Lakeland Electric net metering in Florida

Applying to Lakeland Electric

What Lakeland Electric itself requires, as distinct from what the state rule requires. Read from its own published guidelines on the date shown.

Net metering stops at 10 kW for homes

Lakeland’s own solar page says residential customers can join net metering with systems up to 10 kW, even though its interconnection agreement is written for systems up to 2 MW. Design around 10 kW unless Lakeland tells you otherwise in writing.

Going solar moves you to a different price plan, and it has a demand charge

Lakeland runs a distinct Solar Price Plan, and its shape is not the shape of an ordinary bill. On the rate card effective 1 January 2026 it is a $14.45 customer charge, energy at $0.02674 per kWh plus fuel, and a demand charge of $5.77 per kW billed on your single highest on-peak reading in the month. Lakeland lists that solar figure separately from the $6.69 non-solar demand charge and says the difference is the Value of Solar Credit. Your savings have to be modeled against this plan, not against your old bill minus what you generate.

The demand charge is the part panels do not fix

A demand charge is set by one moment of peak draw, not by how many kilowatt hours you use, so generating more does not reduce it. Lakeland’s own solar page puts the winter on-peak window at 6:01am to 10:00am, which is largely before a roof in Florida is producing anything worth counting. Shifting the big loads, or a battery, is what moves that line; a bigger array is not. Note that the January 2026 rate card states the demand window as 12:01pm to 9:00pm weekdays, so get the hours that apply to you confirmed in writing before you model it.

Free advice before you buy, from the utility

Lakeland’s Energy Analysts will go through your usage and whether solar suits your property, at no charge. Call 863-834-9535, Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 6:00pm. That is an hour with someone who has no commission riding on the answer.

One agreement covers every tier

The document is the Agreement for parallel connection of a Photovoltaic Generator and/or an Energy Storage System up to 2 MW with the City of Lakeland’s Electric Distribution System. Everyone signs a version of it, residential or commercial.

Lakeland says this about contractors, and we would not put it better

Its own guidance: beware of any contractor who is not willing to help you comply with the agreement. Compliance is the customer’s responsibility, so a contractor treating the paperwork as somebody else’s problem is telling you something.

They publish a calculator, and disclaim it

Lakeland has its own solar calculator and also points at independent tools, while stating plainly that none of them is guaranteed and results will vary. Use them for a range, not a promise.

From Lakeland Electric’s published guidelines · checked 2026-09-19 · source