All states · Texas
Updated October 2026 · ranks 39 of 50
Only under favorable conditions
6 kW system · $17,100 after incentives · $1,117 returned in year one
0 yrs25 yrs
At 15.8 years the outcome depends more on individual circumstances than on the state average. It shortens appreciably with above-average consumption, an unshaded south-facing roof, or an installed price below $2.85 a watt, and lengthens with the opposite.
The answer depends on the individual property rather than the state average. At 15.8 years, shading or below-average consumption can move the outcome materially in either direction.
The case modeled here approximates an average Texas household on the state average rate of 15.9¢, with an unshaded roof and no financing: $17,100 of capital, $1,117 returned in the first year, and break-even near year 15.8. Above-average consumption, a south-facing roof or a competitive installed price shorten that period; shading, a loan carrying a dealer fee, or a sale within six years lengthen it. Because exports earn only 7.9¢, daytime occupancy carries measurable value: a household absent between nine and five performs appreciably worse than this figure.
At 15.9¢ per kilowatt-hour, electricity in Texas costs 4% less than the United States average of 16.5¢. Inexpensive grid power lowers household bills but weakens solar economics, since each kilowatt-hour generated displaces a cheap one.
A 6 kW array in Texas generates approximately 8,528 kWh a year, above the national median. Irradiance is the one input that no change in policy can remove.
Texas credits exported power below the retail rate, at approximately 7.9¢ against a retail rate of 15.9¢. Electricity consumed as it is generated is therefore worth several times more than electricity exported, and sizing a system to daytime consumption rather than to annual total consumption is what protects the return.
In Texas the export rate is a matter of contract rather than tariff. Rates range from about 3.0¢ to 12.9¢ depending on the plan selected, and that variation alone moves break-even from roughly 14.1 years to 17.9 years on an identical roof. The figure above uses the midpoint. Comparing retail plans therefore has a larger effect on the outcome than any equipment decision.
Texas offers no state rebate or tax credit at present, so the installed price of $17,100 stands. With Section 25D expired there is no federal credit to deduct either, the first year in over a decade in which that has been the case.
A 6 kW system, the size typical of Texas households, costs approximately $17,100 installed at $2.85 a watt before deductions. No deduction applies in Texas: there is no state rebate, no state tax credit, and no federal credit following the expiry of Section 25D on 31 December 2025. Prices vary with roof complexity, equipment selection and local installer demand; quotes $0.40 a watt either side of this figure are common. Smaller systems cost more per watt and larger ones less, although a larger array is worth less here, since exports earn only 7.9¢.
| System size | 6 kW |
|---|---|
| Annual production | 8,528 kWh |
| Installed cost | $17,100 |
| Incentives | none |
| Net cost | $17,100 |
| Electricity rate | 15.9¢ / kWh |
| Export credit | 7.9¢ / kWh |
| Year-one saving | $1,117 |
| Break-even | 15.8 years |
| 25-year gain | $15,439 |
Of the 50 states published here, Texas ranks 39th for how quickly a bought system repays itself. Fastest right now: Hawaii, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts. Slowest: South Dakota, Louisiana, North Dakota, Tennessee. Compare them all on the map.
Solar economics change at state lines rather than at county lines, because the export tariff and the netting period do. These states share a border with Texas, and the figure each produces on the same assumptions.
About $17,100 installed for a 6 kW system at $2.85 a watt. No deduction applies in Texas: no state rebate, no state credit, and no federal credit following the expiry of Section 25D. A system sized to daytime consumption costs less and repays faster here, because exports earn only 7.9¢.
Only under favorable conditions. A 6 kW system breaks even in 15.8 years on the assumptions used here, following the expiry of the 30% federal tax credit on 31 December 2025.
Approximately $1,117 in the first year on a 8,528 kWh system, rising thereafter as Texas electricity rates increase. Almost all of that derives from power consumed as it is generated; at 7.9¢, export earns little.
A 6 kW array is about 14 modules at 430 W and generates 8,528 kWh a year here, which covers a household using roughly that much. Sizing beyond on-site use is poor value in Texas, since the surplus earns 7.9¢ against a 15.9¢ retail rate. The sizing calculator works it out from a bill.
Only under favorable conditions. The retail rate here is 15.9¢ against a national average of 16.5¢, exports earn 7.9¢, and a 6 kW system breaks even in 15.8 years. What separates Texas from states with similar sunshine is the rate and the export tariff, not the weather.
Texas credits exported power below the retail rate, at approximately 7.9¢ against a retail rate of 15.9¢.
Generation is taken from NREL PVWatts v8 for the largest metropolitan area in Texas, south-facing at 20°. The retail rate is from the EIA and the export credit from the state's net metering rule. The break-even figure incorporates 0.5% annual panel degradation, 3% annual electricity price growth, $150 a year in maintenance and an inverter replacement in year 12. The federal credit is set to $0 — Section 25D expired 31 December 2025. Imports and exports are netted over short intervals, so only about 65% of generation offsets consumption at the full retail rate. Full method and sources. Privacy. Export terms checked against the state source in August 2026.
These are estimates for comparison between states, not quotations. Roof orientation, shading, consumption pattern and installer pricing all affect the result. At least three written quotations are advisable before purchase.