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Rooftop Solar Panels for Texas Homes

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Solar Panels for Your Texas Home

Get answers to important questions like:

  • Are Solar Panels Worth it in Texas?
  • Are There Texas Solar Incentives & Rebates?
  • What’s the Payback on Solar?
  • Can I Sell Power Back to the Grid?

Are Solar Panels Worth It in Texas?

solar panels on rooftop in texas

Are solar panels worth it in Texas? Yes. Here are 7 reasons why solar in Texas make sense.

  1. Texas has a lot of sunshine. Cities in Texas average 237 sunny days per year. And according to Google Project SunRoof, 90% of buildings in Texas are considered suitable for rooftop solar.
  2. Save on electricity. Texas electricity rates are going up this year for a number of reasons. That makes your payback economics on solar panels even more convincing.
  3. Sell back to the grid. With a Texas solar buyback electricity plan, you can sell your excess solar power back to the grid.
  4. Utility incentives. Depending on where you live, you can take advantage of Texas utility solar incentives when you install solar + batteries in your home (more on that below).
  5. Increase property value. Your investment will make your home more valuable but won’t increase your property taxes. Researchers say you’ll get a $5,000 resale value increase for every kilowatt (kW) of solar installed. But your city can’t tax this increased value, according to state law.
  6. Tax incentives. You can take advantage of the Federal Tax Credit of 30% of the cost of you installed solar and/or battery storage system.
  7. Grid security. You’ll have the certainty of having electricity in case of a power emergency. That’s especially true if you include a battery storage system when you install solar.

How Much Do Rooftop Solar Panels Cost in Texas?

The average national installation cost is $3/Watt. The average residential system is between 4000 and 8000 Watts (or 4-8 kW)

So the cost of rooftop solar in Texas ranges between $12,000 and $24,000, before incentives and rebates.

The size and cost of your rooftop solar installation in Texas will depend on several factors. These include: the type and efficiency of the panels, sun exposure, rooftop size and pitch, square footage of your home, and your electricity usage.

The best way to get a cost estimate for rooftop solar? Start getting quotes from reputable installers in your area. Then compare prices based on the quality and type of solar panels being proposed.

Get a Free Solar Panel Estimate

The easiest way to see if solar panels are right for you? You can get a custom proposal for your home solar panels by completing the form below.

We’ll connect you with Freedom Solar Power, the number one SunPower dealer in Texas. They’ll contact you to schedule an appointment.

Then an energy consultant will meet with you virtually or at your home. You’ll get a custom proposal with system size, design, cost, financing and estimated electricity bill savings.

budget and roi calculation for solar panels

Calculating Payback for Solar Panels in Texas

There are online tools you can use as a solar payback calculator. But for your Texas rooftop solar, make sure you consider these factors in your solar ROI:

  • How much power can my roof generate with solar? 
  • How big a system do I need?
  • What’s the cost for solar?
  • How much can I make from selling power back to the grid with a solar buyback plan?
  • Can I cut my electric bill with solar?

Here’s a much easier way to calculate the payback on solar panels on your Texas home. You can get a custom proposal for your home solar panels by completing the form above.

Solar Incentives and Rebates in Texas

Texas consumers can qualify for incentives and rebates for rooftop solar.

Oncor Solar Incentives – Residents in the Oncor service area can qualify for rebates of up to $8500 depending on the size of your system installation. To qualify, you must also install a battery storage system along with your solar panels, and you must use an approved installer such as Freedom Solar Power.

AEP Texas Solar Incentives – Residents in the AEP Texas Central or AEP Texas North utility area can qualify for rebates of up to $3000 depending on the size of their system installation. You must use an approved installer for this program rebate.

Military Rebates for Solar Panels – Who you buy your solar panels from matters if you want a military rebate for solar panels. SunPower offers a $1000 VISA gift card to active military and veterans who install solar panels. You can receive that through an approved installer, like Freedom Solar Power.

Federal Tax Incentives for Solar – The Federal Residential Solar Investment Tax Credit will allow you do deduce 30% of the cost of your solar installation. That has been expanded through 2030 as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. For example, if your rooftop solar installation and battery storage system cost $20,000, you could deduct $9,000 from any taxes you owe.

Texas Property Tax Savings for Solar – This last incentive for going solar in Texas isn’t cash in your pocket now. But it is cash in the future when you sell your home. Your home resale value increases when you install solar. However, under Texas tax code, your property taxes can’t go up due to solar panels. There’s a simple Texas property tax solar exemption form that you can complete.

How to Make Money Selling Power Back to the Grid in Texas

solar panel installers in Texas

To calculate your return on investment for your solar panels, you will need to understand how to sell power back to the grid.

Depending on the size of your system, from 20-40% of your power can be sold back to the grid Your solar panels will be at peak production during the day, and will generate more power during the summer.

Why? Unless you work from home, you’ll be generating power when you can’t use it. You can store that excess in a battery back-up solution or sell it back to the grid. But to sell power to the grid, you’ll need a retail electricity provider with a solar buyback plan.

You can find a list of recommended solar buyback electricity plans on our website.

Get your free solar panel estimate from Freedom Solar Power by completing the form above.

Why do we work with Freedom Solar Power?

We recommend Freedom Solar Power because of their Texas headquarters, their rank as the number one installer of SunPower panels nationwide and their consultative sales approach.

All systems are installed by their employees, not contractors, which ensures a high quality result. And they are an approved service provider for the Texas solar incentive programs in Oncor and AEP Texas.

References:

  1. Texas has 237 sunny days per year, on average. https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Texas/annual-days-of-sunshine.php
  2. 90% of buildings in Texas are viable for solar panels. https://sunroof.withgoogle.com/data-explorer/place/ChIJSTKCCzZwQIYRPN4IGI8c6xY/
  3. Increase your property value with solar panels. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/01/13/berkeley-lab-illuminates-price-premiums-u-s-solar-home-sales/
  4. How many solar panels do I need to power my home? https://unboundsolar.com/blog/how-many-solar-panels-to-power-my-home
  5. 20-40% of your solar power can be sold back to the grid. https://www.seia.org/initiatives/net-metering#
  6. AEP Solar incentives and Oncor Solar Incentives are only available if you use an approved service provider. Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit is available through 2024. Texas property tax solar exemption form download: https://comptroller.texas.gov/forms/50-123.pdf

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