Texas solar buyback plans put money back in your pocket if you own solar panels. It’s called Texas Net Metering. Your electric company pays you for the excess solar power that you generate from the solar panels on your roof.
Read on to find our recommendations for the best solar buyback plans and a comparison chart to let you compare buyback plans head to head!
Best Power Companies for Solar Buy Back in Texas
If you’ve made an investment in solar panels for your home, you’ll want to know, “Who has the best solar buy back?”. These are our recommendations for the best electricity plans for people with solar panels.
Sell Excess Solar to the Grid at a Fixed Price
If you want to sell excess power back to the grid at a fixed price, Rhythm Energy is our recommendation for solar buyback.
Rhythm’s buyback plan is complex time of use plan with off-peak, on-peak and ultra on-peak hours. You’ll pay a different electricity price during each time period, and they’ll pay a different rate for your excess solar during each time period. Check the Electricity Facts Label on this plan for the full details.
You cannot be a net exporter, meaning they will not buy more power than the amount you use.
Sell Excess Solar to the Grid at the Market Price
If you want to sell excess power back to the grid at the market price (wholesale price), then Champion Energy is our top recommendation for solar buyback. All of their electricity plans are eligible for solar buyback.
This summer when energy prices are peaking as high as $5000/MWh (the ERCOT market cap)? You can get rewarded for putting energy onto the grid.
Just make sure you understand, the real time price of electricity changes every 5 minutes. It’s capped at $5000/MWh, which is $5 per kWh, but could be substantially less than that, including times when the wholesale price is $0.
Solar Buyback Plans in Houston (CenterPoint)
| Plan Name | Term | Monthly Fee | Import | Export | Other Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhythm Energy PowerShift Solar Buyback 12 | 12 | $14.95 | Time of Use. See EFL. | ||
| Chariot Energy Shine 12 (Solar Buy Back) | 12 | $9.95 | 9.0¢ | Real Time Price up to 25¢/kWh | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Chariot Energy Shine 36 (Solar Buy Back) | 36 | $9.95 | 9.2¢ | Real Time Price up to 25¢/kWh | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Free Weekends 24 | 24 | N/A | 13.6¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. Free power 12am Sat – 11:59pm Sun. |
| Champion Energy Services Green Energy 24 | 24 | N/A | 10.0¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Champ Silver 24 | 24 | N/A | 9.3¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Champ Saver 24 | 24 | N/A | 9.4¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Champ Saver 12 | 12 | N/A | 9.6¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
Import rate is your energy rate. You will also pay monthly fee (if applicable) and delivery charges from your TDU.
Export rate is the price you receive per kWh of excess solar you sell to the grid through your Retail Electric Provider.
Solar Buyback Plans in Dallas-Fort Worth (Oncor)
| Plan Name | Term | Monthly Fee | Import | Export | Other Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhythm Energy PowerShift Solar Buyback 12 | 12 | $14.95 | Time of Use. See EFL. | ||
| Chariot Energy Shine 12 (Solar Buy Back) | 12 | $9.95 | 8.7¢ | Real Time Price up to 25¢/kWh | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Chariot Energy Shine 36 (Solar Buy Back) | 36 | $9.95 | 8.9¢ | Real Time Price up to 25¢/kWh | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Free Weekends 24 | 24 | N/A | 13.0¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. Free power 12am Sat – 11:59pm Sun. |
| Champion Energy Services Green Energy 24 | 24 | N/A | 9.6¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Champ Silver 24 | 24 | N/A | 8.8¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Champ Saver 24 | 24 | N/A | 8.9¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Champ Saver 12 | 12 | N/A | 9.1¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
Import rate is your energy rate. You will also pay monthly fee (if applicable) and delivery charges from your TDU.
Export rate is the price you receive per kWh of excess solar you sell to the grid through your Retail Electric Provider.
Shop Solar Buyback Plans in Texas
What Are Solar Buyback Plans?
As the push for green energy grows, more and more Americans are installing solar panels. In response, solar capacity jumped by 33% over the past decade, while the cost of solar installation decreased by roughly two-thirds.
This trend means two things. One, energy from solar panels doesn’t just power the owner’s residence—it also flows into the grid to power more homes. Two, electric companies have started rewarding homeowners for their green goals and are introducing solar buyback plans. Texas is no exception.
Across providers, solar buyback works as follows: Your solar panels generate power, anything left over gets diverted to the grid, and you receive a credit to apply to future bills. To make this process as easy and accurate as possible:
- Your smart meter is upgraded to bi-directional, to measure how much electricity you use each month, as well as any excess going to the grid. You’ll find that anywhere from 20% to 40% of your solar-generated power supports the grid.
- Plans accommodate multiple energy storage solutions, including if you opt for battery storage.
- Certain REPs partner with solar panel installers to encourage Texans to adopt solar power.
Understanding Texas Solar Buy Back Plans – The Fine Print
When you’re a solar owner shopping for an electric plan, it pays to read the fine print. That’s true of any electricity plan, so you make sure you know what you are getting. But it’s especially true of Texas solar buy back plans
That’s because beyond the marketing promises and hype, there are the details in the contract.
Our chart above highlights some of the key terms and conditions of each plan. Here are some of the terms you’ll see when you review solar buyback plans terms and conditions.
- Net Producer: a net producer is a home that generates more power than it uses during a billing cycle.
- Maximum Size: Retail electricity companies often limit the maximum size system you can have.
- 1:1 Buyback: The company will only buy back power equal to the amount you buy from them.
- No Cash-Out Option: You cannot take earned solar credits with you as cash if you switch to a different provider.
- Real Time Price: The real time price of energy (also referred to as Real-Time Settlement Point Price or Wholesale price) updates every five minutes with supply/demand. They average around three cents per kWh. You can achieve higher prices during peak demand periods. You can view historical information on the ERCOT site.
Net Metering Basics: How to Sell Solar Power Back to Grid in Texas
If your solar panels produce more power than you can use during the day, you can sell the excess power back to the grid. This is called solar buyback or net metering.
Net metering or solar buyback is the ability to sell your excess solar power back to the grid.
Your electricity company will buy your excess solar power from you. And you’ll receive the money as a bill credit.
To sell solar power back to the grid in Texas, you will need:
- A smart meter
- An interconnection agreement with your utility company. (Your retail electricity provider will give you all the paperwork.)
- A retail electricity provider that will buy your excess power through a solar buyback or net metering plan.
How Much Can I Make Selling Solar Power Back to the Grid?
How much your electric company pays for your excess solar power depends on your electricity plan. Because you can’t literally sell power back to the grid, you’ll be selling it to your retail electricity provider.
Some companies will pay you on net metering at a fixed rate per kilowatt hour for your excess power. But that’s too risky for most providers.
Most companies will buy your excess solar power based on their avoided costs. That means they’ll pay you what they would have spent buying wholesale power on the Texas electricity spot market. Simply stated? When you sell your excess power to the grid, your provider pays you the wholesale price of energy.
So, to be clear, to sell solar power back to the grid in Texas, not just any electricity plan will do. To sell solar power back to the grid in Texas, you need to pick a special solar buyback or net metering plan for your electricity. That’s the only way to get the best solar buy back rate.
Pulse Power used to offer the most popular solar buyback plan around. They had a “bundled” energy rate of power and delivery. And they purchased solar power back at the same rate, including delivery. While that was great for consumers, it was a big money loser for Pulse Power. Pulse Power Solar Buyback is no longer available. And Pulse Power is no longer enrolling customers.
Oncor Texas Net Metering Programs
Oncor is the delivery company in North Texas and parts of Central and West Texas. Since they are no longer a retail electricity provider, they do not offer Oncor Texas net metering programs.
The only way to get paid for your excess solar power in Oncor is by picking an electricity supplier with solar buyback.
However, if you are installing a new solar panels and battery storage system on your home, you should look into Oncor solar rebates.
Your Oncor solar installation rebate depends on the size of your system. But a 7.2 kW system installation could be eligible for a rebate as high as $5,000. Talk to your installer about the Oncor solar rebate before you proceed with your new installation.
Net Metering in Regulated Texas Electricity Markets
The information above refers to solar buyback and net metering programs in Dallas, Houston and other deregulated areas of Texas. Here are resources on solar buyback if you live in a regulated area of Texas.
Solar Buyback Programs in Austin. Austin Energy offers a Value of Solar (VoS) Rate. In addition to your standard electrical meter, they’ll install a second meter on your home. This meter will measure your solar output. You’ll receive a bill credit for your solar generation at the applicable Austin Energy VoS rate.
Net Metering Programs in San Antonio. CPS Energy’s net metering program will pay you the current market wholesale electricity price for your excess solar power. You should contact CPS Energy directly to inquire about their program
Solar Buyback Programs in The Woodlands. Some areas of The Woodlands, just north of Houston, are in the Centerpoint electricity market (deregulated). Other areas of the Woodlands are in the Entergy electricity delivery market. If Entergy serves your home, you can find information on net metering in The Woodlands on their website.
