Oncor Solar Rebate Program — Take A Load Off Texas Explained

**IMPORTANT NOTE** The Oncor incentive program is re-assessed annually and subject to change. This has been updated for 2026.

The Oncor Take A Load Off Texas program is one of the most substantial financial incentives available to Dallas-Fort Worth homeowners who install solar paired with battery storage. North Texas Solar has been working within this program for years, and we handle the application paperwork as part of our installation service.

If you’re considering solar plus battery storage for your home, this page explains how the program works, what you need to qualify, and how the payouts come through. Have questions about your specific home or want to know what you’d likely receive? Contact us for a free consultation.

Now, let’s explore some key details surrounding Oncor incentives:

What is the Oncor Take A Load Off Texas Program?

Oncor is the largest electric transmission and distribution company in Texas, serving most of Dallas-Fort Worth. The Take A Load Off Texas program is Oncor’s residential incentive program that pays for solar-plus-storage installations in their service territory.

The rationale: every home that generates and stores its own power reduces the load Oncor has to manage on the grid. Distributed solar with battery storage helps Oncor balance supply and demand, defer expensive infrastructure upgrades, and improve grid reliability during peak-demand events — like the August heat waves and the winter cold snaps that have stressed the Texas grid in recent years.

For the homeowner, the program turns into a meaningful reduction in the upfront cost of going solar — alongside the federal solar tax credit (for systems financed through a lease or PPA), other utility incentives, and the long-term electric bill savings that solar provides.

Is it a “Rebate” or an “Incentive”?

Most people searching online use the word “rebate,” and the program is widely referred to as the Oncor solar rebate. We use both terms on this page because that’s how customers talk about it, but there’s an important technical distinction worth understanding before you start working with any solar installer.

Oncor’s Take a Load Off Texas program is an installer incentive, and payment goes to the solar installer, not directly to the homeowner. Officially, it’s an incentive paid to qualified installers (like North Texas Solar) who design and install solar-plus-storage systems that meet Oncor’s program specifications. The installer then passes the value of that incentive along to the customer — in the form of reduced project pricing, a credit applied to your contract, or a separate payment arrangement.

How much of the incentive gets passed along to the customer depends on the installer. Some installers absorb a portion to cover their administrative costs; others pass through the full amount.

At North Texas Solar, we’re transparent during your consultation about how the program payout affects your specific project pricing. If you’ve been quoted by other installers, this is one area to ask pointed questions: how much of the Oncor incentive are they actually applying to your project, and how is it reflected in the contract?

How Much Money Can You Receive?

The Oncor incentive amount isn’t a flat dollar figure per Powerwall or per kilowatt of solar. The calculation depends on several factors:

• Solar system size and expected production. Larger systems with higher annual production qualify for larger incentive amounts.
• Panel orientation. South-facing arrays typically produce more annual energy than east-, west-, or north-facing arrays, and the incentive math reflects that.
• Battery storage configuration. The size, capability, and configuration of your battery system factor in.
• Oncor’s current program parameters. The incentive structure can be updated by Oncor between program years, and the available budget changes annually.

For a typical Dallas-Fort Worth residential solar-plus-storage installation, the incentive can be one of the larger single benefits available — comparable to or exceeding many other incentives in the project. The exact amount for your home, though, is something we calculate during the design phase, once we’ve sized your system based on your usage history, your roof, and your goals.

We’ll always walk you through the expected incentive amount and how it affects your project pricing before you sign anything.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Take A Load Off Texas program, your home and project need to meet several requirements:

Located in Oncor’s service territory. Most of Dallas-Fort Worth is in Oncor’s service area, including Dallas, Fort Worth, Denton, Arlington, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and surrounding cities. If you receive your electric service through a different transmission and distribution utility — such as CoServ, Tri-County Electric Cooperative, or Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative (GCEC) — this specific program doesn’t apply, though other incentives may be available. Note that your retail electric provider (TXU, Reliant, Green Mountain, etc.) doesn’t affect Oncor eligibility — Oncor is the underlying utility for everyone in their service territory regardless of which retail company sends your bill.

New solar installation. The solar system must be new — the program doesn’t apply to systems already installed.

Solar paired with battery storage. The program applies to solar only installations, and solar with battery back-up. The solar plus storage option is more heavily incentivized, but both will qualify.

System size within program limits. Solar systems must be sized between 3 kilowatts (kW) and 15 kW DC. The specific size for your home depends on your historical electricity usage, which we determine during a complimentary site evaluation.

Grid-connected system. All solar systems in this program must be tied into the public grid. With the solar only option, if the grid goes down in your area, your solar generation will also pause (this is for the safety of utility line workers). The combination solar plus battery back-up option, however, will keep your home powered during outages — that’s one of the major benefits of pairing solar with storage.

Properly designed and commissioned. The system must meet Oncor’s technical and design specifications, be installed by a qualified installer, and pass commissioning. North Texas Solar handles all of this as part of our installation service.

How North Texas Solar Handles the Application

The Oncor application process isn’t difficult for the homeowner because we handle it for you. Here’s what’s involved on the back end:

1. Design submission. Before installation begins, we submit your system design to Oncor for pre-approval. This includes solar array sizing, battery specifications, expected production calculations, and the interconnection plan.

2. Interconnection agreement. We file the interconnection paperwork so your system can connect to Oncor’s grid once installed.

3. Municipal permits. Depending on your city, separate solar and electrical permits may be required from local authorities. We pull these and handle inspections.

4. Installation and commissioning. Once permits are issued and the design is approved, our in-house crew handles the installation. After install, we commission the system to Oncor’s specs and submit final documentation.

5. Permission to Operate (PTO). Oncor issues PTO once they’ve verified everything is installed and commissioned correctly. At that point your system is officially active and the incentive payout process is in motion.

The typical timeline from signed contract to PTO is four to eight weeks, depending on Oncor’s current processing volume, your city’s permitting speed, and any HOA approvals required.

Frequently Asked Questions  

How much can I receive from the Oncor Take A Load Off Texas program? The amount varies based on your solar system size, panel orientation, expected production, battery configuration, and Oncor’s current program parameters. We calculate the expected amount for your specific design during your consultation and apply it to your project pricing transparently.

Do I have to live in Oncor’s service area to qualify? Yes. The program is exclusive to Oncor’s service territory, which covers most of Dallas-Fort Worth. If you’re served by another utility, ask about other available incentives — Texas has multiple utility-specific programs, and we can advise on what’s available in your area.

Do I need both solar and battery storage to qualify? No. The program applies to both solar only and solar paired with battery storage. Solar-only systems, however, are not as heavily incentivized.

What’s the difference between the Oncor incentive and the federal solar tax credit? They’re separate benefits and can stack. The Oncor Take A Load Off Texas program is a Texas-specific utility incentive paid to your installer. The federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is a federal tax credit — and as of 2026, it’s only available to commercial buyers, including third-party financing companies. Homeowners who finance through a lease or PPA can access the ITC’s value through their financing partner; homeowners who purchase outright cannot claim the federal credit directly. We’ll explain how both work for your specific project.

Can I apply if I already have solar but want to add battery storage? This depends on Oncor’s current program rules and the condition of your existing solar system. In some cases, adding battery storage to an existing solar system can qualify if it meets program specs. In other cases, the program requires both systems to be new. We’ll evaluate your specific situation during your consultation.

Which batteries qualify for the Oncor incentive? Multiple battery brands meet Oncor’s storage specifications. We install Tesla Powerwall 3, Enphase IQ Battery, EG4, Sol-Ark, and other approved systems as part of qualifying Take A Load Off Texas projects. The right battery for your home depends on your solar setup, your usage, your goals, and your budget — we’ll walk you through the options during your consultation. Learn more about our Tesla Powerwall 3 installation service.

How long does the Oncor application process take? The application and pre-approval phase typically runs alongside permitting and takes 30 to 60 days. The total project timeline from signed contract to system live (PTO) is typically four to eight weeks.

What if my home is served by CoServ, Tri-County, GCEC, or another utility instead of Oncor? The Take A Load Off Texas program is specific to Oncor’s service territory. If you’re served by a different transmission and distribution utility — such as CoServ, Tri-County Electric Cooperative, or Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative — this particular program doesn’t apply, though other incentives may be available depending on your utility. Note that your retail electric provider (TXU, Reliant, Green Mountain, etc.) doesn’t affect Oncor eligibility — Oncor is the wires utility for everyone in their service territory regardless of which retail company bills you.

Does the incentive apply to off-grid solar systems? No. The Take A Load Off Texas program requires a grid-tied system. If you’re going fully off-grid, the program isn’t a fit — but there are other reasons to go off-grid in Texas, and we’d be glad to discuss them.

 

Get Started With Your Oncor Solar Project

If you’re a homeowner in Oncor’s service area considering solar with battery storage, we’d be glad to walk you through what the Take A Load Off Texas program looks like for your specific home. The consultation is free, there’s no pressure, and you’ll leave with real numbers and a clear picture of what to expect.

Call us at (940) 387-2716 or request a free quote online.

We serve homeowners across Dallas-Fort Worth including Fort Worth, Dallas, Denton, Arlington, Keller, Southlake, Grapevine, Frisco, McKinney, Plano, and surrounding cities — most of which fall within Oncor’s service territory.