Solar panels in Texas
Roofs across Texas get about 1,722 hours of usable sunlight a year, and electricity costs 15.1¢/kWh. That combination puts a typical system's payback at 9.2 years. Here's the detail, from real rooftop data across 12 Texas cities.
Check your own roof in Texas → These are regional figures; your roof's size, pitch and shading move them a lot.
How Texas compares
Texas gets more sunlight than 75% of the cities we measure, and its electricity costs more than 51% of states and provinces. Both matter, but not equally: the electricity rate usually matters more, because solar saves money by replacing power you would otherwise buy. A sunny state with cheap power often pays back slower than a cloudy state with expensive power. Why that happens →
Solar by city in Texas
| City | Sun hrs/yr | Panels | Net cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso | 2,043 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.8 yrs |
| Lubbock | 2,006 | 16 | $12,768 | 7.8 yrs |
| Laredo | 1,838 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.7 yrs |
| Plano | 1,765 | 18 | $14,364 | 8.8 yrs |
| Corpus Christi | 1,755 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.2 yrs |
| Irving | 1,722 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.2 yrs |
| Arlington | 1,710 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.2 yrs |
| Austin | 1,688 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.3 yrs |
| San Antonio | 1,686 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.3 yrs |
| Dallas | 1,675 | 19 | $15,162 | 9.3 yrs |
| Fort Worth | 1,663 | 20 | $15,960 | 9.7 yrs |
| Houston | 1,653 | 20 | $15,960 | 9.7 yrs |
What a system costs in Texas
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 4,684 | $6,384 | $707 | 9 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 7,026 | $9,576 | $1,061 | 9 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 9,368 | $12,768 | $1,415 | 9 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 11,710 | $15,960 | $1,665 | 9.6 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 15,222 | $20,748 | $1,798 | 11.5 yrs |
Payback stops improving as systems grow, then gets worse. You can only save on electricity you were going to buy, so once a system covers your usage the extra panels mostly export at a lower rate.
Texas solar incentives
Every US household can claim the 30% federal residential clean energy credit, which is what the "after credit" figures above assume. On a $21,660 system that is $6,498 back. How the credit works →
State, utility and municipal incentives stack on top and change often — Texas may offer rebates, property or sales tax exemptions, or performance payments. We deliberately don't list specific state programmes here because they change several times a year and stale numbers are worse than none. The DSIRE database is the standard reference and is kept current.
Texas solar questions
Is solar worth it in Texas?
At 15.1¢/kWh and 1,722 usable sun hours, a typical system pays back in about 9.2 years and returns roughly $25,914 over 25 years. That is a solid return.
How many solar panels do I need in Texas?
About 19 panels for a home using 10,800 kWh a year. Each 400W panel produces roughly 585 kWh annually at Texas sunlight levels.
How much do solar panels cost in Texas?
A 7.6 kW system runs about $21,660 before incentives and $15,162 after the 30% federal credit. Quotes vary widely by installer and roof complexity — get three.
Worth reading before you buy
Regional estimates generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples across 12 Texas cities, and average Texas electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial or tax advice.