The federal solar tax credit expired. Here's the truth for Florida.
Many Florida solar sites still advertise a 30% federal credit. For 2026 homeowner purchases, that credit is gone. Here's exactly what happened and what it means for your Florida numbers.
This is the page most Florida solar sites won't show you clearly, because it makes solar look slightly less free than their old marketing claimed. But you deserve the truth.
What changed
The federal residential solar tax credit — worth 30% of system cost — expired on December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Florida homeowners who purchase a solar system with cash or a loan in 2026 receive $0 in federal tax credit. Congress has not renewed it.
Plenty of Florida pages still say you can "reduce costs by up to 30% through state and federal incentives" and bake that discount into pricing. For a 2026 cash or loan purchase, that's simply incorrect, and it makes the real out-of-pocket look thousands of dollars lower than it is.
What the expiration means in real dollars
On a typical $24,000 Florida system, the old 30% credit would have been worth about $7,200. For a 2026 cash or loan purchase, that value is now zero. A homeowner budgeting on stale "after federal credit" numbers — often shown as $14,000–$18,000 — will be surprised by the real figure closer to $24,000 before the state sales-tax exemption.
The one exception: leases and PPAs
There's a narrow path where federal credit value still flows. Third-party-owned systems — solar leases and Power Purchase Agreements — can still claim the commercial investment tax credit, and the owner may pass some savings to you through lower payments. You don't get the credit directly, and you give up ownership benefits. For most homeowners, ownership still wins overall.
What it means for Florida
Here's the reassuring part: Florida's solar case never depended primarily on the federal credit. Between full retail net metering, the property and sales tax exemptions, abundant sunshine, and high air-conditioning usage, the math still works — a typical system still pays back in about 9–12 years. The federal credit going away raises your upfront cost, but it doesn't break the case for solar in Florida.
Why we lead with this
Because trust is the whole point of SolarClarity. If we'll tell you the uncomfortable truth about an expired credit up front, you can trust the rest of our numbers too. Solar in Florida is still a strong decision in 2026 — it just needs to be made on real figures, not stale ones.