The short answer

No one is giving Texas homeowners free solar panels in 2026. The Public Utility Commission of Texas says plainly that "The State of Texas does not offer grants or rebates for installing solar panels." The one program built to put solar on lower-income Texas homes at little or no cost, Texas Solar for All, has been paused since EPA terminated it in August 2025, and its website still said so on October 8, 2026. A court has since ruled the national cancellation unlawful, but the Texas program hasn't restarted.

What you'll see instead are offers with no money down. Those are real products, but you pay for them.

What "free solar" offers really are

Usually: a lease

The company owns the panels

Texas law treats a company that owns panels on your roof as the system's owner. You pay it every month for the length of the lease.

Or: a $0-down loan

You own the panels and the debt

You repay the loan with interest. Berkeley Lab found loan-financed home systems priced well above cash ones nationally in 2024, partly because loan fees get rolled into the price.

Not in Texas: PACE

No property-tax financing for houses

Texas PACE law leaves out residential property with fewer than five units, so nobody can put home solar on your property tax bill.

Either way, the question that matters is what you'll pay in total against what the panels will save you. Our cost guide has real Texas prices, and the calculator below estimates the savings side for your utility.

A small stack of blank glossy flyers and a door hanger on an entry table by a front door

What happened to Texas Solar for All

  1. Awarded$249.7 millionEPA awarded the Texas Solar for All Coalition $249.7 million for solar on low-income homes and in disadvantaged communities. Harris County's share was $54 million.
  2. Aug 7, 2025TerminatedHarris County received EPA's termination letter. The coalition paused the program "until further notice."
  3. Oct 13, 2025Harris County suesThe county filed a federal lawsuit to restore its grant.
  4. Sep 18, 2026Ruled unlawfulA federal judge ruled that EPA unlawfully canceled the $7 billion national program.
  5. Oct 8, 2026Still pausedThe Texas Solar for All website still says the program is paused until further notice.

The program was never statewide or open to everyone. The coalition planned it for low-income and disadvantaged communities, in specific places:

  • Rooftop solar on single-family homes: El Paso County, Harris County, Laredo, Waco and other areas not yet named
  • Community solar: Brownsville, Dallas County, Harris County, Port Arthur, San Antonio and Tarrant County
  • Solar on apartment buildings: San Antonio and other areas not yet named
  • A mixed program: Austin

Harris County says its part alone would have cut household energy costs by about 20%, roughly $400 a year. If the program restarts, the coalition's website is where to check. If a seller says they're enrolling homes in it, verify that there first.

What Texas law now forbids

Texas's residential solar seller law, Occupations Code chapter 1806, took full effect on September 1, 2026. Several parts go straight at "free solar" pitches:

  • No fake affiliations. A seller can't falsely state or imply an affiliation with a utility or a government agency.
  • No misleading statements. False, misleading or deceptive statements, spoken or written, are prohibited.
  • No-soliciting signs count. A seller can't knock at a home with a posted no-soliciting sign unless someone living there tells them to.
  • A licensed electrician installs it. The contract has to say so and name the electrical contractor and license number.
  • Five business days to cancel. You can cancel a purchase or lease in writing, without penalty, until the end of the fifth business day after you sign.
  • Registered sellers only. Since September 1, 2026, sellers must be registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Our Texas solar laws guide covers the rest of chapter 1806.

What's actually available

  • Austin Energy: a $4,000 rebate for eligible home systems. Not free, but real money off.
  • Oncor, CenterPoint and TNMP: incentives paid to participating installers, which only help if they come off your price.
  • Property tax: Texas exempts the value solar adds to your home. See our property tax guide.
  • Community solar, with no panels on your roof: CPS Energy's program is open to all its customers, renters included, and Pedernales Electric Co-op sells members community solar power with no application fee. You pay to take part, but nothing goes on your roof.

Our Texas incentives guide lists each program and its rules.

A front door of a Texas brick home with a small no soliciting sign beside it and a doormat, warm afternoon light, potted plants on the porch
At the door

Ask for the seller's state registration number and the electrician's license number before anything else. Both have to be on a Texas solar contract.

Before you sign anything

  1. Ask whether it's a lease or a loan, and the total you'll pay over the full term.
  2. Ask for the price per watt and compare it with real Texas prices.
  3. Find the cancellation date and address in the contract; the law requires both.
  4. Check what your utility or plan pays for the power you send back. It decides much of what you save.

Our guides show how to check a Texas solar company, how leases and loans compare and how to cancel within five business days.

How it works

Your estimate in three steps

  1. Enter your billYour ZIP code, your utility and last month's bill.
  2. See your estimateA yearly savings range based on your utility's rates and the sun where you live.
  3. Choose what's nextAsk for a quote call if you want real pricing, or just keep the number.

See what solar could save you

It takes about a minute. You don't need a site visit, a commitment or a sales call to see your number.

Check my savings →

Common questions

Can you get free solar panels in Texas?

Not in 2026. The PUCT says Texas offers no grants or rebates for home solar, and the federal Texas Solar for All program, aimed at low-income communities, has been paused since EPA terminated it in August 2025. Offers advertised as free are almost always leases or loans.

Is the Texas Solar for All program still running?

No. EPA terminated it in August 2025, and the coalition's website still said on October 8, 2026 that the program is paused until further notice. A federal judge ruled the national cancellation unlawful on September 18, 2026, but the Texas program hasn't restarted.

Is there a Texas government solar program for homeowners?

No statewide one. The PUCT says the State of Texas does not offer grants or rebates for installing solar panels. Some utilities, such as Austin Energy, Oncor and CenterPoint, run their own incentives.

Is it legal for a solar seller to say they work with my utility?

Only if it's true. Since September 1, 2026, Texas Occupations Code 1806.201 prohibits falsely stating or implying an affiliation with a public utility or government agency when selling home solar.

What does $0-down solar mean in Texas?

Usually a lease, where a company owns the panels and you pay monthly, or a loan, where you own the panels and repay with interest. Texas PACE financing doesn't cover single-family homes.

Can I cancel a solar contract in Texas?

Yes, within the first five business days. Occupations Code 1806.156 lets you cancel a home solar purchase or lease in writing, without penalty, until the end of the fifth business day after you sign.

Program status can change quickly, especially for Texas Solar for All after the September 2026 ruling. Check the coalition's site before relying on this. Not legal advice. Sources: HARC: Texas Solar for All · Texas Solar for All Coalition · Harris County Attorney, October 13, 2025 · SELC on the September 18, 2026 ruling · PUCT: thinking about solar panels for your home? · Occupations Code chapter 1806 · Utilities Code 39.916 · Local Government Code chapter 399 (PACE) · Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2025 data update. Reviewed October 2026.

Next guideTexas solar incentives in 2026 →