Hey folks! The team here at North Texas Solar has been receiving a steady stream of questions about Oncor’s generous solar incentive program. As experts in renewable energy solutions for homes, we want to provide a thorough, helpful explanation so you can determine if these solar incentives are right for your residence.
As a brief summary, Oncor offers monetary incentives to homeowners who install solar panel systems with backup power storage. Oncor’s rationale is that promoting wider adoption of residential solar allows them to delay expensive infrastructure upgrades to the traditional electric grid. Additionally, Oncor believes that by adding more homes with solar power and backup battery storage, they can better balance their grid’s supply and demand. It creates a mutually beneficial scenario–you maximize savings over time with reduced electric bills courtesy of solar energy, while Oncor avoids major construction costs in the form of structure upgrades.
Now, let’s explore some key details surrounding Oncor incentives:
Payment Structure
The incentives are paid out over the course of 5 years. Each year, for 5 consecutive years, you’ll receive 1/5 of the total approved incentive amount, which averages around $2,300 in total but can vary. That’s a solid chunk of change!
System Size Requirements
To qualify, your solar panel system size must fall between 3 kilowatts (kW) and 15 kW DC. The specifics on capacity for your property depends on historical annual electricity usage, which we can determine during a complimentary site evaluation and consultation. Generally, the larger your household energy appetite, the bigger system you’ll need to offset it.
Coupled With Battery Storage System
In addition to the requirement that the solar energy system must be new, Oncor requires homeowners to install a battery power storage system with the solar panels. While Oncor does not specify battery backup storage system details like power capacity directly on their website, the North Texas Solar team has you covered on what your home will benefit from. Our team has been working with Oncor’s solar incentive program for years and also understands what Oncor considers to be valid battery power storage requirements.
Grid Connection Mandated
An important requirement from Oncor is that all solar panel systems must tie into the greater electric grid infrastructure. If the public grid ever experiences issues or outages in your area, your solar equipment will also shut off. This ensures protection and safety for any line workers who are repairing issues in the field.
Upfront Costs Still Apply
Do note that while generous, Oncor’s incentives do not constitute full incentives. You will still have out-of-pocket investment costs associated with solar panel equipment, custom installation labor, and more. However, the 5-year payouts help defray that initial investment substantially over time.
Streamlined Application Process
The application process for claiming Oncor solar incentives isn’t too difficult, especially with our expert guidance. North Texas Solar will assist in handling the required paperwork and submissions to Oncor so you have no hiccups. We also coordinate the interconnection agreement needed to link your system to the grid. On average we find the approval process takes 30-45 days, but in certain cases it can take longer.
Municipal Permits
Depending on your specific city’s policies, certain solar permits may also be required from your local jurisdiction in addition to Oncor’s approval. But our team smoothly handles any special permitting paperwork as part of our complete turnkey installation service. No extra administrative hassles for you!
We hope this detailed breakdown provides ample confidence in how Oncor’s solar incentives work and how they can accelerate your path to renewable energy savings! Let North Texas Solar’s experts handle the process efficiently start-to-finish. Contact us today to get started!
