Electricity Buy Back Rates
As more people move to solar and become energy independent, their solar installations prove to be useful even during nighttime. With smart meters in place and state-backed net metering policies, you can avoid the high costs of solar battery storage and use the grid to send your excess solar energy. Once your production is low or zero, you take that energy back from the electric company.
electricity buy back rates
If you have a solar system installed in your household, you know that during the daytime, you produce a lot of excess energy. Solar buyback programs and plans allow you to send that excess solar energy back and earn bill credits or cash. The excess solar energy is used to power nearby homes and businesses during the daytime and during the night, you get that energy back.
So, the solar buyback plan allows you to send the excess solar power back to the grid, while the net metering system monitors how much energy you consume from the utility and how much renewable energy you feed onto the grid. Excess solar power is then counted against your energy use and at the end of the month, there are two possible scenarios:
Based on your utility company and the regulation in the area you live in, you may get feed-in tariffs. Feed-in tariffs are rates that apply to any excess generation that is sent to the utility. A net metering program sees electricity you send to the grid the same as it does the energy you use, but feed-in tariffs may see them differently. To avoid headaches, check out the interconnection agreement offered by your utility.
Feed-in tariffs are a kind of performance-based incentive. These incentives reward any solar generation by means of monthly payments irrelevant to how much electricity you produce and consume. This was a great way to lower the cost of your solar installation, but as the prices drop, many of these programs are rolled back.
Solar buyback program rewards excess solar generation by offering bill credits for every kilowatt-hour your produce and do not immediately consume. The surplus generation is sent to the grid and can then be bought back later in the day or year.
Your retail electricity provider may offer a buyback program to allow you to send them excess power over existing power lines. Your smart meter and net metering programs can let you exchange your surplus electricity for bill credit or even cash, depending on your electricity company.
Whether you qualify for a solar buyback mostly depends on how much electricity your solar panels produce. In most areas, the cut-off line for Texas solar buyback is set at 20kW or even 25kW for residential solar. This is more than enough to make the majority of USA solar owners eligible for these programs since an average residential solar system can produce between 3kW and 8kW of solar energy.
For Texas solar owners, the feed-in tariff with most utility companies is the same as the price per kWh you take from the grid. This means that for every kWh of excess electricity, you will get one kWh back during the night. In some cases, you can even get cash back on cancellation, but beware that you may have to pay the early termination fee.
The solar feed-in tariff works by taking excess electricity or solar energy you produce and exchanging it for bill credits. In most cases, the feed-in tariff is the same as the retail price, but in some cases, it may be closer to the wholesale price of kWh. Most utility companies, however, offer net metering, which measures both the electricity consumed and fed into the greed at retail electricity rates.
Yes, you can. With feed-in tariffs, you basically sell your solar energy back. In most cases, you get electricity credits. In some, you can even get cash back at the wholesale price. Since most utility companies offer renewable buyback, it is worth contacting your electricity provider.
Yes, solar programs are absolutely worth it. Solar programs allow your utility to buy electricity that you do not use, you earn credit and under the solar buyback plan can spend that renewable energy when you need it. Texas solar programs are especially attractive to solar owners. You may find out more through your solar installer even before installing solar panels.
Your solar panels do not have to work only during the daytime. With a very attractive buyback plan, you can send surplus generation back to the grid. This electricity is then accumulated by your smart meter and you can use it during the night. As more similar incentives are rolled out, and with the average price of solar panels being in a steady decline, you can be sure that your solar panels are an investment that is fast to pay off.
Solar power systems are a source of clean electricity, with simple maintenance needs and a lifespan of over 25 years. The main challenge when using solar panels is managing their variable energy production: they can only generate electricity when sunshine is available, unlike a diesel generator that provides power on demand.
The electricity output of a solar power system can exceed consumption at times, especially in homes that are empty during the day. To solve this problem, many energy companies have programs that reward solar owners for surplus generation. These programs are varied, offering different terms and conditions, but their common purpose is making surplus generation valuable for the client.
Net metering is the most common solution to handle surplus electricity from solar panels. In Texas, there are many electricity providers who will buy back, or give you credit for your excess solar power.
Texas does not mandate net metering by law, but many Retail Electricity Providers (REPs) and municipal power companies offer the benefit. This article will provide an overview of the best solar buyback and net metering programs in the state as of 2023.
In simple terms, net metering subtracts your solar generation from your electricity consumption, and you are only billed for the difference. If your credit for solar generation is actually higher than your consumption, the rules vary depending on the energy company:
Feed-in tariffs or FITs are rates that apply for surplus electricity exported to the grid. Under traditional net metering, your consumption and solar generation are valued equally, but a feed-in tariff assigns a different price tag for surplus generation.
Keep in mind that electricity providers may create hybrid programs. For example, you may find a company that gives you net metering at the full energy price when generation is below your consumption, switching to a reduced feed-in tariff above this point.
In most regions of Texas, you can choose your electricity company thanks to deregulation. Some electricity plans are designed specially for consumers who own solar panels, and in many cases they can boost savings. Texas has dozens of electricity providers, but few of them have solar buyback or net metering plans:
16.5 / kWh(Shine 12)No solar buyback limit, unused credits are rolled over to the next month.David EnergySolar Seller 12The solar buyback rate is 90% of the real-time wholesale market price, published by ERCOT.10.6 / kWhNo solar buyback limit, and unused credits are rolled over to the next month.Energy TexasSun-Jacinto Solar Buyback Program, can be added to all their fixed rate plans:
You can request a cash payment for unused solar buyback credits when the balance reaches $50, or when your contract ends.Reliant EnergySolar Payback PlusNot published by the Reliant Energy website. You must call them or send an email.Not published by the Reliant Energy website.Available for solar power systems up to 50 kW.
No solar buyback limit, and unused credits are rolled over to the next month.Shell EnergySolar Buyback 12, 24Real-time wholesale market price, published by ERCOT.12.2 / kWh(Solar Buyback 12)No solar buyback limit, and unused credits are rolled over to the next month.TXU EnergyHome Solar Buyback 12, 24, 369.5 / kWh(Solar Buyback 12)
17.5 / kWh(Solar Buyback 36)The maximum credit available for surplus solar generation is your monthly energy usage from the grid. Credits cannot be rolled over.*NOTE: This table provides the kWh prices offered in the Oncor service territory.
Rhythm Energy has a popular solar buyback plan for Texans that allows for a one for one kWh rate. The Rooftop Solar Buyback Plan is a 12 month contract with a fixed energy rate. This means your rate stays the same, no matter what the Texas electricity market does.
Shell Energy has the Solar Buyback program for the Oncor and CenterPoint service areas. All surplus generation from solar PV systems is credited at the real-time wholesale price, and subtracted from subsequent power bills. There is no solar buyback limit and unused credits are rolled over to the next month until you need them, but there is no cash payment option.
TXU Energy offers the Home Solar Buyback program, where you get credit for surplus generation at the retail energy price. The main drawback of this program is that the maximum monthly credit is limited by your consumption. This means you cannot claim credits for solar production that exceeds your consumption, and there is no rollover.
El Paso Electric (EPE) offers net metering solar power systems up to 50 kW, which practically covers all residential systems. However, your solar PV system must be sized based on your electricity consumption during the last year before the installation, which means you cannot oversize.
Currently, Lubbock is in the process of joining the ERCOT power grid. Lubbock Power & Light connected 70% of their system to ERCOT in May 2021, and the remaining 30% will connect by May 2023. Once LP&L has fully joined the deregulated electricity market, Lubbock citizens will be able to choose their retail electricity provider. In the meantime, LP&L will continue operating as their provider.
LP&L offers net metering up to 100% of your consumption, and there is no credit for surplus production above your monthly consumption. However, LP&L offers another incentive: homeowners with solar panels have access to lower kilowatt-hour prices when using the grid. The best strategy is installing a solar power system that generates less electricity than what your home consumes, and purchasing the difference from LP&L at discounted price. 041b061a72