Pasco County is split between three utilities — Duke Energy Florida, TECO, and WREC. Each has different net metering terms. Check your bill first. WREC members should pay close attention to system sizing.
Two providers matter in Pasco County. Duke Energy Florida is the primary utility at roughly 15.8 cents per kilowatt-hour, and Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative serves a significant share of the county, particularly in and around Dade City and the eastern communities, at about 13.0 cents. That gap is large enough to change your payback by years, and because WREC is a member-owned cooperative it sets its own interconnection and excess-generation credit terms rather than following the investor-owned utility rulebook. Countywide, plan on about 4.2 effective peak sun hours per day, already adjusted for heat, inverter, wiring and soiling losses. Read the provider name on your bill, divide the total by the kilowatt-hours billed, and enter that rate below.
Find out how much you can save based on your location and current energy usage.
Most Florida solar content defaults to FPL. Pasco County is served by three different utilities — Duke Energy Florida, TECO, and WREC — each with distinct net metering structures. Which one serves your home determines both your economics and how you should size your system.
Pasco County is split between three electric utilities:
Check your electric bill to confirm your utility before getting solar quotes. Any estimate should reflect your actual utility's rate and net metering terms — not a generic "Pasco County" assumption.
Duke Energy Florida offers 1:1 net metering at the full retail rate per Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065. Each kilowatt-hour exported to the grid earns a credit at the same rate you pay for electricity. Credits roll over month to month.
At the annual settlement, any remaining surplus credit is paid out at the non-firm wholesale rate (~2 cents/kWh) rather than accumulating at retail value — the same structure FPL offers across most of Florida.
This is among the most favorable net metering structures in Florida. The validated 7–9 year payback range for cash or loan purchases applies well for Duke Energy customers in Pasco.
TECO (Tampa Electric Company) offers 1:1 retail-rate net metering for residential solar systems up to 10 kW. Every kilowatt-hour exported earns a credit at approximately 13 cents/kWh all-in — the same rate you pay when drawing from the grid.
TECO does not offer a utility cash rebate for residential solar. The financial case rests on net metering value plus Florida's statewide property and sales tax exemptions.
Note: a temporary storm restoration surcharge is on TECO bills through August 2026. Bills will decrease when it rolls off in September 2026 — factor this into your current bill-based estimates.
WREC (Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative) is a member-owned cooperative serving central and north Pasco (plus parts of Hernando and Citrus counties). WREC's 2026 residential rate is approximately 13.0 cents/kWh with a $19/month fixed customer charge.
WREC offers net metering per Florida PSC rules with monthly crediting: within each month, exported kilowatt-hours offset what you draw at retail rate. However, at the end of the year, any remaining surplus credit is purchased back at Seminole Electric Cooperative's avoided-cost rate — meaningfully lower than retail.
This monthly-1:1-then-annual-avoided-cost structure is the same as LCEC in Lee County. The key implication: sizing your system close to your actual annual consumption matters more for WREC members than for Duke Energy or TECO customers. An oversized system will have substantial year-end export settling at a fraction of your retail rate, extending your payback period.
WREC does not offer a solar rebate.
No confirmed utility-specific solar cash rebate exists from Duke Energy Florida, TECO, or WREC in Pasco County as of 2026. The financial case rests on three legs: net metering value from your utility, Florida's 100% property tax exemption on the 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.
Florida's 2024 legislation requires each county to pass a local ordinance before residential PACE financing can operate. PACE offers no money down and no credit check, with repayment added to the property tax bill. Pasco County's current confirmed PACE approval status was not found in available public records.
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.
Pasco County is split between three different electric utilities: Duke Energy Florida (serving southwest Pasco and the Zephyrhills area of east Pasco), TECO/Tampa Electric (serving parts of Pasco near the Hillsborough County border), and Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC), which serves central and north Pasco. The only reliable way to know which utility serves your specific address is to check your electric bill. This matters for solar because each utility has different net metering structures, and for WREC customers in particular, the annual true-up mechanics mean system sizing strategy differs from a Duke Energy or TECO customer's approach.
Duke Energy Florida offers 1:1 net metering at the full retail rate per Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065. Each kilowatt-hour your solar panels export to the grid earns you a credit at the same rate you pay when purchasing electricity. Credits roll over month to month. At the annual settlement, any remaining surplus credit is paid out at the non-firm wholesale rate (approximately 2 cents/kWh) rather than continuing to accumulate at retail value. This is among the most favorable net metering structures in Florida — the same structure FPL offers — and supports the validated 7–9 year payback range for cash or loan purchases.
TECO (Tampa Electric Company) offers 1:1 retail-rate net metering for residential solar systems up to 10 kW. Every kilowatt-hour exported earns a credit at the same rate you pay — approximately 13 cents/kWh all-in. TECO does not offer a utility cash rebate for residential solar. The validated 7–9 year Florida payback range applies reasonably well for TECO customers. Note that a temporary storm restoration surcharge related to the 2024 hurricane season is on TECO bills through August 2026; bills will decrease when that surcharge rolls off in September 2026.
WREC is a member-owned electric cooperative serving central and north Pasco County (as well as parts of Hernando and Citrus counties). WREC offers net metering per Florida PSC rules with monthly crediting: within each month, exported kilowatt-hours offset what you draw from the grid at retail rate. However, at the end of the year, any remaining surplus credit is purchased back at WREC's wholesale power provider's (Seminole Electric Cooperative's) avoided-cost rate — which is meaningfully lower than retail. WREC's 2026 residential rate is approximately 13.0 cents/kWh with a $19/month fixed customer charge. This monthly-1:1-then-annual-avoided-cost structure is the same as LCEC in Lee County. The practical implication: if your system generates significantly more than your annual consumption, the surplus exports at year-end are worth far less than what you paid per kWh on your bill. Sizing your system close to your actual annual usage — rather than oversizing — matters more for WREC members than for Duke Energy or TECO customers.
No confirmed utility-specific solar cash rebate exists from Duke Energy Florida, TECO, or WREC in Pasco County as of 2026. The financial case for solar in Pasco County rests on the net metering value from whichever utility serves your address, Florida's 100% property tax exemption on the solar-added home value, 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.
Florida's 2024 legislation requires each county to pass a local ordinance before residential PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing can operate in that jurisdiction. Pasco County's current confirmed PACE approval status was not found in available public records. To check whether your specific 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.
Payback varies meaningfully depending on which of the three utilities serves your address. Duke Energy Florida and TECO customers both benefit from 1:1 retail-rate net metering, so the validated Florida average of 7–9 years for cash or loan purchases applies reasonably well. WREC customers face the same monthly 1:1 crediting but an annual true-up at wholesale avoided-cost rate for any surplus — making right-sizing critical. An oversized system in WREC territory will push payback longer than the 7–9 year range because excess annual generation settles at a fraction of your retail rate. Size to your annual consumption and the payback picture improves substantially. None of the three Pasco utilities offer a cash rebate to improve upfront economics. The 30% federal residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025 and is not available for systems installed in 2026 or later.
Two Florida-wide incentives apply regardless of whether you are a Duke Energy, TECO, or WREC customer: (1) The 100% Florida property tax exemption — solar adds home value, and that added value is completely exempt from Florida property tax assessment. (2) The 6% Florida sales tax exemption on solar equipment purchases, which saves $1,200–$1,800 on a typical $20,000–$30,000 system. 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.