Texas Solar Power RebatesTexas solar power has no state wide program for rebates to encourage installing solar panels on your home. Instead rebates are offered by individual power companies, with each having its own arrangements. Few companies offer these rebates and even fewer are required to offer electricity buy-back for excess production. The following is a summary of the available rebates for the power companies that offer them. If you're not sure about whether the power company in your local area offers rebates, a phone call to them will resolve the issue. As usual and unless noted, it is assumed that the rebates offered are for new systems comprising entirely of new parts and installed by a qualified technician. The rebates detailed do not include the federal tax credit for solar installations unless otherwise stated. Texas Solar Power: Austin EnergyThis company offers a rebate of $3.75 per Watt on a minimum installation of 1000 Watts. Depending on the cost of the installation, this could work out very well for you since solar energy can be installed for between $7 and $9 per watt on average at the moment. Also factor in the federal tax credit system and it looks even rosier. They also offer rebates on the installation of new solar hot water systems. Combined with the tax credits that these systems attract, you could save between $2000 and $3000 on the cost of the system, which is substantial. The company claims to process applications within 4 weeks, so delays seem to be minimal. You'll need to be a customer of Austin Energy in order to apply. For more details, see the Austin Energy website for their Texas solar power rebates.. Bryan Texas UtilitiesThis company offers a rebate rate of $4 per watt which is slightly higher than that offered by Austin Energy. The rebate can cover up to 80% of the cost of installation but only at the specified dollars-per-watt rate. It is unlikely that the rebate will cover more than 60% of the total installation cost. They also offer electricity buy-back, so that if you return more power to the grid than you use you will receive a credit from the company. For more details check the BTU website. CPS EnergyCPS Energy offers a rate of $3 per watt for systems up to 100kW and so is designed to cover both commercial and residential systems. The maximum rebate is $50,000 and it will not exceed 50% of the installation cost. CPS will assess each application themselves according to their own guidelines. It is necessary for your proposed array to have good orientation and to have good exposure to sunlight. Also, they require the system to be maintained in good condition or the rebate will be recalled. More details can be found at the CPS Energy website. Guadalupe Valley Electric CooperativeGVEC offers a smaller rebate of $2 per watt with a maximum rebate of $8000. Also, systems larger than 20kW are ineligible for the rebate. This is a smaller rebate program and will only marginally reduce the cost of installing a system. The good news is that GVEC also offers rebates on a range of other things including Solar Water Heaters, Solar Powered Attic Fans, Solar Water Wells and Wind Generators. Find out more about GVEC's rebates at their website. OncorOncor's rebate is currently set at $2.46 per Watt for residential systems up to 10kW and commercial systems up to 100kW. Oncor also has a rebate system in place for solar water heaters. In particular they have excellent rebates for low income families with up to 95% of the unit cost being covered for those who are eligible. That said, they have some very specific requirements for solar hot water rebates, so be sure to give the Oncor site thoroughly to see if you're able to apply for these rebates. Return from Texas Solar Power to Your Solar Power Rebate or return to the Green Planet home page for more Solar Power Facts.
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