OUC Solar in Orlando: How TruNet Solar Crediting Works for New Systems

By iContracting Solar Team · 2026-09-29

The short answer

Orlando Utilities Commission calls its rooftop solar net metering program TruNet Solar. OUC is a municipal utility, not an investor-owned utility governed by Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065. Its rules therefore need to be evaluated separately from FPL, Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric.

For new OUC systems, exported electricity is worth less than electricity used directly at the property. That makes daytime self-consumption and battery storage more important. The exact treatment depends on application and interconnection dates, including a temporary full-retail grace period through October 31, 2026.

Why OUC is different

Florida's statewide investor-owned utility net metering rule applies to FPL, Duke and TECO. OUC is municipal and uses its own TruNet Solar program. A statewide net metering summary should not be copied onto an OUC proposal without accounting for OUC's dates and credit categories.

OUC's official terms are on its Rooftop Solar page. Customers should check that page before a purchase because program details can change.

TruNet Solar timeline at a glance

The following timeline separates the application deadline, the newer export-credit track, the temporary grace period and the later change in credit treatment.

Applications received by June 30, 2025

Customers whose applications were received by June 30, 2025 are grandfathered at the prior net metering rate for 20 years. Existing customers should keep their application and interconnection records and confirm their individual status with OUC rather than relying only on an install date remembered later.

Customers interconnected after June 30, 2025

Customers interconnected after June 30, 2025 are placed on a different export-credit path. Their exports are credited at OUC's Community Solar Energy rate for five years, through June 30, 2030.

This named rate should not be confused with the full retail rate. No cents-per-kilowatt-hour figure is quoted here because customers should check OUC's current published value.

Temporary grace period through October 31, 2026

OUC provides a temporary grace period at the full retail rate through October 31, 2026. This is a time-limited bridge, not a permanent promise for a newly interconnected system.

A proposal should clearly separate this temporary period from the longer export-credit structure. Projecting the grace-period treatment across the life of a system would misstate the supplied program timeline.

Starting November 1, 2026

Beginning November 1, 2026, excess solar is credited within the same billing period rather than rolled forward. That change means credits are not carried into later billing periods under the new treatment.

The practical effect is that matching production with use during the billing period becomes more important. Producing a large surplus simply to bank it for later periods is not the same strategy it was under rollover.

After June 30, 2030

After June 30, 2030, exports on the newer track move from the Community Solar Energy rate to OUC's Retail Levelized Fuel rate. Again, homeowners should verify the current value directly with OUC rather than rely on a historical cents-per-kilowatt-hour number.

What the timeline means for a new proposal

A new OUC proposal should identify the credit assumptions used after the temporary grace period. It should not treat full-retail export credit as a permanent condition for a system interconnected after the June 2025 cutoff.

Ask the installer to show how much estimated solar production is expected to be consumed immediately at the property and how much is expected to be exported. The distinction matters because electricity used on-site avoids the need to buy that electricity at that moment, while exported electricity follows OUC's applicable credit category.

The proposal should also explain how it handles the November 1, 2026 same-billing-period rule and the June 30, 2030 change. If those dates are absent, ask for a revised explanation before comparing projected outcomes.

Why daytime self-consumption matters

Solar panels typically produce during daylight. A home that uses more electricity during those hours can consume a greater share of solar production directly. Examples can include shifting flexible household activities to daylight hours where practical. The goal is not to increase total use; it is to align existing flexible use with production.

Self-consumption matters more when export credits are lower than the value of electricity otherwise purchased and when excess credit does not roll into future billing periods. That is the honest economic reason to examine the property's usage pattern. It is not a guarantee of a particular saving.

Right-sizing also matters. A system designed far beyond the property's useful demand may create more exports subject to the newer credit structure. Design should begin with usage history, roof space and realistic future loads rather than the maximum number of panels that can fit.

The stronger case for battery storage

A battery can store some solar production that would otherwise be exported during the day and make it available for on-site use later. For a new OUC customer receiving a lower export value, that ability can make storage more relevant to the system design.

A battery can also provide outage backup when paired with compatible equipment that safely isolates the home from the grid. Backup and self-consumption are separate goals, and the battery should be sized around both if both matter.

Storage does not create a guaranteed financial result. Battery capacity, operating settings, household use and system compatibility all affect performance. Ask for a clear explanation of what the battery is expected to do. Our guide to solar during a power outage explains the safety and backup side.

TruNet is not the same as SunChoice

OUC also operates SunChoice, its community solar program. SunChoice offers a different way to participate in solar without placing a rooftop system on the property. It should not be confused with TruNet export crediting for a customer's rooftop system.

A renter or owner who does not want or cannot use rooftop solar can ask OUC about current SunChoice terms. Someone comparing SunChoice with rooftop ownership should use OUC's current information and avoid assuming that the two options have the same billing mechanics.

Comparing OUC with neighboring utilities

Nearby properties may be served by Duke, FPL or another utility even when they share an Orlando-area mailing address. Confirm the provider on the electric bill. If the account is with Duke Energy Florida, use our Duke solar guide. Tampa Electric customers should use the TECO solar guide.

The statewide framework for investor-owned utilities includes retail energy-rate export credits, monthly carryforward and a year-end avoided-cost payout. Read how Florida net metering works for the complete comparison. OUC's municipal status is why its timeline is presented separately.

Questions to ask before choosing OUC solar

Ask which TruNet group the project will enter and what date controls that determination. Ask whether the proposal uses the temporary full-retail grace period beyond October 31, 2026. Ask how it models same-billing-period crediting from November 1, 2026 and the Retail Levelized Fuel rate after June 30, 2030.

Request separate estimates of on-site use and exports, without treating either as guaranteed. If a battery is included, identify whether its primary purpose is self-consumption, outage backup or both. Review Florida solar incentives in 2026 so an expired federal residential credit is not added to the proposal.

Finally, check roof condition and storm readiness. The Phase 1 guides on solar and roofing in Florida and solar panels during a hurricane cover those decisions. The Central Florida Solar Guide connects all of these topics.

OUC's newer crediting structure does not eliminate the case for rooftop solar. It changes the analysis. For new systems, the most credible plan is one that values on-site use honestly, treats the grace period as temporary and evaluates storage around the property's real energy and backup needs.