Texas holds the rank of number four in solar power in the United States. Homeowners in Texas are rapidly choosing solar to produce their electricity. Solar is a good investment in your home but more importantly, it gives you the peace of mind that you will still have electricity when you need it. On top of that, Texas has a strong net-metering program where Texas power companies will buy back your excess electricity. But the “frosting on the cake” is the Federal government tax rebate and the Texas rebate program to really power your solar savings.
Lower-Cost Electricity
Electricity rates in Texas vary from utility to utility. But the overall expense can be greater than you think. When you install solar panels on your roof you can avoid these high costs and enjoy the savings of producing your own power. When your panels produce electricity during the day, you use it immediately, and also you can save the extra electricity in whole-house batteries. That way, you can store extra power during the day and use that extra electricity in the nighttime. When this happens, you do not need to draw extra electricity from the grid.
Be Ready For Blackouts
Of course, nobody can forget when the Texas grid went down in the famous blackouts of 2021. The surprise storm created a higher demand for energy and at the same time, caused significant damage to the grid. These two things combined to cause the grid to fail miserably.
Nobody can predict the weather in Texas, but with solar panels on your roof, you can be prepared.
When you install a solar system on your house with a whole-house battery backup. With that battery, you can produce extra power during the day and store that energy in batteries to heat or cool your home at night - or during an extended outage. With sufficient battery backup, you can keep your house powered for extended periods of time.
Be Good To Your Home And The Texas’ Outdoors
For most people, their home is their number one asset. So it only makes sense that they continue to invest in it. When you put a solar system on your home, you will increase your home's value and make it much more marketable when it comes time to sell.
The average home in Texas is currently valued at $252,422. That's an increase of 16.6% over the previous year. With solar, you will additionally invest in your home because solar has an average 4.1% valuation to homes countrywide.
Not only does solar increase the value of your home, but it also is kind to the environment - unlike the large power plants that the utilities use. Solar will help maintain Texas’ natural environment for decades to come.
"Not only can adding solar panels to a home saves energy costs and helps the environment, it also can potentially increase a home’s value. During the past year, homes with solar-energy systems sold for 4.1% more on average than comparable homes without solar power. For the median-valued home, that translates to an additional $9,274."
Homes With Solar Panels Sell for 4.1% More by Sarah Mikhitarian - SENIOR ECONOMIST from Zillow.com
Solar Has Predictable Payments
We all know that Texas has very hot summers. It's not uncommon for large utilities to raise electricity rates as demand for electricity increases. When there is severe heat, you need electricity the most. Overall demand increases and so do the rates for that electricity.
When you install solar on your home, you then have the freedom to plan ahead. Not only are your monthly payments going to be cheaper than with utility, but they will be consistent month-to-month. Solar is not only less expensive, but it is consistent.
The Government Wants You To Go Solar
The different utility companies in Texas offer different incentives for homeowners that use solar. As an example, both of the utilities Austin Energy and CPS Energy (City of San Antonio) are offering $2,500 residential rebates. The other utilities in Texas offer their own incentive programs to qualified customers.
Another great thing about going solar in Texas is that Texas is offering property tax exemption for solar energy systems. These exemptions will exempt you from paying extra property taxes on the value you add to your home when you install solar panels.
Sunny Weather
We all know there are plenty of sunny days ahead of us in Texas. Sunny weather is ideal for panels. You will get more electricity, the longer your panels work during the day. These panels work most efficiently and produce more electricity when the sun is shining directly on them. If you produce more electricity, you get to send more back into the grid. This allows you to use net metering and other incentive programs to keep the value of that excess energy.
Rainy Weather
Many people do not know that during a rainstorm, their solar panels will continue to produce electricity. Solar panels on your roof will continue to work with reflected or partially blocked sun rays to power your home. Your production is actually linked to the amount of cloud coverage. Falling rain will have some negative effect on the panels’ electricity production, the sun's rays still can penetrate the rain to provide power. Rain isn't always a bad thing for solar panels because it can clean off the dust and dirt.
Cloudy Weather
Solar panels also work on cloudy days but at reduced efficiency. You can see how much an overcast day affects the performance of your system by checking your system monitor. Check on both sunny and cloudy days and then compare the results. You might be surprised to know that solar panels can actually increase their efficiency on cloudy days because they are kept cooler. Cooler panels produce more electricity. The rays of the sun can sufficiently penetrate the clouds and reach your panels to produce electricity.
Snowy Weather
Solar panels that are covered with snow still can produce electricity. Sunlight can reach through the snow and reach the panels even if the snow is fairly heavy. This is because even scattered sunlight can be converted into usable power. Similar to the effect rain has on cooling the panels, snow cools them - but even more, making them more efficient. Efficiency might be reduced if the snowfall is heavy, but your system can still produce electricity.
Windy Weather
Today's solar panels are extremely reliable and sturdy. They are usually unaffected by wind. Usually, any damage from wind will be from weekend rooftops. Oftentimes, solar panels are stronger than the roof itself. This is the reason we do a roof inspection and might recommend that you either repair or replace your roof before you install a solar system. Usually, high winds have a more damaging effect on the power grid, causing outages than they will on your panels. A solar system with backup batteries on your roof will still provide power during a wind-caused power outage.
If you're considering going solar in Texas, Solaris National can help you get started.
