Buyback Plans for Texas Solar Owners
When your rooftop solar system produces more electricity than your home is using, the excess flows back onto the grid to other users. With a “buyback” electric plan, that earns you bill credits or cash.
The table below summarizes all current residential buyback plans. Rates and terms vary, so always do the math to choose the plan that best fits your particular situation.
Better yet… Get our custom analysis of these and other plans for your home to save time and money.
Don’t throw away $100’s on the wrong plan. Learn more below, or contact us with questions.
Electric Plans for Solar Owners
Updated:
Comparing these plans is not simple. Let us help.
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Definitions:
TDU: As your local Transmission and Distribution Utility, charges to maintain the lines that deliver electricity to and from your home.
Retailer: The Retail Electricity Provider (REP) you choose resells you electricity and bills for delivery on behalf of your TDU.
Plan: The plan you choose sets the monthly- and/or usage-based costs you pay for electricity, as defined by the Electricity Facts Label (EFL).
Term: The length of your contract in months.
ETF: An Early Termination Fee for quitting your contract more than 14 days early (unless you move).
Base /mo: A monthly fee to cover administrative or other non-usage-based costs.
Import /kWh: The rate you pay for each kWh of electricity you consume from the grid.
* Some charges are not offsettable by energy export credits.
Export /kWh: The credit you earn for each excess kWh of electricity you supply to the grid.
† Unless noted, surplus credits roll over every month, never expire, and are not redeemable for cash.
RTW: Real-Time Wholesale prices update every 5 minutes with supply/demand and are published by ERCOT here. Typically <3 ¢/kWh off-peak, they can spike up to 500 ¢/kWh during peak demand periods.
VPP: ‘Virtual Power Plant’ plans pay you to let the Retailer control when your battery charges/discharges.
Which Plan Is Best?
That depends on how much grid energy you import and export each hour of each day. Your answer may be very different from your neighbor’s, so be wary of recommendations that haven’t done your detailed math.
If you’re a residential solar and/or battery owner in the Centerpoint or Oncor service areas, enter your info below to receive (within 24 hours) a custom analysis of all the plans above, plus “free nights” and other non-buyback plans. Your first report is free; additional reports are just $10, satisfaction guaranteed.
(Ideally, request an analysis ~2 weeks before your solar ‘Permission-To-Operate’ or current contract end date.)