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The best solar buyback plans in Texas in 2026 combine a strong export credit rate with unlimited credit rollover and no gimmick fees. Depending on your utility territory, top options range from fixed-rate plans paying around 7 cents per kWh to retail-match plans that credit exports at the full rate you pay. The right choice depends on your location, your system size, and how much of your solar power you use at home.
If you own solar panels in a deregulated part of Texas, your electricity plan decides what every exported kilowatt-hour is worth — and the gap between a good buyback plan and a bad one can swing your annual savings by hundreds of dollars. This guide shows you how to compare plans like an analyst instead of a shopper reading marketing pages.
New to the concept? Start with our guide on how net metering works in Texas — this post assumes you know the basics and focuses on choosing between actual plans.
These pay a set amount — commonly 3 to 9 cents per kWh in spring 2026 — for every kilowatt-hour you export, regardless of market conditions. They’re predictable and easy to model, but the rate is usually below what you pay for imported power.
The gold standard: exports earn the same rate you pay for imports, effectively recreating true net metering. A handful of providers still offer retail-match plans in some TDU territories. They often carry higher base energy rates, so you have to run the math on your whole bill, not just the buyback line.
These credit exports at the live ERCOT wholesale price — usually just a few cents, but capable of spiking dramatically during summer scarcity events. They reward homeowners with batteries who can export precisely when prices peak, and punish everyone who can’t control timing.
| Factor | What to Look For | Common Gotcha |
|---|---|---|
| Export credit rate | As close to your import rate as possible | Teaser rates that drop at renewal |
| Credit rollover | Indefinite month-to-month rollover | Credits expire monthly or annually |
| Base energy rate | Competitive with non-solar plans | High import rate cancels buyback value |
| Monthly fees | Low or no base charge | “Solar plan” surcharges |
| Contract term | 12–24 months with fair exit terms | Steep early termination fees |
The single most overlooked line is rollover. A plan paying 9 cents that wipes your credit balance every December can easily lose to a 7-cent plan that banks credits indefinitely, because Texas solar homes over-produce in spring and draw down in late summer.
Important: specific plans, providers, and rates change monthly in the deregulated market. Treat any published rate — including these ranges — as a snapshot, and pull current Electricity Facts Labels the week you switch.
Strong buyback plans reward larger systems, since excess production keeps earning near-retail value. Weak plans favor sizing to your actual daytime usage — our guide on how many solar panels a Texas home needs walks through sizing to monthly consumption.
If your best available plan pays only a few cents, storing your excess power beats selling it. See our breakdown of solar battery storage costs in Texas for what that upgrade runs in 2026.
Every system Big Texan Solar designs comes with a production model you can hold up against any Electricity Facts Label — so you can compare buyback plans on your actual numbers instead of a salesperson’s averages. It’s one piece of the full picture in our complete homeowner’s guide to home solar panels in Texas.
Contact us today and we’ll help you pick the plan that fits your system — or size a new system to fit the best plan in your territory.
Retail-match (1:1) plans are the ceiling — they credit exports at your full import rate. Among fixed-rate plans, offers in the 9–12 cent range appear periodically, though availability varies by TDU territory and changes monthly.
It depends on the plan. The best plans roll credits forward indefinitely; others reset monthly or annually. Always check the rollover policy before the rate.
Yes, in deregulated territories you can switch providers when your contract allows — solar homeowners should re-shop plans at every renewal, because the market shifts constantly.
Yes, and virtually all deregulated-market Texas homes already have one. Your utility also needs an interconnection agreement in place, which your installer handles during commissioning.
Only if you have battery storage and actively manage exports. Without a battery, fixed-rate or retail-match plans are safer for almost every household.
Nothing changes contractually, but your export pattern shifts — you’ll sell less at low rates and can time exports to peak windows on real-time plans, which is where batteries earn their keep.