Solar in Gainesville, FL
With Clay Electric Cooperative's electricity at about 14.2¢ per kWh and 1,460 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Gainesville home today: about a 11.3-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 11.3 yrsFlorida: 10.5 yrs
- 25-year net
- $36,787after paying $23,000
- Sun
- 1,460kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 14.2¢21% below U.S. average
A typical Gainesville home, by the numbers
| Utility | Clay Electric Cooperative |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 1,220 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 10 kW, about 23 panels, 14,600 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $23,000 |
| First-year savings | $2,050 |
| Payback | 11.3 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (Florida rule) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.8% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Gainesville
- Owner-occupied homes
- 38%
- Single-family detached
- 37%
- Median home value
- $248k
- Median year built
- 1983
- Population
- 145,702
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 66%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 20,672 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Gainesville
Public installation records for Florida don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Florida.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Gainesville
Is solar worth it in Gainesville, FL?
For a typical home in Gainesville, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 10 kW system costs about $23,000 after state incentives, saves about $2,050 in year one and pays back in about 11.3 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Gainesville?
About 1,460 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 5% less than the Florida average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Gainesville?
Most homes in Gainesville are served by Clay Electric Cooperative, at about 14.2¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Gainesville Regional Utilities, Duke Energy Florida, Florida Power & Light (FPL).
How much do solar panels cost in Gainesville?
A fair cash price is around $2.45 per watt before incentives, so about $23,000 for a 10 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Ocala 8.9 yrs
- Silver Springs Shores 9 yrs
- Oakleaf Plantation 11.1 yrs
- Lakeside 11.2 yrs
- Fleming Island 11.6 yrs
- Fruit Cove 16.5 yrs
- World Golf Village 10.8 yrs
- The Villages 10.8 yrs
- All of Florida
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.