Solar panels in Hollywood, FL: cost, FPL and permits 2026

Hollywood is FPL territory, with 1:1 net metering and a $30 minimum bill, on the Broward coast. In its favor: the highest solar radiation, according to NREL, among Doral, Miami Gardens, Pembroke Pines and Hollywood, and a city code that declares rooftop panels permitted equipment. Against it, or at least worth keeping in mind: historic districts, salt air and flood zones. Let’s take them one at a time.

Which utility serves Hollywood, and how does net metering work?

FPL serves Hollywood and all of Broward with 1:1 net metering: each kWh your panels export is credited at the same value as one you buy, one month’s surplus rolls to the next, and with the December meter read FPL credits what is left on your bill, calculated at its average cost of generation (the COG-1 rate). That credit is worth far less than the full rate, so it pays to design for your usage.

Two limits: the system must be estimated below 115% of your annual consumption, and the bill never drops below the $30 minimum bill plus taxes. Details in FPL: rates and net metering and the mechanics in net metering in Florida.

How much does a solar system cost in Hollywood in 2026?

There is no public, verifiable price per watt for Hollywood alone, and we will not invent one. The cash-purchase reference is ~$2.71 per watt before incentives, Florida quote reference (Oct. 2026). For other payment types, the most solid reference is national: Berkeley Lab’s annual report (Tracking the Sun), with these medians for residential systems installed in 2025:

The Berkeley Lab figures are national, not Florida’s or Hollywood’s. According to Berkeley Lab, the loan median is higher partly because of loan fees rolled into the up-front price, and it does not include interest. Near the coast, equipment suited to salt air and HVHZ anchoring can raise your price. How it is built: solar panel cost in Florida 2026.

Heads up: the 30% federal credit for buyers (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. A price “after the credit” in 2026 only applies to a lease/PPA (Section 48E), and that credit goes to the third party, not to you. Confirm with your tax preparer.

How much does a panel produce in Hollywood?

According to PVWatts, the calculator from the national lab NREL, a Hollywood system with panels tilted 20° to the south and 14% losses receives an average of 5.63 kWh/m² of solar radiation per day and produces on the order of 1,570 kWh a year for every kW installed. With the same assumptions, Doral gives 5.52, Pembroke Pines 5.55 and Miami Gardens 5.60: the difference is small, and your roof’s orientation and shade matter more than the city.

What is the typical bill, and what size system do you need?

There is no public, verifiable average bill for Hollywood alone. As a reference, the average Florida household used 1,104 kWh a month and paid $156.09 in 2024, according to EIA, and the state’s average residential price was 15.03¢/kWh in July 2026.

An example with those numbers, only as an order of magnitude: 1,104 kWh a month is about 13,250 kWh a year; divided by PVWatts’ ≈1,570 kWh per kW, you get about 8.5 kW. On top of energy, the bill carries taxes and charges that also count when you calculate savings. How to read each line: how to read your FPL bill.

What Hollywood’s code says about solar panels

Section 151.124 of Hollywood’s code grew out of the Department of Energy’s Go SOLAR-Broward program and aims to remove barriers to rooftop solar. What it establishes:

• Rooftop photovoltaic systems are permitted accessory equipment on residential and commercial buildings, conforming and nonconforming, in every zoning district in the city.
• The exception is historic structures and those inside Hollywood’s historic districts.
• Panels cannot extend above the roof line; on flat roofs, no more than five feet above the roof.
• When applying for the permit, the owner acknowledges that an HOA, condo association or deed restrictions may impose additional requirements even if the city issues the permit.

That section’s provisions refer to online applications for pre-approved systems under the Go SOLAR program; the building and electrical permit is handled by the contractor with the city’s department. Confirm the current list of requirements with the city.

Roof, hurricanes and the coast

Broward is in the Florida Building Code’s High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which in Section 1620.2 sets a 170 mph design wind for homes in Broward. The mounting needs product approval (Florida Product Approval or NOA), structural calculations signed by a Florida engineer, and inspection.

Hollywood adds two coastal factors. Salt air speeds up corrosion: ask for panels, rails and fasteners specified for coastal environments and a warranty that covers it. And if your home is in a flood zone (check FEMA’s map), the height at which the inverter, the disconnect and a battery, if any, are installed matters. More in solar and hurricanes in Florida and hurricane and outage backup.

Taxes and HOAs

Florida Statute 193.624 provides that, on residential property, the value a renewable energy device adds to your home is not considered when calculating property tax, and Statute 212.08(7)(hh) exempts solar energy systems and their components from sales tax. Where there is an HOA, Statute 163.04 prevents it from banning solar collectors; it can require architectural approval and set placement without reducing output. In condos with a shared roof, an individual installation is almost never viable. More in Florida solar incentives 2026.

Who lives in Hollywood

According to the Census, Hollywood has 157,019 residents (July 2025 estimate); 43.2% are Hispanic or Latino. 58.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, with a median value of $410,600 (ACS 2020-2024). If you rent or live in a beachfront condo, rooftop solar depends on the owner or the association.

When solar does NOT make sense in Hollywood

• Bill under $100: the $30 minimum bill plus taxes leaves little margin.
• A home in a historic district with no clarity on which review applies.
• A condo with a shared roof.
• A roof with little useful life left: roof first.
• A move within 1-2 years on long financing.

What to check before deciding

• Your 12 FPL bills, with the 13-month chart.
• Whether your home is in a historic district or a flood zone.
• That the quote shows $/W and includes the HVHZ permit, engineering and coastal-rated equipment.
• That the system stays below 115% of your annual consumption.
• That the savings projection subtracts the $30 minimum bill and taxes.