Sunprint
The short answer
BTU bills every kWh you take from its grid at the full retail rate and credits every kWh your panels send back at its Power Cost Recovery Charge (PCRC): 3.76 cents in the city of Bryan and 3.81 cents in its rural and College Station areas. Power your home uses as the panels make it still saves the full rate. BTU offers no solar rebate, and says it hasn't considered adding any solar fees.
How the change happened
The Bryan City Council adopts BTU's new rate ordinance, which pays for solar exports at the Power Cost Recovery Charge.
At a special meeting, the council hears from solar customers and sends BTU back for a new proposal.
The council approves transition periods for existing systems, from 12 to 72 months by installation year.
Existing solar customers had to sign BTU's new Distributed Generation Agreement to keep getting credit for exports.
Residential consumption charges fall in all three rate areas under the same ordinance.
BTU's explanation: crediting exports at the full rate also paid solar customers for the lines, substations, meters and billing that the retail rate covers, and shifted those costs to other customers. The PCRC is BTU's average cost of fuel and purchased power, a pass-through charge it reviews every year; BTU notes it's higher than what the same power would earn on the ERCOT wholesale market.
Your transition period
Existing systems keep their old credit for a while after the ordinance takes effect. The newer the system, the longer:
The system has to stay "wholly unaltered from its original state." BTU says replacing failed parts likely keeps you eligible, but replacing whole sections of a system counts as a new installation, with a new application, a new inspection and no transition. New systems start on the PCRC credit right away.
BTU rates, now and Nov 1
| Area | Monthly charge | Consumption, now → Nov 1 | PCRC | TCRC | You pay from Nov 1 | Export credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Bryan | $11.00 | 5.05¢ → 4.42¢ | 3.76¢ | 2.16¢ | 10.34¢ | 3.76¢ |
| Rural | $12.00 | 6.15¢ → 5.38¢ | 3.81¢ | 1.89¢ | 11.08¢ | 3.81¢ |
| College Station | $11.00 | 5.51¢ → 4.85¢ | 3.81¢ | 1.61¢ | 10.27¢ | 3.81¢ |
From Ordinance 2788 and BTU's June 2026 residential rate sheets. College Station bills also carry a 5% franchise fee. The PCRC and TCRC can change during the year.
BTU's own bill example
BTU's examples use the city rates before November 1. Its point: the credit is lower than your solar app's production total, because BTU only credits what leaves through the meter. Everything your home used as it was made never shows up on the bill at all.
Savings and payback
Here's what our calculator works out for a home in the city of Bryan, with the rates from November 1, 2026, the $11 charge, exports at the PCRC and NREL's sun data for Central Texas:
| Average monthly bill | Yearly use (kWh) | System to cover 75% to 95% | Yearly savings | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 10,329 | 5.3 to 6.7 kW | $546 to $640 | 26 to 29 years |
| $150 | 16,132 | 8.3 to 10.5 kW | $853 to $1,000 | 26 to 29 years |
| $200 | 21,934 | 11.3 to 14.3 kW | $1,160 to $1,359 | 26 to 29 years |
| $250 | 27,737 | 14.3 to 18.1 kW | $1,467 to $1,719 | 26 to 29 years |
| $300 | 33,540 | 17.3 to 21.9 kW | $1,773 to $2,079 | 26 to 29 years |
Payback assumes $3.00 to $3.50 a watt for a system covering 85% of use, rates rising 1.9% a year (BTU's recent pace) and panels losing 0.5% a year. No incentives: BTU has none and the federal credit ended for home systems finished after 2025.
Those are long paybacks: BTU's rates are low for Texas, and more than half of a typical system's output goes to the grid at the PCRC. A smaller system sized to your daytime use, or a battery, keeps more of each kWh at the full rate.
New and existing systems
- New system. Apply for a permit and sign BTU's Distributed Generation Agreement; systems of 50 kW AC or less use the standard agreement. You pay for any BTU equipment needed to connect it.
- Existing system. If you missed the August 21, 2026 deadline for the new agreement, your system still runs and powers your home, but exports don't earn credit until you sign.
- Buying a home with solar. The agreement is with the customer, not the house, so a new owner has to sign one.
- Just want green power? BTU's RENEWability rate supplies 100% renewable power for slightly under a penny more per kWh.
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
Does BTU still have net metering?
Not for new systems. Under the ordinance approved in 2026, BTU bills all power taken from the grid at the retail rate and credits power sent to the grid at its Power Cost Recovery Charge. Existing systems keep the old credit through a transition period of 12 to 72 months, depending on installation year.
How much does BTU pay for solar power sent to the grid?
Its Power Cost Recovery Charge: 3.76 cents per kWh in the city of Bryan and 3.81 cents in its rural and College Station areas on BTU's June 2026 rate sheets. The charge is reviewed every year.
How long is the BTU solar transition period?
72 months for systems installed in 2026, 60 for 2025, 48 for 2024, 36 for 2023, 24 for 2022 and 12 for 2021 or earlier, counted from the ordinance's effective date. The system must stay unaltered from its original state.
Does BTU offer solar rebates?
No. BTU says it offers no local incentives or rebates for solar, and the federal credit ended for home systems finished after 2025.
Do I have to sign a new agreement with BTU?
Existing solar customers had to sign BTU's new Distributed Generation Agreement by August 21, 2026 to keep receiving credit for exports. Without it, the system still powers the home but exports earn no credit.
How long does solar take to pay back with BTU?
In our estimate, 26 to 29 years for a new system at $3.00 to $3.50 a watt covering 85% of a home's use in the city of Bryan.
Related guides
- Texas solar buyback plans
- Solar batteries and Texas power outages
- Selling or buying a Texas home with solar
- How many solar panels you need in Texas
- Is solar worth it in Texas?
- Solar for Entergy Texas customers
Savings are our calculator's estimate, not BTU's. BTU's charges change; check its current rate sheets before you sign. Sources: BTU: distributed generation customer resources · BTU: solar resources · City of Bryan: Ordinance 2788, BTU electric rates (PDF) · BTU: City residential rate, June 2026 (PDF) · BTU: Rural residential rate, June 2026 (PDF) · BTU: College Station residential rate, June 2026 (PDF) · NREL PVWatts. Reviewed October 2026.
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