Plano, TX Solar Panels
In This Guide
Solar Power in Plano
Plano homeowners are taking control of their energy costs by switching to solar. With Texas electricity prices jumping 28% from 2020 to 2024, solar installation in Plano has become one of the smartest ways to protect your budget while reducing your environmental impact.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know about solar panels for your home in Plano—from understanding local incentives to choosing the right system for your property.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in Plano, TX?
Our calculator uses real installation data from Plano homes—including neighborhoods like West Plano, Willow Bend, and Parker Road—to show you accurate solar costs. Get personalized estimates based on actual projects we’ve completed in your community, not national averages.
System
Cost
Savings
You can still access the solar tax credit through Palmetto. Talk to us today to find out how.
Key Takeaways
- Plano receives abundant sunshine year-round with over 230 sunny days annually, making it an ideal location for solar energy production.
- Texas electricity rates have increased 23% since 2021 while solar panels lock in predictable energy costs for 25+ years.
- Multiple financing options exist including purchasing systems outright or choosing Power Purchase Agreements with zero upfront investment through LightReach.
Plano Electricity Prices
Understanding electricity costs in Plano helps you make informed decisions about your home’s energy future. Here’s what the numbers show.
Texas electricity rates have climbed from 12.1 cents per kWh in 2021 to 14.9 cents in 2024—a 23% increase in just three years. For the average Plano household, that translates to noticeably higher monthly bills.
Solar panels generate electricity at a fixed cost, protecting you from these rate increases. Once your system is installed, sunlight becomes your primary energy source, reducing your dependence on grid electricity and its fluctuating prices.
Over 25 years, the typical solar system lifespan, this protection adds up significantly. While utility rates continue rising, your solar panels keep producing power at the same predictable cost, creating long-term savings for your household.
Price of Energy: Texas vs National Average
Plano Area Utility Providers
Understanding your electricity costs is the first step in evaluating solar for your Plano home. Denton County Electric Cooperative serves many Plano residents, with 2023 rates at 12.8¢ per kWh—below both the national average of 16.0¢ and Texas average of 14.5¢.
Plano’s relatively lower electricity rates reflect Texas’ deregulated energy market and the region’s access to diverse energy sources. However, rates have steadily increased over recent years, and utility costs can fluctuate based on seasonal demand and infrastructure investments.
Even with competitive rates, solar can provide long-term price stability. While utility rates continue rising annually, solar allows homeowners to generate their own electricity at a fixed cost, protecting against future increases while reducing reliance on the grid.
Plano Utilities Electricity Rates
Texas Solar Incentives
Going solar in Plano becomes more affordable with state and local programs designed to reduce upfront costs. Explore the solar incentives in Texas available to homeowners today.
Texas offers a property tax exemption that prevents your home’s value increase from solar panels from raising your property taxes. Additionally, most local utilities provide net metering programs that credit you for excess energy your system generates at retail rates.
These incentives can significantly impact your solar investment’s value. Research current programs carefully, as policies and availability may change. Acting sooner helps you maximize available benefits.
| Incentive | Type | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property Tax Exemption | State tax exemption | No property tax increase from solar installations. Example: $20k system saves ~$400/year at 2% tax rate. | Learn More |
Texas offers a property tax exemption for solar and wind-powered energy devices installed on your property. This exemption prevents your local appraisal district from adding the value of your solar energy system to your property’s assessed value for tax purposes. Without this exemption, installing solar panels could increase your property taxes since they add value to your home. With the exemption in place, you won’t pay additional property taxes on the increased value that your solar installation brings to your property.
To qualify for this exemption, you must own the solar or wind-powered energy device and it must be installed on property you own in Texas. You’ll need to apply for the exemption with your local county appraisal district using Form 50-123 (Exemption Application for Solar or Wind-Powered Energy Devices). The general deadline for filing exemption applications is before May 1st. Once approved, this exemption helps make your solar investment more affordable by ensuring you don’t face higher property taxes simply for choosing clean energy. Contact your local appraisal district to confirm eligibility requirements and obtain the necessary application forms.
Net metering and net billing policies in Texas vary significantly depending on your utility provider or electric cooperative. Unlike traditional net metering where excess solar energy is credited at full retail rates, most Texas utilities now offer net billing arrangements where exported solar energy is credited at lower wholesale rates, typically ranging from 3 to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour. In deregulated areas served by transmission and distribution utilities (TDUs) like Oncor, CenterPoint, and AEP Texas, you’ll need to select a Retail Energy Provider (REP) that offers solar buyback programs, with Shell Energy being a common option at 7 cents per kWh as of April 2024.
The financial benefit depends on your specific utility. Some electric cooperatives like Grayson Collin offer true 1:1 net metering where credits roll over indefinitely, while others like CPS Energy in San Antonio provide monthly net metering with credits valued at approximately 2 cents per kWh in summer and 1.65 cents per kWh in winter. Most utilities settle accounts monthly, meaning any excess credits either don’t roll over or are forfeited at the end of December without payout. It’s important to note that many utilities charge additional fees for solar customers, ranging from $4.95 to $30 per month, which can impact your overall savings. Before installing solar, confirm your utility’s specific policy and calculate whether the export credit rate and any additional fees make financial sense for your energy usage patterns.
Ready to start saving with solar?
Speak with a Palmetto solar expert to find out exactly how much you can save with Texas incentives.
Get a Free QuotePlano Solar Irradiance
Solar panel production varies throughout the year based on daylight hours, weather patterns, and sun intensity. Understanding how seasons affect your solar system helps set realistic expectations for your investment.
Plano enjoys over 230 sunny days yearly, with peak production during long summer days. While occasional storms pass through, your solar system will generate clean energy year-round.
Solar Production in Plano by Month
What Can Your Solar System Power?
Summer Production (July)
In July, your 10 kW system could power:
- 3.6 average homes (15 kWh/day per home)
- or Run central AC for 18 hours AND power all other appliances
- or Fully charge 5.4 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles
Winter Production (December)
In December, your 10 kW system could power:
- 2 average homes (15 kWh/day per home)
- or Keep your home heating system running for 15 hours
- or Fully charge 3 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles
Annual Production
Over a year, your 10 kW system could:
- Offset 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions
- or Equal the environmental benefit of planting 175 trees
- or Save approximately $4,234 in electricity costs
Want to know exactly how much solar can power your home?
Get a personalized solar analysis based on your actual home, energy usage, and roof characteristics.
Get My Custom EstimateSolar Panel Systems in Plano
We’ve mapped every solar installation across the United States to bring you this interactive view of Plano’s solar community. Explore the map to discover which neighborhoods are leading the clean energy transition—you might be surprised how many of your neighbors have already made the switch!
Leasing Solar Panels
In Plano, homeowners served by Oncor Energy (Dallas) have access to Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) through Palmetto’s LightReach program. With a PPA, you pay only for the electricity your solar panels generate at a set rate per kilowatt-hour—typically lower than what you’d pay your utility. This means no large upfront investment, no maintenance responsibilities, and immediate savings on your energy bills.
The key advantage of a PPA over purchasing your system outright is simplicity. While buying solar panels requires managing the investment, maintenance, and repairs yourself, a PPA transfers those responsibilities to Palmetto. Your panels are professionally monitored and maintained at no additional cost, giving you peace of mind while you enjoy clean energy savings. Because solar panels produce more electricity during summer months, your PPA payments will be higher then—but so will your savings compared to grid electricity.
Whether you choose to buy or lease solar panels, both paths lead to long-term energy savings. A PPA simply makes going solar more accessible by eliminating the barriers of upfront costs and ongoing system management, allowing you to start saving from day one.
Go solar without the investment
With LightReach, there are no investment costs to recoup, loan payments to manage, or maintenance needs to take on. As soon as your panels are active, your solar savings are too!
Learn MoreFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, solar makes excellent sense in Plano. With over 230 sunny days annually and 5.4 peak sun hours per day, your panels will generate substantial electricity year-round. Texas electricity rates have increased 23% since 2021, while solar locks in predictable energy costs for 25+ years.
The average Plano homeowner with a 10 kW system saves approximately $80,000 over 25 years. Plus, Texas’ property tax exemption means your solar installation won’t increase your property taxes, making the investment even more attractive.
Plano residents served by Oncor Energy (Dallas) have access to net billing through Shell Energy’s Buyback Plan. Excess solar energy exported to the grid receives a credit of 7 cents per kWh as of April 2024, which applies to your current month’s bill first.
Any unused credits roll over month to month in your “buyback bank” but are forfeited each December without payout. Shell Energy charges a $4.95 monthly fee in addition to Oncor’s transmission and distribution charges.
Yes, solar panels increase home value in Plano. Research from Zillow shows homes with solar panels sell for 4.1% more than comparable homes without solar. For a typical Plano home valued at $400,000, that translates to an additional $16,400 in resale value.
Texas’ property tax exemption makes this even better—while your home’s value increases, you won’t pay additional property taxes on your solar installation. This combination of increased home value without higher property taxes makes solar a smart financial decision for Plano homeowners.
Solar panel costs in Plano depend on your home size and energy needs. A typical medium-sized home (2,000-3,000 sq ft) requires a 9.72 kW system costing approximately $27,296, or $2.81 per watt.
Smaller homes need 6.97 kW systems averaging $20,256, while larger homes require 13.04 kW systems at around $35,795. These prices reflect complete installations based on actual Plano projects.
Solar is financially worth it in Plano. With electricity rates rising 23% since 2021, a typical 10 kW system saves approximately $80,000 over 25 years with a payback period of 10.5 years. After that, you’re generating free electricity.
Texas’ property tax exemption means your solar installation won’t increase property taxes, while your home value increases by an average of 4.1%. Solar provides predictable energy costs and long-term protection against rising utility rates.
We’re Palmetto Solar, and we’ve completed 3,810 installations across Texas since 2020. Our approach combines national resources with local expertise to deliver quality solar systems to Plano homeowners.
We offer flexible financing options to fit different budgets, from traditional purchases to our LightReach program with zero upfront costs. Our experienced installation network ensures professional service from design through activation, backed by comprehensive monitoring and support.