In short: Palm Bay has about 142,000 people and sits in Brevard County. Florida Power & Light Co, Duke Energy Florida, LLC and Peace River Electric Coop, Inc serves different parts of Brevard County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 12.35¢ to 16.63¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Brevard County hurricanes “very high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,440 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is good for solar.
This page covers what is local to Palm Bay: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Florida energy guide.
Palm Bay at a glance
- Place: Palm Bay, Brevard County, Florida; about 142,023 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Florida Power & Light Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 13.71¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 46 minutes of power on normal days and 702 counting major storms, with 0.4 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Palm Bay).
- Utility: Duke Energy Florida, LLC (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 16.63¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 84 minutes of power on normal days and 2,500 counting major storms, with 1.0 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Palm Bay).
- Utility: Peace River Electric Coop, Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 12.35¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 90 minutes of power on normal days and 1,460 counting major storms, with 1.1 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Palm Bay).
- Sun: 4.95 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 3.16 in December to 6.37 in May (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,440 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 3,700 cooling degree-days and 290 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so air conditioning is the big load.
- Top hazards in Brevard County: hurricanes “very high”, lightning “very high” and strong winds “relatively high” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively high”).
- Public charging: 42 ports at 13 locations in Palm Bay, 13 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Florida Power & Light Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 5,236,277 home customers in 2024; its 13.71¢ average was below the 15.03¢ statewide average for July 2026. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is an investor-owned utility and served about 1,793,067 home customers in 2024; its 16.63¢ average was above the 15.03¢ statewide average for July 2026. Peace River Electric Coop, Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 57,589 home customers in 2024; its 12.35¢ average was below the 15.03¢ statewide average for July 2026. Those are utility-wide averages, not a quote for your address; your own bill is the real number.
For reliability, Peace River Electric Coop, Inc reported 90 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 66 (EIA-861). Utility-wide numbers hide a lot: a home at the end of a long rural line usually has more outages than the average.
Net metering, export rates and incentives are set at state level and by each utility. Start with the Florida guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Palm Bay
- Hurricanes (very high): Hurricanes can mean a week without power. A standby generator on natural gas or propane, or a battery with solar, beats a stack of gas cans; check flood height before you site equipment.
- Lightning (very high): Lightning causes short outages and damages electronics. Surge protection and a battery that switches over automatically protect the things you care about.
- Cooling load: an outage in Palm Bay summer means no air conditioning. A central unit is a big load; a large battery system or standby generator can run it, while a smaller setup keeps fans, a window unit or a mini-split going.
- Short outages: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, a CPAP and lights; a home battery switches over automatically.
Size your setup with the generator sizing tool and the battery backup calculator, and compare options in backup power. Generator safety (CPSC): outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors and windows, never in a garage, and battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms inside. A licensed electrician should install any transfer switch, with a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Palm Bay
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,440 kWh a year in Palm Bay (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Florida Power & Light Co’s 2024 average of 13.71¢, that is about $197 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: May is the sunniest month at 6.37 and December the dimmest at 3.16, a 2.0-to-1 gap.
Check your own roof with the solar potential tool, see solar costs and net metering vs net billing, and read the steps in solar installation. Hail and storm exposure are worth raising with installers and your insurer.
Batteries and EV charging
A home battery earns its place when outages are frequent, when your utility pays little for exported solar, or when evening prices are high; compare in home batteries and battery costs. Palm Bay has 42 public charging ports in the federal station list including 13 DC fast, but home charging is cheaper and easier: see the EV charging cost calculator and EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Palm Bay: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
Solar, generator transfer switches and EV chargers normally need an electrical permit from the Palm Bay building or permitting department, or from Brevard County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Palm Bay, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Florida guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: see all of Florida, or the whole Florida energy guide.
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Palm Bay energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Palm Bay?
Florida Power & Light Co, Duke Energy Florida, LLC and Peace River Electric Coop, Inc all serve parts of Brevard County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Florida Power & Light Co 13.71¢, Duke Energy Florida, LLC 16.63¢, Peace River Electric Coop, Inc 12.35¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Palm Bay?
About 1,440 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 8,640 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Is a generator or a battery better for hurricanes in Brevard County?
It depends how long the outage lasts. A battery is quiet, automatic and good for short outages and for pairing with solar; a standby generator keeps going as long as it has fuel, which suits multi-day events. Many homes use a battery for everyday outages and add a generator for the rare long one.
Can solar and a battery run my air conditioner during an outage?
Yes if the system is sized for it. A central air conditioner needs a large battery or generator, so many people back up one room or a mini-split instead. Use the battery backup calculator to see the runtime for your appliances.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Palm Bay?
Almost always an electrical permit for a transfer switch, solar or an EV charger, issued by the city or county where you live. Your licensed electrician or installer normally pulls it. Never connect a generator to your house wiring without a transfer switch.
Sources: EIA Form 861 (2024) for utility prices and outages; NASA POWER climatology (2001 to 2025) for sun and degree-days; FEMA National Risk Index for county hazards; AFDC station locator for public charging; Census Bureau for population. Estimates are ours and are not promises; see our editorial policy. Prices and programs change, so check each program page.