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Solar with Austin Energy
How Austin Energy's Value of Solar credit, rebate and interconnection rules decide what a rooftop system is really worth inside the city.
Plain-English solar answers for the Austin area, sorted by who sends your bill
Going solar around Austin, explained by someone who did it for a living
Austin Energy, PEC, Oncor, Bluebonnet and the city utilities each pay for rooftop solar differently. These guides show what that means for your roof, your bill and your contract. Nothing here is for sale.
- Organised by utility
- Written from the inside
- Nothing for sale
Talk to Austin Solar FAQ
Get in touch and Austin Solar FAQ will walk you through your options.
+15125571906 Request a quoteServices
How Austin Solar FAQ can help
Pick the job you're facing. Each one comes with plain-language pricing and a clear scope before any work begins.
02
Home battery storage and backup
What a home battery does in an Austin-area outage, how much backup one unit really gives, and when a generator is the cheaper answer.
03
Solar lease vs buy
Cash, loan, lease or PPA after the 2025 federal credit change: who owns the system, who keeps the savings, and the traps in each contract.
04
Solar in Pedernales Electric Co-op territory
PEC's interconnection process and export rate for the Hill Country and northwest suburbs, and why they change how a system should be sized.
05
Solar with Oncor and a retail electricity plan
In Oncor territory your solar credit comes from the retail plan you choose, not the wires company. How to pick one that pays for exports.
06
Solar in Bluebonnet and San Marcos territory
How Bluebonnet Electric and San Marcos Electric meter, credit and connect rooftop solar for homes east and south of Austin.
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Reading and comparing solar quotes
How to read price per watt, production estimates, warranties and financing fees so three solar quotes compare like for like.
Our approach
What you can expect from us
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Organised by utility
Austin Energy, PEC, Oncor, Bluebonnet, Georgetown and San Marcos each treat rooftop solar differently. Start from the one on your bill.
- 2
Written from the inside
Years of watching proposals, permits and interconnection paperwork go right and wrong, condensed into what a homeowner actually needs to know.
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Nothing for sale
No installer runs this site and no company is recommended. There is no lead form, and no one will call you.
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Current, not evergreen
Rebates, export rates and the federal credit have all changed since 2024. Each guide dates its numbers and says what to re-check.
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Every way to pay, compared
Cash, loan, lease and PPA laid side by side: who owns the system, who keeps the incentives, and what happens when you sell the house.
Plain-English solar answers for the Austin area, sorted by who sends your bill
Austin Energy, PEC, Oncor, Bluebonnet and the city utilities each pay for rooftop solar differently. These guides show what that means for your roof, your bill and your contract. Nothing here is for sale.
Request a quoteCall Austin Solar FAQ
+15125571906How much does home solar cost around Austin?
Most Austin-area residential systems price between roughly $2.50 and $3.50 per watt before incentives, so a 8 kW system lands in the low-to-mid $20,000s installed. Roof complexity, panel and inverter choice, electrical upgrades and the installer's overhead move it inside that band. Always compare quotes on price per watt, not the monthly payment.
How long does the process take?
Plan on four to ten weeks from signed contract to a system you can switch on. The roof work itself is one to three days. The rest is permitting with your city or county and interconnection approval from your utility, which is the step that varies most between Austin Energy, PEC, Oncor and the co-ops.
Should my roof be replaced before solar goes on?
If the roof has less than about ten years left, replace it first. Panels last 25 years or more, and removing and reinstalling them for a re-roof typically costs several thousand dollars. A reputable installer will look at the roof before quoting and tell you if it is a problem; be wary of one who does not.
Coverage
Austin and the surrounding communities
Guides & articles
Know what you're paying for
How Much Does Residential Solar Panel Installation Cost?
How much does residential solar panel installation cost? The honest answer depends on three things more than anything else: the size of the system your roof and your bills call for, the condition and layout of the roof itself, and which utility sends your bill, because Austin Energy, Pedernales Electric Co-op, Oncor retail choice, Georgetown […]
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Organised by utility
Serving 14 communities