Solar power in Austin, Texas

In recent years as the price of solar has fallen and electricity prices have soared it’s made more and more sense for Austin homeowners to install solar. Rebates and tax credits alongside a great net metering program has made solar more affordable and a better investment than ever before.

Which Austin utilities provide solar rebates?

Austin Energy and TXU both provide a solar rebate program, exact amounts are as follows.

Solar systems installed in Austin Energy’s service area must be at least 3kW AC and systems installed as a TXU customer must use SunPower panels to receive a rebate.

Unfortunately PEC don’t offer any rebates for installing a solar system however, the recent decrease in the cost of solar has meant that such rebates aren’t necessary and should be seen more so as a bonus.

What is net metering?

Your solar system will likely produce more energy than what can be used in your home, net metering allows for that excess energy to be sold to your utility and credited per kWh at the retail rate you pay for power.

Net metering allows the excess solar energy produced during the day to offset your usage at night to wipe out or greatly reduce your power bill.

Am I eligible to receive net metering?

Unlike most states utilities in Texas aren’t required by law to provide net metering luckily, a lot of utilities still do. PEC and TXU both provide net metering to their solar customers and Austin energy credit energy sold to them at 9.7¢/kWh which is essentially retail rates.

What if I export more energy to the grid than I consume?

PEC will value excess solar generation after covering your usage for the month at $0.0465 per kWh. TXU will carry credit forward month to month still at retail value however, remaining credit at the end of the yearly billing cycle will not be compensated.

What other incentives are available to Austin solar customers?

Anyone in America with a federal tax liability can claim 30% of the cost of their solar system as a deduction to their federal income taxes under the 30% federal solar tax credit.

How much do solar panels cost in Austin?

As of the beginning of 2018 the average price of a residential solar system in Austin is $3.12 per watt which puts an average 6kW system at $18,720 before any rebates or incentives. Assuming you’re an Austin energy customer after claiming both incentives the total cost of a 6kW system would be $11,354.

Solar systems in Austin take only 7-8 years to pay for themselves in utility savings. For a free and accurate estimate on the costs and savings of a solar system in Austin enter your zip code below.

Even if you are not convinced about solar we recommend that at the very least you use the solar panel calculator for Austin to find out:

• How many solar panels you need to cover your power bill;
• How suitable your house is for solar;
• What incentives your house may be eligible for;
• The cost of solar panel installation in Austin and whether you are eligible for zero down solar deals; and
• Your likely payback period and return on investment from installing solar