(Photo by Joe DelNero /NREL)
Texas electric utility policies for residential solar have made investments in the technology less financially viable, according to a new report released by the Texas Office of Public Citizen.
The report, Eclipsing Progress: The State of Solar Rates and Fees at Monopoly Electric Utilities in Texas, examined 141 noncompetitive Texas electric utilities and their policies for customer-sited solar – solar systems installed where the electric utility customer lives – and compared the bill savings to the cost of purchasing and installing a home solar system.
In most cases, the report found, ratepayers who take out loans to purchase and install a home solar system would take longer than 15 years to make their money back. Furthermore, even those who pay in cash on day one and bypass financing could wait up to 10 years to recover their costs.
“Texas has lots of available sunshine, but electric utilities make it difficult for customers to capture this clean energy resource,” said the report’s lead author, Kamil Cook, Public Citizen climate and clean energy associate. “Uri laid bare the fragility of the state’s grid, and home solar is part of the solution. However, in many cases, unfair rates and other utility policies are standing in the way. Regardless of where they live, Texans need certainty that one of the most significant investments in their home will pay off.”
“Rooftop solar is quickly becoming
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