Texas solar calculator
Size a Texas home solar system from your electric bill — kW, panel count, roof area, true cost with no federal credit for 2026 installs, and payback.
Quick answer: At $0.159/kWh and 5.2 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about 10.66 kW — 26 × 410 W panels covering ~52 m². Gross cost is ~$23,985 with no federal credit for systems installed after 2025, offsetting $2,400 a year for a ~10.0 year payback.
Your details
Ballpark, not gospel. Ballpark, not gospel. Sized at 78% real-world output with the Texas sun-hour average — confirm shading, roof angle and your retail electric provider's buyback terms with a local installer before buying. The savings math values all generation at your retail rate. Texas has no statewide net metering — buyback rates are set by your retail electric provider and vary widely — so real savings track the plan you choose and how much you self-consume.
The 30% credit ended — what changed
The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) gave homeowners a 30% credit on solar installed from 2022 through 2025. The July 2025 tax law ended it: no credit is available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. That is why every figure on this page is ~30% higher than pre-2026 guides show. If your system went live by the end of 2025, tick the box above to see the credit applied; leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit. Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
Typical Texas system sizes by monthly bill
| Monthly bill | System size | Panels (410 W) | Net cost (no 2026 federal credit) | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 5.33 kW | 13 | $11,992 | 10.0 years |
| $200 | 10.66 kW | 26 | $23,985 | 10.0 years |
| $300 | 15.58 kW | 38 | $35,055 | 9.7 years |
Computed at $0.159/kWh, 5.2 peak sun hours and $2.25/W installed, with no federal credit for 2026 installs. Run your exact bill above.
Solar in Texas: the details
Solar cost in Texas
Solar is comparatively cheap to install in Texas. The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.25 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically landing $2.00–$2.50/W — below the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~13 kW Texas system grosses around $29,500 before any local utility rebate, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
What moves the number: roof complexity, panel tier, and how competitive the quote market is in your metro. Get at least three quotes — spreads of $0.50/W between installers are common.
Export rules: getting paid for surplus power
Texas has no statewide net metering law. What you earn for exported power is set by your retail electric provider (REP), not the state.
In the deregulated ERCOT market (Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP areas), REPs sell dedicated "solar buyback" plans. Buyback rates are plan-dependent — reported market rates run roughly from under 5¢/kWh to over 15¢/kWh, with structures ranging from fixed per-kWh rates to real-time ERCOT wholesale pricing. Check the plan's Electricity Facts Label for caps, credit carry-forward, and delivery charges. Some municipal utilities and co-ops (e.g., CPS Energy in San Antonio, El Paso Electric) run their own net-metering-style programs with their own terms.
Practical takeaway: in Texas, your choice of electricity plan matters as much as your panel count. Compare buyback plans the way you'd compare tariffs — the calculator above sizes the system, but the plan decides what exports are worth.
Texas solar incentives
Texas has no statewide solar rebate or tax credit, but it shields solar from taxes:
Property tax exemption (Texas Tax Code §11.27) — 100% of the value your solar adds is exempt from property tax for as long as it qualifies. Sales tax exemption (§151.333) — solar equipment is exempt at purchase. Several utilities add local rebates: Austin Energy (around $4,000 for 3 kW+), Oncor's residential solar program, AEP's SMART Source, and smaller municipal programs (New Braunfels, San Marcos, Sunset Valley).
And the HOA can't stop you: Texas Property Code §202.010 voids any HOA ban on solar, and since May 2025 (HB 431) that protection explicitly covers solar roof tiles.
Is solar worth it in Texas?
Verdict: yes, on the numbers. The calculator puts a $200/month bill at a ~10-year payback with no federal credit — and Texas's summer AC load means your highest bills arrive exactly when panels produce most. The wrinkle is the buyback lottery: with export rates plan-dependent, the winning setup is high self-consumption (or a battery for outages — Winter Storm Uri is still fresh in memory) rather than chasing export credits.
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers, no fluff. Then run your own numbers above.
How many solar panels do I need in Texas?
It follows your bill. At the Texas average of $0.159/kWh and 5.2 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about a 10.66 kW system — roughly 26 × 410 W panels covering ~52 m² of roof.
What is the average cost of solar panels in Texas in 2026?
The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.25 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically $2.00–$2.50/W — below the national $2.50–$3.50/W band. A typical ~13 kW system grosses around $29,500, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
Does Texas have net metering?
No statewide net metering law. In deregulated ERCOT areas, retail electric providers offer solar buyback plans with plan-dependent rates (roughly under 5¢ to over 15¢/kWh); some municipal utilities and co-ops run their own net-metering-style programs.
Does Texas offer any solar tax credit or rebate?
No statewide rebate or tax credit, but solar is exempt from Texas property tax (Tax Code §11.27) and sales tax (§151.333). Utilities like Austin Energy, Oncor and AEP run local rebate programs, and HOAs cannot ban solar under Property Code §202.010.
Is the 30% federal solar tax credit still available?
Not for homeowner purchases anymore. The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, under the July 2025 tax law (Public Law 119-21). Systems installed by the end of 2025 can still claim 30%, and leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit instead. (Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.)
Is solar worth it in Texas?
The calculator puts a $200/month bill at a ~10-year payback with no federal credit. Texas's heavy summer AC load lines up with peak solar production, which helps — but with buyback rates plan-dependent, self-consumption (and batteries for outages) matter more than export credits.
Figures last checked October 2026. Sources: EIA Electric Power Monthly (July 2026: 15.88¢/kWh), NREL PVWatts/NSRDB (~4.5–6.0 peak sun hours), DSIRE, Public Utility Commission of Texas; IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
More US solar calculators
Compare other states: Florida, California, Arizona, North Carolina. And the national US solar calculator for country averages.
Comparing quotes? The solar cost calculator breaks down cost per watt and the solar ROI calculator maps your payback year by year. Going deeper: installation cost guide, how net metering works, how much you can save with solar and the solar batteries guide.