Sunprint
The short answer
Solar panels alone won't keep your power on in an outage. You need a battery, and it only covers what it can store: the typical home battery in 2024 held 13.5 kWh, about six and a half hours of an average Texas home's use in August. In a normal year, customers of Texas's largest utilities average a few hours or less without power. The long outages come from big storms, and that's when a battery earns its keep.
The cost is real: Berkeley Lab found systems with a battery cost a median $1.70 per watt more than solar alone in 2024, about $15,300 on a 9 kW system. The 30% federal credit that used to cover batteries ended for systems finished after 2025. Austin Energy and CPS Energy pay battery owners to share their stored power on peak days.
Why solar alone shuts off in an outage
The U.S. Department of Energy puts it simply: under current interconnection standards, most home solar systems have to be connected to the grid to provide power, "so if a storm or a cyberattack disrupts the grid, your power gets disrupted too." A battery, or a generator, can bring your solar power back online during an outage.
Texas's own solar disclosure form says the same in its battery line: without battery storage, a system's ability to provide electricity during an outage may be limited. If backup is why you want solar, check item 9 of that form, and ask exactly which circuits the battery will power.
How often Texas loses power
Every utility reports to the federal government how long its average customer went without power each year. Here are the hours, including major storms, for Texas's largest utilities:
Average hours without power per customer, 2020 to 2024
Includes major event days. Bars share one scale up to 72 hours; the worst year above 10 hours is in orange. Utilities measure and report outages in different ways, so compare a utility's years with each other more than one utility with another. Source: EIA Form 861 reliability data.
The pattern is clear. Leave out major event days and every one of these utilities averaged about six hours or less a year, most under three. The big numbers come from single events:
- February 2021: the winter storm forced the largest ordered power cut in U.S. history, 23,418 megawatts of load shed, according to federal energy regulators' staff report. Austin Energy customers averaged 32 hours without power that year, and CenterPoint customers 39.
- 2023: Austin Energy customers averaged 54 hours.
- 2024: CenterPoint customers averaged 72 hours, TNMP customers 32 and Entergy Texas customers 29.
So the case for a battery in Texas rests less on everyday blips than on the rare long outage, and on how much one would cost you, in spoiled food, a hotel or a medical device that needs power.
What a battery can actually run
Berkeley Lab found the typical home battery installed in 2024 stored 13.5 kWh, with most between 10 and 20 kWh. Texas homes use a lot of power, especially in summer:
Daily use from EIA's monthly averages for Texas homes in 2025. Battery size is Berkeley Lab's 2024 median.
At the average August rate, 13.5 kWh lasts about six and a half hours. At April's rate, almost 12. That's why most battery systems back up chosen circuits, such as the refrigerator, lights, outlets and internet, rather than the whole house. Running a whole Texas home through a summer day takes several batteries' worth of storage.
A battery also has a power limit: how much it can deliver at once. Berkeley Lab found home batteries' power in kilowatts was typically about equal to the solar system's, with about two hours of storage at full output.
What a battery costs, and who pays you
Berkeley Lab found home systems with a battery cost a median $1.70 per watt of solar more than solar alone in 2024, paid in cash. On a 9 kW system, that's about $15,300. Most of that pricing data comes from California, where batteries are far more common. Outside California, only 5% of new home solar systems came with a battery in 2023, and 8% in 2024.
The 30% federal tax credit used to cover batteries too, but the IRS says it no longer applies to systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. What's left in Texas comes from utilities:
Power Partner Battery pays a $500 rebate per battery and $75 per kilowatt each year. Austin Energy's example, a 13.5 kWh battery with a 20% reserve, earns about $324 a year. Up to 40 events a year, outside grid emergencies, never below your backup reserve. Leased batteries don't qualify.
Battery Rewards, open year round to customers who own their battery, pays a $10 bill credit each time you join an event.
Oncor's 2026 solar program has an option with battery storage. It pays participating installers, through November 30, 2026 or until the money runs out.
A battery can also stretch your savings. The PUCT notes that what you're paid for power you send back is usually lower than the retail price you pay, so storing your own solar to use in the evening can be worth more than exporting it. How much depends on your plan; see our buyback guide.
Battery or generator?
| Portable or backup generator | Battery | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Lowest | Higher |
| Noise and fumes | Can be noisy and smelly, and could release carbon monoxide into your home | Quiet and odorless |
| Sizing | — | Easily scaled to what you need |
| Everyday use | — | Can also lower monthly bills |
From the U.S. Department of Energy's comparison of backup options.
Before you buy a battery
- Ask which circuits it backs up, and for how long at your summer use.
- Ask whether the panels keep charging the battery during an outage.
- Check item 9 (battery included) and item 11 (its itemized cost) on TDLR's disclosure form.
- If you're with Austin Energy and want the Power Partner payments, buy rather than lease: leased batteries aren't eligible.
- Weigh it against your outage history: the chart above shows your utility's last five years.
Your estimate in three steps
- Enter your billYour ZIP code, your utility and last month's bill.
- See your estimateA yearly savings range based on your utility's rates and the sun where you live.
- 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.
Common questions
Do solar panels work during a power outage in Texas?
Not on their own. The U.S. Department of Energy says most home solar systems have to be connected to the grid to provide power, so when the grid goes down, your power does too. A battery or a generator can bring your solar power back online during an outage.
How long will a home battery last in a Texas outage?
It depends on the battery and what you run. The typical home battery installed in 2024 stored 13.5 kWh, according to Berkeley Lab. At the average Texas home's August use in 2025, about 49 kWh a day, that's about six and a half hours; most systems back up chosen circuits to stretch it.
How much does a solar battery cost in Texas?
Berkeley Lab found home systems with a battery cost a median $1.70 per watt of solar more than solar alone in 2024, paid in cash, about $15,300 on a 9 kW system. Most of that pricing data is from California.
Are there battery incentives in Texas?
A few from utilities. Austin Energy pays a $500 rebate per battery and $75 per kilowatt a year through Power Partner Battery, about $324 a year in its example. CPS Energy pays a $10 bill credit per event, and Oncor's 2026 solar program has a battery option paid to installers. The 30% federal credit ended for systems placed in service after 2025.
How often does the power go out in Texas?
In a normal year, not long. Federal data show that, leaving out major storms, Texas's largest utilities averaged about six hours or less without power per customer from 2020 to 2024, most under three. Major storms change that: CenterPoint customers averaged 72 hours in 2024.
Is a battery better than a generator?
It depends on what you value. The Department of Energy says generators are the least expensive backup but can be noisy, smelly and release carbon monoxide; batteries are quiet, odorless, easy to size and can also lower monthly bills.
Related guides
- Is solar worth it in Texas?
- How much solar panels cost in Texas
- Solar for CenterPoint customers
- Solar for Austin Energy customers
- Texas solar buyback plans
- Solar panels and hail in Texas
Outage hours are utility-reported averages; your own outages can be shorter or much longer. Incentive programs have limited funding and can change. Sources: U.S. Department of Energy: the road to resilience with rooftop solar · EIA Form 861 reliability data, 2020 to 2024 · FERC: February 2021 cold weather outages (PDF) · EIA Form 861M · Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2025 data update · Austin Energy: Power Partner Battery · CPS Energy: Battery Rewards · Oncor: residential solar program · TDLR Consumer Disclosure Statement (PDF) · PUCT: thinking about solar panels for your home? · IRS FAQs on the 2025 changes to section 25D. Reviewed October 2026.
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