The answer depends on whether you want to own the system or just pay less for electricity. Those are actually two different conversations.
If you want to own your system — pay cash or take a loan — the upfront math changed at the end of 2025 when the federal 30% tax credit expired. The payback period is longer. We'll get into that.
If you're open to leasing the system or buying the power it produces through a PPA, the math looks different. No ownership, no upfront cost, and often lower monthly payments from day one. Those options were never tied to the homeowner's federal tax credit in the first place, so nothing changed for them in 2026.
Here's the full picture.
This is KIN's most common path for homeowners who want lower electric bills without putting money down or taking on a loan.
Solar lease — You lease the solar system from the financing company (not from KIN — KIN installs it). You pay a fixed monthly payment. KIN's lending partners for this include GoodLeap, LightReach, Skylight, and Enfin. The system sits on your roof, generates electricity, and that electricity powers your home. Your lease payment is typically lower than your current electric bill.
PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) — Instead of leasing the equipment, you agree to buy the electricity the panels produce at a set rate per kilowatt-hour — usually lower than what your utility charges. You pay only for what the panels produce. No fixed payment, no ownership.
Both are $0 down. Both start generating savings from the first full billing cycle. Neither requires you to own or maintain the equipment.
What you give up with lease or PPA: you don't own the panels, so you don't build equity. You won't get a tax credit (which no longer exists for homeowners anyway). You're locked into a contract — typically 20 to 25 years — with terms around what happens if you sell the house.
That last part matters and we address it directly further down.
With a solar loan, you own the system from installation day. KIN works with GoodLeap, LightReach, Skylight, and Enfin for loan financing.
The honest numbers without the federal tax credit:
A fully installed system in Florida typically runs $22,000 to $35,000 depending on system size, equipment, and roof condition. (More on what drives that range below.)
After Florida's sales tax exemption — solar equipment is exempt from the 6% state sales tax — a $28,000 system effectively costs around $26,300 before any bill savings.
Your monthly loan payment on a 20-year term at current rates will likely be somewhere in the $150–$220 range depending on system size and rate. If your current FPL or Duke bill is $180–$250/month, you're roughly breaking even immediately, then saving more as utility rates rise (which they do, predictably).
The payback period — the point where cumulative savings equal your total system cost — is roughly 10 to 13 years for most Florida loan customers in 2026. Before 2025, with the tax credit, that was 7 to 9 years. The credit's absence is real, and we won't pretend otherwise.
The long-term picture doesn't change: the panels generate electricity for 25+ years, and most Florida homeowners with a loan see $25,000 to $45,000 in total savings over the system's life after loan costs.
Highest long-term return. No interest costs. Payback period of 10 to 13 years, after which you're collecting pure savings on an asset you own outright.
Best for homeowners with available capital who plan to stay in the home for 15+ years.
A few things that move the price significantly:
Your electricity bill, not your square footage. A 1,500 sq ft Florida home with electric heat, a pool, and a family of four has very different energy needs than a 2,500 sq ft house with two adults and gas cooking. The system needs to match your actual usage, not your square footage.
Roof condition. If your roof has 3–5 years left on it, installing solar now creates a problem — you'll have to remove and reinstall panels when the roof goes, which costs money. KIN does roofing as well as solar. If your roof needs attention, we can look at doing both together rather than creating a problem for later.
Equipment. Not all panels perform the same over 25 years. Premium equipment costs more upfront and usually delivers better long-term production.
Whatever financing path you choose, net metering works the same way.
Florida law requires FPL, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric, and Florida Public Utilities to credit you for surplus solar energy at the full retail electricity rate. When your panels produce more than your home is using, the excess goes to the grid and your meter runs backward — you get credited at the same rate you pay for electricity.
Those credits roll forward and offset what you pull from the grid at night or on cloudy days. For a well-sized system, most Florida homeowners get their monthly bill down to just the base connection fee ($10–$30/month). This is state law and it applies regardless of whether you own, lease, or are on a PPA.
Two other Florida benefits:
Sales tax exemption — No 6% Florida sales tax on solar equipment. Saves $1,300–$2,100 on a typical system (this applies to the purchase price, so it benefits loan and cash customers directly; lease/PPA customers may see this reflected in their rates).
Property tax exemption — Solar panels increase your home's value. Florida law excludes that added value from your property tax assessment.
An old or inefficient AC system can drive electricity usage high enough that you'd need a significantly larger solar system than a home with a modern HVAC. KIN installs HVAC as well as solar — in some cases, addressing the HVAC first means a smaller (and cheaper) solar system overall.
We'll look at both if it's relevant. If the HVAC angle doesn't apply to your home, we'll tell you that too.
For lease/PPA customers: if your current electric bill is $120 or more per month, there's a reasonable chance a $0-down solar option saves you money from day one. It's worth running the numbers.
For loan/cash customers: the math is tighter post-ITC, but Florida's net metering policy is genuinely strong. If you're planning to stay in the home 12+ years, ownership typically wins over the long run.
For anyone: we'll run the actual numbers for your home. Your address, your bill history, your roof, your usage. Not a national average. Not a best-case scenario.