San Antonio, TX goes solar with SunPower^®

How much does solar cost in San Antonio?

The cost of a home solar system can vary due to a range of factors, even among houses in the same city. These factors include the:

• Roof space

• Weather

• Solar system panels and components

• Quality of the solar panels

• Roof materials

• Shaded roof space

To help you understand the price of going solar in your area, we’ve analyzed SunPower price quotes as well as quotes gathered by third-party sources for thousands of homeowners across the country.*

In San Antonio, we found that the average investment to own a 5 kilowatt (kW) solar system—the system an average house can accommodate—ranges from $12,800 to $14,000. Or, in other words, it would cost from $2.56 to $2.80 per watt—and that's before considering the benefits of any available tax credits or incentives.

A measure of energy output, a kilowatt-hour (kWh) is 1000 watts (a kilowatt) producing energy for one hour. The average U.S. household uses just over 900 kWh per month.*

San Antonio residents can take advantage of the federal solar Investment Tax Credit. When filing your income taxes as a new solar system owner, you can claim a 26% credit toward the total cost of your system. Applicable expenses for the tax credit include equipment and installation labor costs.

San Antonio is also on the path toward being entirely carbon neutral by 2050. CPS Energy, owned by the city of San Antonio, is the nation's largest municipally-owned natural gas and electric company. During 2020 and 2021, the utility announced a number of bold and innovative plans to radically increase its reliance on solar energy.*

The city plans to reach its clean energy goals by offering residents incentives to go solar. For instance, CPS Energy offers rebates for solar customers worth up to $2,500 per residential project, with a $500 premium for projects utilizing local modules.*

Texas doesn't offer a statewide net metering program. However, CPS Energy also provides net metering to its customers, allowing them to return their energy surplus to the power grid in exchange for utility bill credits. Unfortunately, this exchange is not a lucrative incentive at this time since the utility company only pays what is called an avoided cost, or wholesale rate, for the excess energy your system generates.*

While Texas doesn’t have a state property tax, solar installations are exempt from taxation on a local level in Bexar County, where San Antonio is located. You can expect to benefit fully from the increase in property value due to a solar system installation.

Please note that tax credits and incentives are subject to change. Similarly, the availability of net metering varies by location and is subject to change. Visit dsireusa.org for detailed solar policy information.

• *. Local Solar Installers 2020/2021, Solar Reviews 2021, Energy Sage 2021, Wood Mackenzie 2020, National Renewable Energy Laboratory 2020
• *. Energy Sage, What is a Kilowatt Hour? (Accessed Sept. 10, 2021). https://news.energysage.com/what-is-a-kilowatt-hour-kwh-megawatt-hour-mwh/
• *. Forbes. San Antonio Utility Seeks innovative Backup for 900 MW of New Solar. (Dece. 29, 2020) https://www.forbes.com/sites/llewellynking/2021/12/29/san-antonio-utilit...
• *. CPS Energy, Solar Rebate Incentives (accessed 8/30/2021) https://www.cpsenergy.com/en/my-home/savenow/rebates-rebate/solar-photov...
• *. CPS Energy. Solar Billing Facts (accessed 8/30/2021) https://www.cpsenergy.com/content/dam/corporate/en/Documents/EnergyEffic...