Federal solar credit ended Dec 31, 2025
Sorted & Saved

Solar costs · San Antonio, TX

Solar Panel Cost in San Antonio, Texas

Fact-checked by Sorted & Saved data desk
Updated Data verified Nov 5, 2026

San Antonio gets about 1,496 kWh per kW per year[1] from a rooftop solar array, according to NREL's PVWatts model at the city's coordinates. CPS Energy's residential customers paid an average of 12.43¢ per kWh[2] and used 1,070 kWh a month[2]. A system sized to that use, about 8.6 kW est.[1,2], costs roughly $29,000 to $39,500 est.[1,2,3] before incentives, and pays back in about 18 years est.[1,2,3,4] for a cash buyer.

On this page [ 8 ]

San Antonio solar at a glance

Output per kW of panels1,496 kWh/yr[1]PVWatts, this city
Sunlight on panels5.47 kWh/m²/day[1]Annual average
CPS Energy avg. price12.43¢/kWh[2]2024 average, bundled customers
CPS Energy avg. home use1,070 kWh/mo[2]2024 average
Typical system8.6 kWCovers 100% of use
Typical price$34,400Estimate, before incentives
Year-1 savings$1,600Estimate
Payback18 yearsEstimate, cash purchase
Estimated monthly output of a 8.6 kW system in San Antonio (PVWatts, typical weather year)kWh / month

CPS Energy credits exported energy at the retail rate (Monthly net billing with Net Excess Generation (NEG) credit). Assumptions: methodology.

How CPS Energy treats solar

UtilityExport policyExport creditAvg. residential priceMonthly basic charge
CPS EnergyMonthly net billing with Net Excess Generation (NEG) creditRetail rate (net metering)[4]12.43¢ per kWh[2]$9.50[5]

CPS Energy: Monthly net billing with Net Excess Generation (NEG) credit

CPS meters energy delivered and solar surplus sent back each month and bills the net kWh. If surplus exceeds consumption in a month, the net excess kWh earns a low avoided-cost credit applied to the next bill (not exceeding that bill's total) and carried forward. Excess energy can only be sold back to CPS Energy.

  • Service Availability Charge: $9.50 per month (Residential Electric Rate RE, effective Feb 1, 2024)[5]
  • Latest rate change: Rates rose 4.25% effective Feb 1, 2024 (the most recent increase shown on the CPS rates page)[6]
  • Retail competition: CPS has not opted into retail competition, so San Antonio customers cannot pick a REP[7]
  • Who buys excess energy: Excess solar energy can only be sold back to CPS Energy[7]
  • DG review time: 20-25 working days from a complete application (current DG page)[8]
  • Permission to Operate: PTO email within 24-48 hours after commissioning passes[9]

Permits and local programs in San Antonio

  • Permitting: A separate City electrical (PV) permit from Development Services is required alongside CPS Energy's interconnection review (Information Bulletin 153, rev. May 2025). San Antonio is not on the SolarAPP+ jurisdiction list.[10]
  • Historic districts: Solar on designated historic properties or in historic districts first goes to the Historic Design and Review Commission[10]
  • Free solar guidance: Bring Solar Home (Build San Antonio Green) gives free technical help on going solar; CPS links to it[11]

San Antonio solar cost by system size

SystemPrice before incentives[3]After incentiveskWh in year 1[1]Year-1 savings[2][4]Payback (years)
4 kW$16,000$16,0005,980$74018
6 kW$24,000$24,0008,980$1,12018
8 kW$32,000$32,00011,970$1,49018
10 kW$40,000$40,00014,960$1,63020
12 kW$48,000$48,00017,950$1,68022

Incentives for San Antonio homeowners

Federal · tax creditEnding soon

Business credit for leased and PPA systems (48E)

Claimed by the system owner, not the homeowner; solar must begin construction by July 4, 2026 or be in service by December 31, 2027[12]

If a company owns the panels on your roof (a lease or power purchase agreement), that company may claim the business clean electricity investment credit and can reflect it in your price. You cannot claim it yourself.

Who
Third-party-owned systems (leases and PPAs). Ask the provider whether the price assumes this credit.
Deadline
December 31, 2027
Checked
November 5, 2026
State · tax exemptionAvailable

Texas property tax exemption for solar energy devices (Tax Code 11.27)

100% of the added appraised value from an on-site solar energy device is exempt from property tax[13]

Statute text was read from the Legislature's statute file server (tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/TX/htm/TX.11.htm), which backs statutes.capitol.texas.gov. Last amended by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., Ch. 533 (S.B. 63). The homeowner claims it with Comptroller Form 50-123, filed with the county appraisal district (https://comptroller.texas.gov/forms/50-123.pdf).

Who
Solar (or wind) devices primarily for production and distribution of energy for on-site use. Subsection (a-1) also exempts a device owned by someone who does not own the real property it sits on.
Deadline
No sunset in statute
Checked
November 5, 2026
Utility · performance paymentAvailable

CPS Energy My Battery Rewards

$10 bill credit per battery dispatch event[14]

No upfront battery rebate was found for CPS Energy.

Who
Residential CPS Energy customers who own their battery energy storage system and can dispatch it when CPS calls an event.
Deadline
Offered year-round; no end date stated
Checked
November 5, 2026

Every Texas incentive →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much do solar panels cost in San Antonio?

About $34,400 est.[1,2,3] before incentives for a 8.6 kW est.[1,2] system, using Texas's median installed price of $4.00 per watt est.[3]. Get at least three written quotes; prices for the same system often differ by thousands of dollars.

How does CPS Energy pay for solar I send to the grid?

CPS Energy uses Monthly net billing with Net Excess Generation (NEG) credit: exported energy offsets what you buy at the retail rate, with details on our Texas net metering page.

How long is the payback for solar in San Antonio?

Our model estimates about 18 years est.[1,2,3,4] for a cash purchase, with year-one savings of about $1,600 est.[1,2,4]. Financing, a battery or a different rate plan changes this; the calculator lets you test each.

sources

[ 14 ]

Every number on this page links to one of these sources. Dates show when we last checked each one.

  1. NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)pvwatts.nlr.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  2. EIA Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price 2024, Table 6: Utility bundled retail sales, residentialeia.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  3. U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage 2026 Data Update (Barbose, Darghouth, O'Shaughnessy, Forrester), Berkeley Labeta-publications.lbl.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  4. CPS Energy: Monthly net billing with Net Excess Generation (NEG) creditcpsenergy.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  5. CPS Energy residential tariffcpsenergy.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  6. CPS Energy: Latest rate changecpsenergy.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  7. CPS Energy: Retail competitioncpsenergy.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  8. CPS Energy: DG review timecpsenergy.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  9. CPS Energy: Permission to Operatecpsenergy.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  10. San Antonio: Permittingdocsonline.sanantonio.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  11. San Antonio: Free solar guidancecpsenergy.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  12. Public Law 119-21 - Sec. 70513(a) and (g)(5) (48E); Sec. 70512(a) and (l)(4) (45Y)govinfo.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  13. Texas Tax Code Sec. 11.27, Solar and Wind-Powered Energy Devicesstatutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  14. CPS Energy - My Battery Rewardscpsenergy.com · checked Nov 5, 2026

City data last re-checked November 5, 2026.