. due to the higher amount of sun per day. Florida is ranked as the 10th sunniest state in the U.S., only being beaten by extremely dry states such as Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.

Why Isn’t There More Solar in Florida?

While Florida has a rapidly growing solar community, only 4.04% of the state’s energy comes from solar. This is a decent amount but is lower in comparison to the highest ranking states. That can largely be blamed on Florida’s solar policy. The state doesn’t allow developers to install solar energy systems on customer property and then sell the power generated back to the customer. There is also no state requirement to fulfill renewable energy targets. However, this should not affect anyone looking to invest in solar in Tampa, but as it’s a common question we thought we’d address it head-on!

Is There a Downside to Having Solar in Tampa?

The only potential downsides are that solar prices are potentially at risk of rocketing solar prices. Potential investors are advised to take action now, rather than fast the rising cost of solar soon. There is also the risk of storm damage to panels. However, with a good installation with high-quality materials, your panels should withstand ever being ripped from your roof or facing shingle damage.

How to Get Solar Panels in Tampa

Tampa and its surrounding areas are blessed with a large number of solar installation companies. Florida Power Services ‘The Solar Power Company’ is a highly rated, fully certified local company that can help you install a dream, optimal solar system. We also provide financing and plans to give you the best return on investment. We welcome you to contact us today or call (727) 667-9955 to install solar panels in Tampa. The quote you get, will be kept!