Solar Panel Installation in Florida
Thinking about panels on your Florida roof? Here's how installation usually goes, from roof review to utility approval, and a free way to talk to a local provider.
Call to see if your home qualifies(877) 565-3409Home Solar Line connects you with an independent solar provider. We don't sell or install anything ourselves. Calls may be recorded.
- Free call
- No forms to fill out
- Independent local providers
- No obligation
Who this is for
Check all five before you call:
- You own the home (not renting)
- It's a single-family house or townhouse
- The roof gets full sun or only light shade
- Your power bill is over $100 a month
- The home doesn't already have solar panels
Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.
What happens when you call
- Answer a few quick questionsDo you own the home, how much is your power bill, how sunny is the roof.
- Get connectedIf your home fits, you're put through to an independent solar provider who serves your area.
- Talk it through, then decideThey look at your roof and usage and explain options. No obligation to buy.
Installing solar in Florida
In Florida, roof age and wind-rated mounting come up early in the conversation, along with how high summer cooling bills run.
Strong sun most of the year, plus hurricane season, which puts extra weight on roof condition and how panels are attached.
Interconnection goes through your utility. In Florida that could be Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric, and a number of municipal utilities and co-ops.
Many Florida homes are served by a municipal utility or a co-op rather than one of the big investor-owned utilities, and those set their own solar rules.
The installation steps in Florida, in brief
- Roof and usage review
- Design and proposal
- Site visit
- Permits and paperworkLocal permits, HOA approval if you have an HOA, and an interconnection application to your utility.
- Installation
- Inspection and permission to operateThe town or county inspects, then the utility approves the connection before the system is switched on.
Weather and site issues in Florida
Hurricane winds
Racking and roof attachments have to meet local wind requirements. Ask how the panels are fastened, how roof penetrations are sealed, and what your insurer needs to know.
Heat
Panels produce a bit less when they run hot, and long cooling seasons push summer bills up. Ask how the production estimate accounts for heat.
Salt air
Near the coast, salt air corrodes lower-grade hardware. Ask about the corrosion rating of the racking and fasteners, and what the warranty says about coastal installs.
Roof age matters in Florida for insurance as well as for solar. If your roof is near the end of its life, a provider will usually suggest dealing with that before panels go up.
Permits, HOAs and inspections in Florida
Your town or county issues the building and electrical permits and inspects the finished system. Then your utility reviews the interconnection application and gives permission to operate.
Florida law bars homeowners associations from prohibiting solar collectors on a home, though an association can have some say in where on the roof they go.
Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) issues contractor licenses and has an online license lookup.
Is your roof a good fit?
South-facing roof planes with full sun from mid-morning to mid-afternoon are ideal. West and east can work. An old roof should be replaced first, since panels stay up for decades.
Ready to find out if your home is a fit?
One free call. Tell a provider about your roof and your bills, and decide from there.
Who this is for
Check all five before you call:
- You own the home (not renting)
- It's a single-family house or townhouse
- The roof gets full sun or only light shade
- Your power bill is over $100 a month
- The home doesn't already have solar panels
Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.
Questions
Can an HOA stop me from adding solar in Florida?
Florida law bars homeowners associations from prohibiting solar collectors on a home, though an association can have some say in where on the roof they go. The details and exceptions matter, so read your covenants too.
How do I check a solar provider in Florida?
Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) issues contractor licenses and has an online license lookup. Also ask for proof of insurance before signing anything.
Are you a solar company?
No. Home Solar Line is a free phone line that connects homeowners with independent solar providers. We don't sell, design or install systems, and we don't set prices.
Does the call cost anything?
No. The call is free, and there's no obligation to buy anything from the provider you talk to.
Who qualifies?
Homeowners in a single-family house or townhouse with a roof that gets full or mostly full sun, a power bill over $100 a month, and no solar panels already. If that's not you, the provider won't be able to help.