Texas Solar Energy Incentives

*30MW Texas Solar Farm

In the early 1990s Texas was the country’s leader in wind energy, however much of its holdings were tied into Enron, and after the Enron scandal took place, the state fell behind. Today Texas still has a strong renewable energy presence tied into wind energy along with abundant soar energy. Their success in the renewable energy market is largely the result of their impressive renewable energy programs, wide installer base and residential along with commercial needs for solar. The majority of rebate programs are defined and put forth by independent districts, so homeowners and installers are encouraged to do their research before embarking on any solar energy application. As with other states, much of these rebates can be discovered through the permit and design step.

Although Texas does not have a mandatory net metering law in place, some utilities give their customers full advantage of net metering while others offer an alternative rebate program to property owners in their respective service districts. Currently the renewable rebate program is only available for photovoltaics, and the utility company themselves are the source that you should start with to see if any rebates are offered. One utility company offers up to $25,000 for installing a solar energy system on a home, so it is well worth a phone call. Net metering, when available is offered for a number of renewable energy applications such as: photovoltaics, wind, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal electric, anaerobic digestion, tidal energy, wave energy and landfill gas. Rates are determined by participating utilities. One such participating utility is Green Mountain Energy.

In addition, homeowners can take advantage of locally determined Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (PACE). Which allows home, building and property owners to finance renewable energy projects by placing an assessment on the land. The amount available for financing often is paid through property taxes on a yearly basis until the system is paid off. The only way to determine if you are eligible in your area is through visiting your local government website, keep in mind each county has different rules and regulations.

Finally, Texas offers Renewable Energy Systems Property Tax Exemption for photovoltaics, solar thermal electric, solar water heat, passive solar space heat, solar space heat, solar thermal process heat, wind, biomass, storage technologies, solar pool heating, and anaerobic digestion. The exemption is equal to the additional value added to your property due to the solar energy installation. To qualify homeowners must apply through Form 50-123 the “Exemption Application for Solar or Wind-Powered Energy Devices”.

To find out more about some of Texas's Renewable Energy incentives and regulations please reference the following list.

Financial Incentives

Rules, Regulations and Policies