What is Solar Buyback in Texas?

Instead of letting your solar energy disappear into the grid on a grid-tied system for free, you can sign up for a solar buyback program in Texas, a major solar energy production state, where you earn cashback or bill credits with your energy provider. Solar buyback plans are a good way to earn what you cannot through net metering, which is a statewide program in which you can earn credits back on your utility bills when your solar power energy goes back into the grid. Texas does not opt-in for net metering, as it’s a deregulated state, which is why most electric companies will have a solar buyback plan that you can use.

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Texas does not have a net metering program, so it’s best to find a company that offers bill credits or cashback to their customers through a solar buyback program. Note: a Transmission and Distribution Utility like CenterPoint Energy is used as a middleman of sorts, with a Retail Electricity Provider who resells your electricity and bills on behalf of the TDU. You can find a plan analysis or free calculator to better understand your solar buyback plan options.

Texas Companies That Have a Solar Buyback Program

Not all companies have a solar buyback plan for you to sign up for. Some popular companies in Texas that participate in a solar buyback program are:

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• Chariot
• Gexa
• Just Energy
• Reliant
• TXU

• Ambit
• Amigo
• Champion
• David
• Direct
• Green Mountain
• Octopus
• Rhythm
• Shell

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Plan names, terms, fees, and details all vary by company. For instance, TXU has two programs, the Solar Buyback Match and Solar Buyback Saver that both go for 12 months. Each has an early termination fee of $150 and a base monthly cost of $14.95, but their import per kilowatt-hour and export per kilowatt-hour is different. The Solar Buyback Match plan is 16.0 cents for import/kWh and the same goes for export/kWh while TXU’s Solar Buyback Saver plan is 12.5 cents for import and 5 cents per export. This compares to Gexa’s Solar Buyback Plus program, which also goes for 12 months and has an early termination fee of $150. The monthly charge is higher at $19.95, with the import/kWh being higher at 17.2 cents and the export/kWh at the same amount. In this way, you can see the difference between just two companies and how inside one company there are multiple programs or plans and inside another, only one.

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Image table updated 5/8/2024

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To start, you may check to see if your current utility has a solar buyback plan before browsing various companies to price shop. Octopus Energy offers up to $5/kWh as their buyback rate and there is no cap to what they will buy at the Texas wholesale rate. In general, there are various plans you can opt for - like one-to-one buybacks, which means your provider will buy the solar back at the same rate at which you purchase it from them. This would not include base charges or delivery fees, though. 

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Save with Texas Solar Buyback Plans

Texas may not have net metering, but you can still participate in a solar buyback plan through an energy provider. By doing so, you could qualify for some big savings through either a cashback program or a bill credit.  

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Find out more about savings in your area here at Currents.  

Sources

Texas Solar Buyback Plans – Texas Power Guide

Unlocking Solar Power: Solar Buy-Back vs Net Metering (octopusenergy.com)

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