A hybrid, or heat pump, water heater does not make heat. It moves heat from the surrounding air into the tank, which is why it uses roughly a third of the energy of a conventional electric resistance model. In a cold climate that heat has to be replaced by the heating system. In Florida, where a garage sits at 85 to 95 degrees for much of the year and there is no heating season to speak of, the physics work strongly in your favour.
There is a secondary benefit that matters here. The unit exhausts cool, dehumidified air. Installed in a garage or utility room, that is a mild bonus rather than a penalty.
A water heater is a flexible load, which makes it one of the best partners for solar. Set the heating schedule to run during peak production and the tank effectively becomes thermal storage: you are banking midday solar as hot water instead of exporting it. On a time-of-use tariff the same logic applies against the expensive evening window.
Water heater replacement in Florida requires a plumbing permit and, where the electrical circuit is altered, an electrical permit. Current Florida code requires a drain pan with a run to an approved location for tanks installed where a leak would cause damage, expansion control on closed systems, and seismic or hurricane strapping depending on jurisdiction. We pull the permit and handle the inspection.
Most customers combine two or more of these in a single project.
Short answer: Hybrid heat-pump water heaters move heat rather than generate it, delivering the same hot water using significantly less electricity than a traditional water heater.