There can be solar tax credits and incentives available at the federal, state and local levels. The calculator above will show you the value of all incentives your home is eligible for.
The past few years have taught Texans a valuable lesson about their electricity system: it's not prepared to handle weather emergencies like record snow and cold, meaning you and your neighbors might get left without power, or with a huge electric bill for the month.
More renewable energy could help the state as a whole, but to help yourself if something like this happens again, you'll need some solar panels on your roof along with batteries to store the energy they make for use when the grid goes down.
Fortunately, for those who live in Oncor service territory and Austin, there are some rebates available to help reduce the cost of going solar for you. Furthermore, most of the state's residents will be able to sign up for something like net metering, either from your local power company or one of the statewide retail electric providers (REPs) out there.
On this page, we cover all of the solar incentives, rebates, and tax credits available for your Texas home solar installation. We suggest you use the Texas solar incentives calculator above as well. It allows you to drill down and show only the solar incentives that are applicable where you live.
Learn what solar incentives are available to Texas homeowners
See what Texas solar incentives you qualify for based on your utility company and city
Find out how much these incentives and/or Texas solar tax credits will reduce your cost to go solar and add batteries
The federal solar investment tax credit will have the biggest impact on the cost you will face to go solar in Texas
If you install your photovoltaic system before the end of 2032, the federal tax credit is 30% of the cost of your solar panel system. This is 30% off the entire cost of the system including equipment, labor, and permitting.
Example: If your solar energy system costs $20,000, your federal solar tax credit would be $20,000 x 30% = $6,000.
The federal tax credit falls to 26% starting in 2033.
With net metering in some states, you get full retail rate credit for the amount of electricity you send back into the grid with your solar panels.
Net metering requires your utility to monitor how much energy your solar power system produces and how much energy you actually consume, and make sure you get credit for the surplus.
Net metering in Texas is spotty. While there is no statewide net metering law here, in most populated places in the state, you can find either a municipal electric company that offers net metering or a Retail Electric Provider (REP) like Reliant Energy, that will buy your extra solar output for a price lower than the retail rate of electricity.
But, not all REPs offer solar buyback programs. In fact, most don't, and the ones that do usually don't pay you full price for excess solar energy. This means you have to shop around and see if there are any REPs that service your area that also have some form of a solar buyback program. Luckily, we have a complete guide that lists all of the REPs in Texas that have solar plans, and what kind of solar savings those plans provide.
Places with regulated utilities, like Austin, Brenham, or San Antonio, all offer some form of net metering for their residential customers. In some cases, they even offer solar rebates.
Texas lacks any statewide rebate program. Most folks in the state get to choose an electric company through the state's open energy marketplace, and not one of those companies wants to help finance your solar installation. However, those that live in Oncor's service area can receive a rebate of $2,500 when they install solar panels with a solar battery, no matter what retail electric provider they choose.
Those of you lucky enough to live in a place with a municipal electric company may have good options. For example, Austin Energy offers a $2,500 rebate for people who want to install solar panels, and all you have to do is take an online class and pass a quiz to get the money sent to your installer. Pretty sweet deal!
Texas lawmakers have come through with a solid solar property tax exemption. When you install that shiny new solar power system, the resulting increase in home value is exempt from 100% of the resulting property tax increase.
Solar panels will increase the value of your Texas home by roughly 70% of system costs. So while the value of your home will go up, your property taxes won’t.
Example: If your solar system costs $20,000, your estimated property value increase of $14,000 will be tax-exempt.
Showing data for:
Prices based on a 9.6kW system, after 30% federal tax credit
204 solar companies in Texas provide pricing on SolarReviews. Here are the best rated companies near you.
4.96 365 Reviews
Jasmine W, 3 days ago
At first my husband was very hesitant to commit to Solar because he was worried it wouldn’t cover the bill. Many salesman came to the area & some of them were on scooters and in a rush to get a sale. Affordable composed themselves professionally and took time to answer all my concerns. I work nights and they installed it all while I was sleep and I didn’t even wake up!
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Jasmine W, 3 days ago
At first my husband was very hesitant to commit to Solar because he was worried it wouldn’t cover the bill. Many salesman came to the area & some of them were on scooters and in a rush to get a sale. Affordable composed themselves professionally and took time to answer all my concerns. I work nights and they installed it all while I was sleep and I didn’t even wake up!
4.80 69 Reviews
Plumberdude, over 1 month
The company was easy to deal with from start to finish. They did what they said they were going to do and even finished a day early. The people were courteous and knowledgeable.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$11,000 ($2.20 per watt)
Plumberdude, over 1 month
The company was easy to deal with from start to finish. They did what they said they were going to do and even finished a day early. The people were courteous and knowledgeable.
4.79 320 Reviews
Paul Ponzeka, 3 days ago
Best contractor I have ever worked with. Everything was well communicated, their office was responsive, and they had the best project management i've ever seen. They outlined how long it would take for their part, how permitted would work, and how my energy company (eversource) would be the limited factor in turning on the system. Honestly cant recommend them enough!
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Paul Ponzeka, 3 days ago
Best contractor I have ever worked with. Everything was well communicated, their office was responsive, and they had the best project management i've ever seen. They outlined how long it would take for their part, how permitted would work, and how my energy company (eversource) would be the limited factor in turning on the system. Honestly cant recommend them enough!
4.79 494 Reviews
Derrick Heron , 1 week ago
Well done!!
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Average cost (5kW system)
$17,000 ($3.40 per watt)
Derrick Heron , 1 week ago
Well done!!
4.74 141 Reviews
Kristina, over 1 month
We do not recommend Solar CenTex. This is our experience with Solar CenTex. We first came across Solar CenTex at a home and garden show in Bell County. We signed a contract with them in 2018 to have ground mount solar panel array installed behind our home. This project went well, and our system was inspected and commissioned in October. It was not fully operational per the contract until 14 November 2018 because there was a portion of the project that failed to function as specified in the contract. After a month of back and forth, a relatively minor issue was resolved. That system worked well for us after the initial problems were resolved but, we later sold that house, moved and wanted to do solar at our new home. This time, we wanted a grid tied, battery backup so we reached out to sales at Solar CenTex. Sales and the installation crew have saved this from being a 1-star review. The paperwork, contracts and first check for $7k were complete by early July, 2021. The install crew started designing our ground mount carport solar panel array with SolarEdge inverters and LG batteries. All the contracts and electric co-op forms were signed by mid July, 2021 and the install work began in late August/early September of 2021. By the end of September, we believed our system was fully operational and all the necessary paperwork had been handed off to the appropriate agencies. Checks for more than $70k had been cashed by Solar CenTex, the project was complete, per the contract. Not actually the case. We did not find out until 28 April 2022 (contacted by our electric co-op because our meter read very low usage) that we did not have the correct meter installed, the electric co-op did not have a record of our solar and they had not inspected the grid tied install. I spoke with Solar CenTex and they did not share with me why the process was left incomplete. I sent the signed short forms to our electric co-op via e-mail and got on their schedule for an inspection. Our solar install was properly documented and commissioned through the electric co-op on 28 May 2022. Another issue has been with the SolarEdge monitoring app. We were having regular conversations with Solar CenTex about the lack of access to change the battery charging/discharge levels through the SolarEdge app software. We were not able to adjust charging/discharge levels and had to call Solar CenTex prior to weather events and rely on them to adjust the discharge capacity of our batteries. We were disappointed to have installed a system that could only be controlled by the installer. At the time (June 2022) Solar CenTex suggested we had a communication intermittency issue. I asked if that was an issue with cell service and Solar CenTex (owner) replied, “yes the cell service from the inverter.” I contacted SolarEdge directly that evening and the app issue was resolved on 4 June 2022. Solar CenTex (warranty rep) suggested I contact SolarEdge directly and I later let Solar CenTex know when the manufacturer was able to resolve our problem. The install was physically complete in September 2021. We did not have control of this system and its charging capabilities until 4 June of 2022 and on 28 May 2022, we were inspected and properly metered/sanctioned to operate, as a grid tied system, by the electric co-op. Solar CenTex was notified, and no explanation was offered regarding either issue. Where we are now: In December (8 December2022) we noticed half of our system was not producing power or charging the batteries. After working with Solar CenTex, it was determined that the comm card failed. On 20 December Solar CenTex (install crew) came out and installed a comm card Solar CenTex thought might work but turned out to be incompatible with our inverter. Solar CenTex was trying to help get us up and running at full capacity before a cold snap over the Christmas week. Presently (27 January 2023) our system is still working at half of its purchased capability. Before Christmas, we were led to believe the part was on order but hadn’t been shipped from the manufacturer. We have been informed we have an “RMA number” and the part has been approved but no part is available. We have asked to be kept informed regarding when our $70K grid tied, solar equipment will be fully functional. In conclusion of my review of Solar CenTex we have seen a downward trend in their customer service since we first interacted with them in 2018. After the physical install is complete, their attitude toward customers is poor. We hope this is an isolated performance issue on this install and that others have not experienced this many failures in their relationship with Solar CenTex.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$13,000 ($2.60 per watt)
Kristina, over 1 month
We do not recommend Solar CenTex. This is our experience with Solar CenTex. We first came across Solar CenTex at a home and garden show in Bell County. We signed a contract with them in 2018 to have ground mount solar panel array installed behind our home. This project went well, and our system was inspected and commissioned in October. It was not fully operational per the contract until 14 November 2018 because there was a portion of the project that failed to function as specified in the contract. After a month of back and forth, a relatively minor issue was resolved. That system worked well for us after the initial problems were resolved but, we later sold that house, moved and wanted to do solar at our new home. This time, we wanted a grid tied, battery backup so we reached out to sales at Solar CenTex. Sales and the installation crew have saved this from being a 1-star review. The paperwork, contracts and first check for $7k were complete by early July, 2021. The install crew started designing our ground mount carport solar panel array with SolarEdge inverters and LG batteries. All the contracts and electric co-op forms were signed by mid July, 2021 and the install work began in late August/early September of 2021. By the end of September, we believed our system was fully operational and all the necessary paperwork had been handed off to the appropriate agencies. Checks for more than $70k had been cashed by Solar CenTex, the project was complete, per the contract. Not actually the case. We did not find out until 28 April 2022 (contacted by our electric co-op because our meter read very low usage) that we did not have the correct meter installed, the electric co-op did not have a record of our solar and they had not inspected the grid tied install. I spoke with Solar CenTex and they did not share with me why the process was left incomplete. I sent the signed short forms to our electric co-op via e-mail and got on their schedule for an inspection. Our solar install was properly documented and commissioned through the electric co-op on 28 May 2022. Another issue has been with the SolarEdge monitoring app. We were having regular conversations with Solar CenTex about the lack of access to change the battery charging/discharge levels through the SolarEdge app software. We were not able to adjust charging/discharge levels and had to call Solar CenTex prior to weather events and rely on them to adjust the discharge capacity of our batteries. We were disappointed to have installed a system that could only be controlled by the installer. At the time (June 2022) Solar CenTex suggested we had a communication intermittency issue. I asked if that was an issue with cell service and Solar CenTex (owner) replied, “yes the cell service from the inverter.” I contacted SolarEdge directly that evening and the app issue was resolved on 4 June 2022. Solar CenTex (warranty rep) suggested I contact SolarEdge directly and I later let Solar CenTex know when the manufacturer was able to resolve our problem. The install was physically complete in September 2021. We did not have control of this system and its charging capabilities until 4 June of 2022 and on 28 May 2022, we were inspected and properly metered/sanctioned to operate, as a grid tied system, by the electric co-op. Solar CenTex was notified, and no explanation was offered regarding either issue. Where we are now: In December (8 December2022) we noticed half of our system was not producing power or charging the batteries. After working with Solar CenTex, it was determined that the comm card failed. On 20 December Solar CenTex (install crew) came out and installed a comm card Solar CenTex thought might work but turned out to be incompatible with our inverter. Solar CenTex was trying to help get us up and running at full capacity before a cold snap over the Christmas week. Presently (27 January 2023) our system is still working at half of its purchased capability. Before Christmas, we were led to believe the part was on order but hadn’t been shipped from the manufacturer. We have been informed we have an “RMA number” and the part has been approved but no part is available. We have asked to be kept informed regarding when our $70K grid tied, solar equipment will be fully functional. In conclusion of my review of Solar CenTex we have seen a downward trend in their customer service since we first interacted with them in 2018. After the physical install is complete, their attitude toward customers is poor. We hope this is an isolated performance issue on this install and that others have not experienced this many failures in their relationship with Solar CenTex.
4.69 58 Reviews
Allison, over 1 month
After my husband spent many hours researching and talking to several companies, we decided to go with SolarTime. This is a family owned company and made him feel very comfortable in every interaction. Most of the initial interactions and conversations he had were with Jason, and Jason kindly and thoroughly answered every question (and my husband had a LOT of questions). Kathryn, our install manager, kept us in the loop the entire process once the install process began. The entire process from when we signed the contract to when we were producing our own energy only took about 5 weeks (and that was with us pushing the installation of the panels back 1 week because we were going to be out of town when they initially wanted to install them). I was very skeptical when we started to think about spending the money to install solar panels, but company has been great to work with, and I would recommend them to anyone who is ready to start significantly cutting back on your energy bills!
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Allison, over 1 month
After my husband spent many hours researching and talking to several companies, we decided to go with SolarTime. This is a family owned company and made him feel very comfortable in every interaction. Most of the initial interactions and conversations he had were with Jason, and Jason kindly and thoroughly answered every question (and my husband had a LOT of questions). Kathryn, our install manager, kept us in the loop the entire process once the install process began. The entire process from when we signed the contract to when we were producing our own energy only took about 5 weeks (and that was with us pushing the installation of the panels back 1 week because we were going to be out of town when they initially wanted to install them). I was very skeptical when we started to think about spending the money to install solar panels, but company has been great to work with, and I would recommend them to anyone who is ready to start significantly cutting back on your energy bills!
4.66 352 Reviews
Richard N, 6 days ago
My system was installed around 4 years ago. I upgraded and added 5 panels last year. Just had a $550 bill and a projected this month bill of another $500+ and after multiple emails, calls and service tickets over the past two weeks still no call or care to have someone come and look at it and fix it. They only seem to care about install and after that they just don't care.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$15,150 ($3.03 per watt)
Richard N, 6 days ago
My system was installed around 4 years ago. I upgraded and added 5 panels last year. Just had a $550 bill and a projected this month bill of another $500+ and after multiple emails, calls and service tickets over the past two weeks still no call or care to have someone come and look at it and fix it. They only seem to care about install and after that they just don't care.
4.66 118 Reviews
WW76, over 1 month
Brandon sat down with me for an hour to ensure I understood everything about solar panels. He cleared up any myths that other companies filled my head with and made the process easy. Within a few weeks my panels were installed. Highly recommend Solar L Solar.
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WW76, over 1 month
Brandon sat down with me for an hour to ensure I understood everything about solar panels. He cleared up any myths that other companies filled my head with and made the process easy. Within a few weeks my panels were installed. Highly recommend Solar L Solar.
4.63 355 Reviews
David, over 1 month
We got our 12kw system about 10 years ago. The first couple of years, they called me regularly to make sure everything was running well. A year ago, I noticed one of my inverters was showing zero amperage. I called to report it. About 2 months later someone finally called, saying they’d check it out and let me know. I never heard back. I’ve called 6-7 more times, and no one calls me back. I called again 5 days ago. A woman called 2 days later saying someone would call me in 48 hours. I’m still waiting! Unacceptable.
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Average cost (5kW system)
$17,200 ($3.44 per watt)
David, over 1 month
We got our 12kw system about 10 years ago. The first couple of years, they called me regularly to make sure everything was running well. A year ago, I noticed one of my inverters was showing zero amperage. I called to report it. About 2 months later someone finally called, saying they’d check it out and let me know. I never heard back. I’ve called 6-7 more times, and no one calls me back. I called again 5 days ago. A woman called 2 days later saying someone would call me in 48 hours. I’m still waiting! Unacceptable.
4.60 78 Reviews
K. Riordan, 5 days ago
We had our panels installed in February of 2022. Our inverter has been out for months now and our sells rep. Chris kept insuring us that someone would be out to fix the problem. Now they never return our calls or answer our calls. No one at the company will give me a name or number of someone else to talk to and state we have to go through Chris. We now not only have a high electrical bill, but a bill for Solar panels that are useless. If you are thinking about getting solar panels, I would do a lot of research prior to deciding on this company and even if solar panels are worth it in the end.
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K. Riordan, 5 days ago
We had our panels installed in February of 2022. Our inverter has been out for months now and our sells rep. Chris kept insuring us that someone would be out to fix the problem. Now they never return our calls or answer our calls. No one at the company will give me a name or number of someone else to talk to and state we have to go through Chris. We now not only have a high electrical bill, but a bill for Solar panels that are useless. If you are thinking about getting solar panels, I would do a lot of research prior to deciding on this company and even if solar panels are worth it in the end.
For more information about going solar near where you live, check out the following resources: