Sunprint
The short answer
CoServ bills solar members for all the power it delivers at the normal rate and credits all the power their panels send back at its avoided wholesale cost. In October 2026 that was 8.53 cents per kWh against 11.48 cents to buy, so exported solar earns about 74% of the retail price. That's among the higher export credits in Texas. Members with solar pay a $25 monthly customer charge instead of $15, and CoServ has no solar rebate.
In our estimate, a system sized to a $150 average bill pays for itself in about 19 to 21 years at $3.00 to $3.50 a watt. CoServ serves parts of Collin, Cooke, Denton, Grayson, Tarrant and Wise counties.
How CoServ bills a solar home
Solar members are on CoServ's Distributed Generation (DG) with Buyback rate. The meter counts power in both directions:
- Delivered (DEL): what CoServ supplies when your panels aren't covering the house, billed at your rate.
- Received (REC): what your panels send out when they make more than the house is using, credited at CoServ's avoided cost.
The credit isn't a fixed number. CoServ's tariff says it's set each month from the average wholesale energy and demand costs CoServ avoided because of members' solar over the previous 12 months. It was 8.53 cents in October 2026. Because the average spans a year, it moves more slowly than wholesale prices.
Your solar inverter will show more power than the REC line on the bill. CoServ explains why: your house uses solar first, and only the surplus passes through CoServ's meter. CoServ also has two variations of the buyback rate, with its Solar Savings (100% renewable) and Summer Savings plans.
What changed on February 1, 2023
CoServ billed only the difference between delivered and received power each month. Any month-end surplus went to CoServ for nothing and didn't carry over. That option is closed to new systems.
Every kWh sent to the grid earns a credit at avoided cost, even in months when you send out more than you use, and leftover credit rolls to the next bill. The per-kWh price is lower than retail.
Members connected before February 1, 2023 can stay on net metering or move to buyback by written notice. CoServ says that switch is one way: you can't go back to net metering afterward.
What solar saves on CoServ
| Average monthly bill | System size | Yearly savings | Payback at $3.00 to $3.50 a watt |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 5.1 kW | $550 to $700 | 20 to 22 years |
| $150 | 8.1 kW | $940 to $1,190 | 19 to 21 years |
| $200 | 11.1 kW | $1,330 to $1,670 | 18 to 21 years |
| $250 | 14.1 kW | $1,720 to $2,160 | 18 to 20 years |
Our estimate: panels sized to cover 85% of your use with Fort Worth-area sun (NREL PVWatts), CoServ's October 2026 rate and 8.53-cent buyback, less the extra $10 a month CoServ charges members with solar. Savings range from covering 75% to 95% of use. Payback counts rising prices (capped at 3% a year), 0.5% a year panel wear and no incentives, the method on our is solar worth it page.
Two CoServ numbers to set beside these. Federal data put the average CoServ home at 1,208 kWh and about $166 a month in 2024. And CoServ's own figures for local installs in 2022 were $3,000 to $4,000 per kW, with an average system of 9.8 kW; prices have moved since, so compare with our Texas cost guide. CoServ also says a properly oriented system typically supplies about 40% to 50% of a home's energy needs, which is less than the sizes in this table aim for.
Hail in CoServ country
Hail reports from 2016 to 2025, NOAA's Storm Events Database. Collin, Tarrant and Denton each had more than 100 reports of golf-ball-size hail or larger, the most of any Texas counties.
CoServ's territory sits in the part of Texas that logs the most hail. That doesn't rule out solar, since panels are built and tested for hail, but it makes your home insurance and its wind and hail deductible part of the decision. Our hail guide covers what panels withstand and how Texas insurance handles a claim.
Connecting to CoServ
- Apply before you build. Residential solar systems of 50 kW DC or less can apply online; others use the paper application in CoServ's DG manual.
- Pre-approval. Within 15 days, CoServ pre-approves construction or asks for changes.
- Inspection. When the installation is done, the contractor notifies CoServ, which inspects within 2 to 4 weeks and has the meter reprogrammed to measure both directions.
- Permission to operate. You sign CoServ's Tariff Acknowledgement Agreement and receive a permission to operate (PTO) letter. Running the system before then violates CoServ's tariff and can bring a fine.
CoServ bills the application fee on your next bill; its DG manual lists the amount. Adding panels or a battery later needs a new application and a $150 fee.
Batteries and outages
CoServ has a whole-home battery program, Reliability Plus, in which a CoServ-approved company owns and operates a battery at your home. You stay on the standard rate, CoServ credits the energy the battery uses each month, and solar isn't required. Outages have been short for CoServ members in most years: federal data show an average of under an hour a year from 2020 to 2024, except 2021, when it was 17 hours. Our battery guide covers whether a battery makes sense.
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
What is CoServ's solar buyback rate?
CoServ credits every kWh your panels send to the grid at its avoided wholesale cost, which it sets monthly. In October 2026 it was 8.53 cents per kWh, against a residential rate of 11.48 cents.
Does CoServ still have net metering?
Not for new systems. Net metering closed on February 1, 2023. Members connected before then can keep it or switch to buyback, but CoServ says the switch can't be undone.
Why is the customer charge $25 with solar?
CoServ's tariff adds $10 a month to the customer charge for members with solar systems of 50 kW or less, on top of the $15 standard residential charge. Received energy credits can be applied to it, so a bill can reach $0.
Does CoServ offer solar rebates?
No. CoServ says it decided not to offer a solar rebate program because of the cost of running one, which would be passed on to all members.
How long does CoServ take to approve solar?
CoServ pre-approves construction or asks for changes within 15 days of the application, and inspects within 2 to 4 weeks after the contractor reports the installation is complete. You can turn the system on after receiving the permission to operate letter.
Is solar worth it with CoServ?
In our estimate, a system sized to a $150 monthly bill pays back in about 19 to 21 years at $3.00 to $3.50 a watt, because CoServ credits exported power at about 74% of its retail rate. A lower price per watt shortens it.
Related guides
- Is solar worth it in Texas?
- Solar panels and hail in Texas
- Solar for Pedernales (PEC) members
- Solar for Oncor customers
- How much solar panels cost in Texas
- Solar batteries and Texas outages
CoServ sets its buyback credit monthly, so check the current rate on its rates page. Estimates are ours, not CoServ's. Sources: CoServ: residential rates · CoServ Electric Tariff, effective April 1, 2026 (PDF) · CoServ: solar installations and FAQ · CoServ: how the DG with Buyback bill is calculated · EIA Form 861, 2024 · NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · PVWatts v8, National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL). Reviewed October 2026.
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