A homeowner called me last week and opened with something I hear more often than I should: “I signed a contract three days ago and I’m already not sure what I actually own.” A salesperson had knocked on his door, spent a couple of hours at his kitchen table, and left with a signed agreement. By the time the buyer’s remorse hit, the company had already run his credit. He wanted to know if the 30 percent federal tax credit he had been promised was real.
It was not. And that was not the only thing he had been told incorrectly.
That kind of call is not unusual. Solar is one of the best investments a Southwest Florida homeowner can make, but it has also attracted its share of operators who count on you not knowing the right questions to ask. At Florida Solar Design Group, we have been sitting across from homeowners in Lee, Charlotte, and Collier Counties long enough to recognize every play in the book. What follows is a straight look at the tactics being used in our market right now, and the facts some companies would rather you never find out.
Trick #1: Inflated Prices Dressed Up as a Discount
One of the oldest plays in the book is pricing a system well above what it should actually cost, then handing you a dramatic discount to make you feel like you caught a bargain. You did not. You paid the real price while believing you got a deal.
Independent research has shown that some solar lenders build hidden fees into loan agreements that inflate the true cost of a system by 30 percent or more above the cash price. These charges are buried in the paperwork and are rarely explained at the kitchen table. The monthly payment looks manageable. The interest rate looks reasonable. But the number being financed may include thousands of dollars in markup that has nothing to do with the actual cost of your panels, inverter, or installation.
Trick #2: Selling You a Federal Tax Credit That No Longer Exists
This one is costing Southwest Florida families real money, and it may be the most dangerous tactic in play right now.
For years, homeowners who purchased a solar system could claim a 30 percent federal tax credit on their income taxes under Section 25D of the tax code. That credit expired for homeowners at the end of 2025. If a salesperson is telling you in 2026 that you will receive a 30 percent federal tax credit when you buy solar panels, that is not accurate.
Important
The 30 percent federal residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) expired at the end of 2025 for homeowners who purchase solar outright or through a solar loan. A separate federal credit still exists for leased systems, but it is claimed by the leasing company, not by you. Do not sign a contract based on a tax credit you cannot claim.
There is another layer to this worth knowing. Some companies spent years using the expiring tax credit as a pressure tactic, telling homeowners they had to sign immediately or miss out on a deadline. Now that the residential credit is actually gone, some of those same operations are still running the same playbook, just with new deadlines and new urgency dressed up around them. The hustle does not stop. Only the facts change.
What Florida Actually Offers (And It Is Worth Knowing)
Here is the good news. Florida has its own incentive structure that is genuinely valuable, and it has nothing to do with the federal government. These programs are real, they are in effect right now, and you can verify every one of them yourself. No salesperson required.
You can read more about how Florida’s solar incentives work for Southwest Florida homeowners and what to expect at the time of purchase.
What About Net Metering?
Florida requires investor-owned utilities, including FPL, Duke Energy, and Tampa Electric, to offer full retail net metering. That means the excess electricity your system produces is credited to your bill at the same rate you pay for power. It is one of the stronger net metering policies in the country, and it is the real financial engine behind most homeowners’ return on investment. Understanding how net metering works in Florida is worth your time before you commit to any system size or design.
Trick #3: Pressure, Urgency, and the Tonight-Only Close
Legitimate solar companies do not need to rush you. Solar is a major investment, typically the second largest a homeowner makes after purchasing the property itself. Any company that tells you the price is only good tonight, that a government program expires this week, or that you need to sign before they leave your driveway is using a pressure tactic, not providing a service.
The door-to-door solar industry has attracted significant regulatory attention for these practices. Consumer complaints involving the word “solar” increased fourfold in just a few years according to the Federal Trade Commission. State attorneys general across the country have become increasingly involved as homeowners report being signed into binding contracts they did not fully understand, with inflated loan amounts and promises that did not hold up.
In Florida, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are not currently available to residential customers. Leases are available, but they come with 20 to 25-year contracts and terms that deserve careful reading before your pen touches the paper. If someone is offering you a lease and pushing you toward a fast signature, slow down. The terms in those agreements matter far more than any discount being dangled in front of you.
A reputable company will still be there tomorrow. The pressure to sign tonight is a sales tactic, not a deadline.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign Anything
You have the right to take your time. Every Southwest Florida homeowner should ask these questions before agreeing to anything:
These are not trick questions. Any contractor worth hiring will answer all of them without hesitation. A company that cannot or will not answer them is telling you something important before you have even signed anything.
The Bottom Line
Solar is a genuinely smart investment for most Southwest Florida homeowners. The sun here is exceptional. Electricity rates keep climbing. Florida’s state-level incentives are among the strongest in the country, and net metering here is fair and functional. The technology is proven, and the economics work.
What does not work is making a major financial decision based on inflated prices, a federal tax credit that expired, or a salesperson who needs your signature before you have had time to think. The companies that rely on those tactics are counting on you not knowing better.
Now you do.
At Florida Solar Design Group, we design and install every system ourselves, with no subcontractors, no hidden fees, and no manufactured discounts. We will tell you everything, including the things that do not make us look better. If you want a straight answer about solar for your home, I’d invite you to reach out. No pressure. No expiring offers. Just a real conversation.
Call us at (239) 491-8010 or visit FloridaSolarDesignGroup.com for a no-pressure consultation.
