Lee County is served by two different utilities — LCEC and FPL — with different rates and policies. Check your bill first. Both offer 1:1 net metering. Ian recovery roof replacements make right now an especially smart time to add solar.
Lee County is split between Lee County Electric Cooperative and Florida Power & Light, with LCEC serving Cape Coral, Sanibel and much of the surrounding area at roughly 14.65 cents per kilowatt-hour while FPL covers Fort Myers and other pockets. Since a cooperative sets its own interconnection and export credit terms, LCEC members should read the co-op solar tariff rather than assume statewide investor-owned utility rules apply. Sun resource here is strong, about 4.4 effective peak sun hours per day after subtracting inverter, heat, wiring and soiling losses. Many Lee County roofs were replaced after Hurricane Ian, which is worth factoring into timing since it is far cheaper to mount panels on a new roof than to remove them later. Confirm your rate from your own bill before running the numbers below.
Find out how much you can save based on your location and current energy usage.
Most Florida solar content defaults to FPL. Lee County is split between LCEC (a member-owned cooperative) and FPL. The utility that serves your address determines your rate, net metering details, and system sizing rules. Here is what actually matters.
Lee County is split between LCEC (Lee County Electric Cooperative) and FPL (Florida Power & Light). LCEC is the utility for Cape Coral, most of unincorporated Lee County, Bonita Springs, and Estero. FPL serves portions of Fort Myers and some surrounding areas.
The two utilities have different rate structures, slightly different net metering program details, and different system-sizing rules. Any solar estimate you receive should reflect your actual utility — not a generic "Lee County" or "FPL" assumption.
Check your electric bill to confirm your utility before getting quotes.
LCEC is a member-owned cooperative — not an investor-owned utility. LCEC offers 1:1 net metering: each exported kilowatt-hour earns a credit at your retail rate (~14.3–14.65 cents/kWh all-in, modestly higher than FPL's average). Credits roll over monthly.
At the end of January each year, any remaining surplus credit is trued up at LCEC's avoided-cost rate (lower than retail) rather than continuing to accumulate at full value. This means over-sizing your system pays diminishing returns — size for your annual consumption, not significantly above it.
LCEC's higher-than-average rate improves solar economics modestly for Cape Coral and unincorporated county customers.
If your address is in FPL territory, you benefit from FPL's 1:1 retail-rate net metering with an annual January true-up (any remaining surplus paid at avoided-cost rate). This mirrors the LCEC structure.
One FPL-specific rule: FPL requires residential solar systems be sized no larger than 115% of the home's trailing 12-month kWh usage. FPL will not interconnect a system that exceeds this cap. Make sure your installer verifies your annual usage before finalizing the system design.
If a quote proposes a system significantly larger than your annual history would justify, ask about the 115% rule.
Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Lee County on September 28, 2022 — causing catastrophic damage in Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island, and Pine Island. Lee County's rebuilding is still ongoing, with the most severely damaged properties not completing reconstruction until 2027 or later.
Here is the practical point: a full roof replacement is the single best time to add solar. You install panels on a brand-new surface, and you avoid the future cost and disruption of removing and remounting them when an older roof eventually needs replacement. Many Lee County homeowners are doing full roof replacements right now as part of Ian recovery — getting solar quotes at the same time adds minimal friction.
If you are in the middle of an Ian-related rebuild, ask roofing contractors and solar installers about coordinating work together.
Neither LCEC nor FPL offers a confirmed cash rebate for residential solar in Lee County as of 2026. The financial case rests on three legs: 1:1 net metering value from your utility, Florida's 100% property tax exemption on solar-added home value, and the 6% Florida sales tax exemption on solar equipment (saving $1,200–$1,800 on a typical system).
The 30% federal residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025 — it is not available for systems installed in 2026 or later.
PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing offers no money down and no credit check, with repayment via the property tax bill. Florida rolls out PACE county by county. Lee County's current confirmed PACE approval status is not available in public records as of mid-2026.
To check whether your specific address is currently eligible, visit floridapace.gov and use the address lookup tool.
Lien priority warning: A PACE assessment takes priority ahead of your existing mortgage. Review the full terms with your lender before committing.
Florida has no state income tax credit, but it offers powerful property and sales tax exemptions for solar installations that significantly improve your ROI.
100% exemption from increased property taxes. Adding solar increases your home's value, but Florida law prevents that added value from increasing your property tax bill.
FL Dept of Revenue6-7.5% savings on equipment. Solar energy systems are completely exempt from Florida's sales and use tax, saving you thousands upfront on the purchase price.
Florida Solar Energy CenterNote: These exemptions apply to purchased or financed systems. Leased systems (PPAs) do not qualify for these specific homeowner tax exemptions.
Lee County is split between two different electric utilities: Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) and Florida Power & Light (FPL). LCEC serves Cape Coral, most of unincorporated Lee County, Bonita Springs, Estero, and several other communities. FPL serves portions of Fort Myers and some surrounding areas. The only reliable way to know which utility serves your specific address is to check your electric bill or enter your address on each utility's service-territory lookup. This distinction matters because the two utilities have different rate structures and slightly different net metering program details.
LCEC is a member-owned electric cooperative — not an investor-owned utility like FPL or TECO. LCEC offers 1:1 net metering: every kilowatt-hour your solar panels export to the grid earns you a credit at the retail rate you pay for electricity. Credits roll over monthly. At the end of January each year, any remaining surplus credit is trued up at LCEC's avoided-cost rate (which is lower than the retail rate) rather than continuing to roll forward at full retail value. In practice, this means sizing your system close to your annual consumption — rather than significantly over-sized — makes the most financial sense for LCEC customers. The all-in residential rate at LCEC is approximately 14.3–14.65 cents/kWh, modestly higher than FPL's comparable all-in rate.
For Lee County addresses served by FPL, the net metering structure is 1:1 at the retail rate, with an annual true-up each January. Any remaining credit surplus at the annual true-up is paid out at FPL's avoided-cost rate. One FPL-specific rule that matters for system design: FPL requires that a residential solar system be sized no larger than 115% of the home's trailing 12-month kWh usage. This prevents large over-sizing. If you are in FPL territory and your installer proposes a system significantly larger than your annual usage would justify, ask how they arrived at that size — FPL will not interconnect a system that exceeds the 115% cap.
No confirmed utility-specific solar cash rebate exists from either LCEC or FPL in Lee County as of 2026. The financial case for going solar in Lee County rests on: 1:1 net metering value from whichever utility serves your address, Florida's 100% property tax exemption on the added home value from solar, and the 6% Florida sales tax exemption on solar equipment purchases. The 30% federal residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025 and is not available for systems installed in 2026 or later.
Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Lee County on September 28, 2022, and caused catastrophic damage — particularly in Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island, and Pine Island. Lee County's rebuilding effort is ongoing, with some of the most severely damaged properties not completing reconstruction until 2027 or later per county recovery documents. Here is why this is relevant to solar right now: full roof replacement is the single best time to add solar, because you install the panels on a brand-new roof surface and avoid the cost and disruption of removing and remounting them years later. Many Lee County homeowners are in the middle of roof replacements right now as part of Ian recovery. If you are replacing your roof — whether through insurance, a contractor, or out-of-pocket — getting solar quotes at the same time is practically low-friction and financially sensible.
PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing allows homeowners to finance solar with no money down and no credit check, with repayment added to the property tax bill. Lee County's current status in Florida's county-by-county PACE approval process has not been confirmed in available public records. To check whether your specific Lee County address is currently eligible, visit floridapace.gov and use the address lookup tool. Important caveat regardless of eligibility: a PACE assessment takes lien priority ahead of your existing mortgage. Review the full terms carefully with your lender before committing.
Because both LCEC and FPL offer 1:1 net metering — the same favorable crediting structure found across most of Florida — the validated Florida average payback range of 7–9 years for cash or loan purchases applies reasonably well in Lee County. LCEC's somewhat higher all-in rate (~14.3–14.65 cents/kWh) relative to the state average can modestly improve economics for LCEC customers. Neither utility offers an upfront cash rebate, so there is no rebate to accelerate payback. Lee County's 5.4 peak sun hours per day — among the highest in Florida — supports strong year-round generation. Note: the 30% federal residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025 and is not available for systems installed in 2026 or later. Any contractor estimate should reflect current law.
Two Florida-wide incentives apply whether you are an LCEC or FPL customer: (1) The 100% Florida property tax exemption — solar adds home value, and that added value is completely exempt from Florida property tax assessment, permanently. (2) The 6% Florida sales tax exemption on solar equipment purchases. On a $20,000–$30,000 system, the sales tax exemption saves $1,200–$1,800 at purchase. The 30% federal residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025 and is not available for systems installed in 2026 or later.
DISCLAIMER: All estimates are approximations based on regional averages. Actual savings vary by location, roof orientation, utility provider, and installer. This calculator does not guarantee specific savings.