McAllen Solar Company

Solar Rebate Incentives in Texas

People always say that everything is bigger in Texas, and solar benefits are no stranger to the concept here. Texans know how bright the sun gets here on our hottest days and how it shines with warmth in our coldest. Armed with some of the most powerful sunshine in the country and cheaper solar costs, it comes to no surprise that the Solar Industries Association has Texas in their top ten list for States going Solar. Now, going solar is easier than ever thanks to the ever growing incentives and rebates.

SREC: What is SREC? SREC stands for Solar Renewable Energy Certificates. What are they? They are a solar incentive that allows homeowners to sell certificates for energy to their utility. A homeowner earns an SREC when a certain amount of energy is produced, that being 1000 kilowatt hours, by their system. SRECs can be sold for over $300 dollars in certain states. They exist as a result of a regulation known as the renewable portfolio standard (RPS), which are state laws that require utilities to produce a specific percentage of their electricity from renewable resources. To meet these requirements, electricity providers must obtain renewable energy certificates which serve as proof that they have either produced the renewable electricity themselves or paid someone who is producing said renewable energy for the right to claim that electricity for themselves.  Homeowners are allowed to have these certificates and earn them more money on the side of their savings just for letting their solar system generate power. Fun fact: in Texas, you might have seen another form of renewable energy at the works if you’ve driven through the fields of the state: windmills.

Texas Solar Rebate Programs

Sadly, Texas does not have a statewide solar credit or solar rebate program. However, a large multitude of utilities and local governments have offered their own incentives to homeowners who want to go Solar. 

A list of prime examples expanding all over the Lone Star State are:

Austin Energy:If you live in Austin, you can get a rebate of $2,500. Plus, you’re eligible for Austin Energy’s Value of Solar Tariff, which pays you $0.097 for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) your solar panels can generate.

CPS Energy: If you’re a CPS Energy customer, you can receive up to $1.20/W of solar panels that you install on your roof. Like Austin Energy, the value of the incentive drops as more solar is installed, so now’s the time to go solar if you are in the CPS Energy service area.

Check if your local utility provider and government provide you with some solar love!

Renewable Energy Systems Property Tax Exemption

Alongside saving your cash on electricity bills, solar panels have more financial benefits stashed away. A popular one is known to increase the value of your home. While it’s known that higher home values are usually accompanied with higher property taxes, Texas has a renewable energy property tax exemption so that residents don’t pay extra taxes due to the added values of their solar panels.

Texas Net Metering 

While Texas does not have a statewide net metering policy, many utilities in the Lone Star State have created policies that credit homeowners for the electricity their solar panel systems produce. If your utility has a net metering policy, you will receive credits on your electricity bills for all the extra electricity your solar panels have pushed back into the power grid. Consequently, when your solar panels aren’t producing enough said energy to meet the needs of your home, such as in a time where it’s night time or extra cloudy, you can redeem those net metering credits for power you would otherwise have to buy from your utility provider. 

Solar Rights Law

If you live in a neighborhood governed by a HOA (Homeowners’ Association), you would think you would have to consider their regulations to see if they prevent you from going solar. However, Texas has a law known as the Solar Rights Law that prevents HOA from banning solar panel systems to be installed on their properties. Go Solar with a proud stand and with Texas right behind your choice!