Solar Calc

Solar Panel Cost in San Antonio, TX (2026 Estimate)

ByIndependent solar research and calculators

Data last updated

San Antonio averages about 5.3 peak sun hours a day (about average for the US, matching the Texas statewide average), and pairs with Texas's approximate residential rate near 15ยข/kWh. In the model used here, an 8 kW system produces roughly 12,380 kWh a year and trims about $1,900 off annual electricity costs, paying back its net cost in about 8.1 years . Local shading, roof, and your utility's export terms move the real figure.

Estimated system cost and payback in San Antonio

Costs assume roughly $2.70/watt installed; the net column applies a 30% federal credit for comparison with quotes that include it. Savings use San Antonio's sun hours and Texas's rate.

Modeled solar cost, production, savings and payback in San Antonio by system size
System size Gross cost Net after 30% credit Yearly production Yearly savings Payback
6 kW $16,200 $11,300 9,290 kWh $1,400 8.1 yrs
8 kW $21,600 $15,100 12,380 kWh $1,900 8.1 yrs
10 kW $27,000 $18,900 15,480 kWh $2,300 8.1 yrs

The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit ended for systems paid for after December 31, 2025 under the 2025 federal budget law. Net-after-credit figures apply only if you still qualify (for example a 2025 expenditure, or a leased system where the installer passes a credit through). Confirm with a tax professional.

Net metering and utilities around San Antonio

Texas leaves solar export compensation entirely to individual utilities and retailers, so there is no statewide net metering law. In the deregulated ERCOT market, which covers Dallas, Houston, and most of the state, you choose a retail electric provider and can pick a solar buyback plan from companies such as Reliant, TXU, Green Mountain Energy, Octopus Energy, or Rhythm. Some plans credit exports at your full energy rate, some pay a wholesale-linked rate, and many limit credits to what you consume in a month or let them expire at the end of the contract.

In ERCOT, the wires companies that own the poles and meters are Oncor in North Texas, CenterPoint in Houston, AEP Texas along the coast and in the south, and Texas-New Mexico Power in scattered areas; your retail provider is a separate company that sets the energy price. Austin Energy and CPS Energy are large municipal utilities, and cooperatives like Pedernales Electric are among the biggest in the country. Entergy Texas, El Paso Electric, SWEPCO, and Xcel's Southwestern Public Service sit outside ERCOT and are fully regulated. Delivery charges from the wires company are billed per kilowatt-hour you import and are not offset by exports, and free-nights or time-of-use plans can either help or hurt solar depending on your usage.

For the full state picture, including incentives, property and sales tax treatment and the complete net metering notes, see the Texas solar cost page.

Other Texas cities

Sources and methodology

Every figure on this page is computed from two published inputs (average peak sun hours and the state's average residential electricity rate) plus the documented assumptions on the methodology page. It is a transparent model, not a survey of installer quotes. Inputs last reviewed .