Texas solar buyback plans put money back in your pocket if you own solar panels. Your electric company pays you for the excess solar power that you generate from the solar panels on your roof. Our recommendations for best solar buyback plans, plus a comparison chart of the latest offers make it easy to find the best plan.
Free Nights is the Best Alternative to Solar BuyBack if you have Solar + Batteries. One popular alternative to solar buyback is a free nights electricity plan. Reliant Energy Truly Free Nights 100% Solar gives you free energy and delivery from 8pm to 6am, with no monthly base charge. Optimize your system to use battery storage from 6am to sunrise and from sunset to 8pm, and you could have a low to zero cost energy bill each month. This plan does not offer solar buyback.
What’s the Best Power Company for Solar Buyback in Texas?
There are two basic approaches for solar buyback, either selling excess solar back to the grid at a fixed price or selling solar back to the grid at the market price. Our recommendation for solar buyback at a fixed price is Chariot Energy. And for solar buyback at market price, choose Champion Energy.
Best Solar Buyback Plan: Sell back power at a fixed price per kWh
If you want to sell excess power back to the grid at a fixed price, Chariot Energy is our recommendation for solar buyback. They offer a fixed rate for solar buyback, plus an affordable rate for the power they sell to you. Keep in mind that the plan has a steep monthly charge. You cannot be a net exporter, meaning they will not buy more power than the amount you use.
Best Solar Buyback Plan: Sell back power at 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. Just make sure you understand, the real time price of electricity changes every 5 minutes. The historical average is 2.5-3¢ per kWh.
Solar Buyback Plans in Houston (CenterPoint)
| Plan Name | Term | Monthly Fee | Import | Export | Other Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion Energy Services Champ Saver 9 | 9 | N/A | 6.1¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services ElectricityPlans Preferred-12 | 12 | N/A | 6.7¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Champ Silver 24 | 24 | N/A | 7¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services ElectricityPlans Preferred-24 | 24 | N/A | 7.1¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Free Weekends 24 | 24 | N/A | 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 | 7.7¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Chariot Energy Shine 36 Solar Buy Back Plan | 36 | $9.95 | 9.00¢ | Real Time Price up to 25¢/kWh | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Chariot Energy Shine 12 Solar Buy Back Plan | 12 | $9.95 | 9.00¢ | Real Time Price up to 25¢/kWh | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Gexa Energy Gexa Solar Export Saver 12 | 12 | $19.95 | 10.80¢ | 3¢ | Excess Energy Credits can only be applied to your Gexa Energy bill. No cash-out option. |
| Chariot Energy PowerBank 36 Solar Buy Back Plan | 36 | $19.95 | 9.90¢ | 3¢ | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Chariot Energy PowerBank 12 Solar Buy Back Plan | 12 | $19.95 | 10.40¢ | 3¢ | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Rhythm Energy PowerShift Solar Buyback 12 | 12 | $14.95 | Time of Use. See EFL. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion Energy Services Champ Saver 9 | 9 | N/A | 5.9¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services ElectricityPlans Preferred-12 | 12 | N/A | 6.5¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Champ Silver 24 | 24 | N/A | 6.8¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services ElectricityPlans Preferred-24 | 24 | N/A | 6.9¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Champion Energy Services Free Weekends 24 | 24 | N/A | 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 | 7.6¢ | Real Time Price | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Chariot Energy Shine 36 Solar Buy Back Plan | 36 | $9.95 | 8.00¢ | Real Time Price up to 25¢/kWh | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Chariot Energy Shine 12 Solar Buy Back Plan | 12 | $9.95 | 8.00¢ | Real Time Price up to 25¢/kWh | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Gexa Energy Gexa Solar Export Saver 12 | 12 | $19.95 | 10.40¢ | 3¢ | Excess Energy Credits can only be applied to your Gexa Energy bill. No cash-out option. |
| Chariot Energy PowerBank 36 Solar Buy Back Plan | 36 | $19.95 | 9.40¢ | 3¢ | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Chariot Energy PowerBank 12 Solar Buy Back Plan | 12 | $19.95 | 9.90¢ | 3¢ | Credits roll-over with no expiration. No cash-out option. |
| Rhythm Energy PowerShift Solar Buyback 12 | 12 | $14.95 | Time of Use. See EFL. |
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
Why are the Buyback Rates for Solar Buyback so Low?
Oh, the good old days, when you could get a 1:1 solar buyback rate, getting the same amount of money for the power you sold as the power you bought. It just doesn’t exist anymore. The basic fundamentals of the Texas electricity market have changed.
Solar and battery power have flooded on to the Texas grid, lowering wholesale prices dramatically during the day. Your REP won’t pay you 10 cents a kWh for your excess power when they are selling it onto the grid for 2 cents.
Definitions: The Fine Print on Solar Buyback Plans.
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. 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 by selecting a solar buyback plan from a retail electricity provider. You can’t sell-back excess power to the grid directly. Your REP will have to manage that on your behalf.
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.
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.
ElectricityPlans.com is an independent electricity comparison platform that helps Texans avoid expensive electricity mistakes by showing what plans really cost, before you enroll. Our BillSmart Low Bill Finder, BillSmart Plan Score, and CostCurve tools cut through misleading advertised rates and reveal the true cost of every plan based on your usage, all with no provider influence, no paid placement, and transparent pricing that’s the same or better than what you’ll find on the provider’s site.
