The short answer

CPS Energy subtracts the solar power you send to the grid from the power you take from it each month, and bills you only for the difference at its normal rates. Only when the panels out-produce your use for a whole month does the rate drop: the leftover is credited at 1.65 cents per kWh (2.02 cents June to September). For a system sized to your use, most of what it makes saves the full price. CPS has no residential solar rebate at the moment.

How CPS bills a solar home

A solar home gets a meter with two registers. Register 9 counts the power CPS delivers to you; register 10 counts the surplus your panels send back. CPS's own billing guide uses this example from spring 2024:

CPS Energy's example solar billBilling period March 26 to April 25, 2024
9Delivered by CPS Energy: 1,511 kWhEverything the house pulled from the grid, mostly at night and on cloudy days.
10Surplus sent back: 968 kWhSolar the house didn't use as it was made.
=Billed: 543 kWhThe surplus comes straight off what was delivered, so each exported kWh is worth the full rate.
$$9.50 service charge + 543 kWh × (7.503¢ energy + 2.682¢ fuel + 1.494¢ regulatory) = $72.91The fuel adjustment changes every month and the regulatory adjustment every year, so today's rates differ.

The solar the house used directly never shows up at all; the bill only sees what crossed the meter. That's why CPS customers see a smaller net use rather than a solar credit line, except in months when the panels win.

When the panels make more than you use

If register 10 tops register 9 for the month, your net use goes negative and CPS credits the difference at its net excess generation rate: 1.65 cents per kWh from October to May and 2.02 cents from June to September. The credit lands on next month's bill, can't exceed that bill's total, and any balance carries forward.

Close-up of black solar panels on a terracotta clay tile roof in bright Texas sun, with a deep blue sky
Size to your use

A kWh that offsets your use is worth the full rate. A month-end leftover is worth 1.65 to 2.02 cents.

In our model of 200 Texas homes built from NREL data, a system sized to 85% of a home's yearly use leaves about 8% of its output as month-end leftovers, mostly in spring and fall when air conditioning is light. Push the system past your yearly use and that share climbs quickly.

What a monthly CPS Energy bill needs

Here's what our calculator works out for an average month at each bill size, with CPS's rates, NREL's sun data for San Antonio and CPS's monthly netting:

Average monthly billYearly use (kWh)System to cover 75% to 95%Yearly savings
$1008,7004.6 to 5.8 kW$780 to $930
$15013,6007.1 to 9.0 kW$1,220 to $1,440
$20018,4009.6 to 12.2 kW$1,650 to $1,950
$25023,20012.2 to 15.4 kW$2,080 to $2,460
$30028,00014.7 to 18.6 kW$2,510 to $2,970

Yearly use backs out a $9.50 service charge and divides by CPS's 2024 average residential price of 12.4¢ per kWh (federal EIA data). Systems produce 1,431 kWh per kW a year (PVWatts for a south-facing roof in San Antonio, less 5%). Month-end leftovers, 5% to 12% of output, earn 1.65¢.

CPS's own page puts the savings of an average 6 kW system at about $90 a month. Our model lands close, at about $83 a month for a 6 kW system that covers about 85% of a home's yearly use. CPS also says solar in its territory cost an average of $3.80 per watt in 2023, or about $22,800 for 6 kW before any incentive.

Rebates and CPS solar programs

  • Rooftop rebate: none right now. CPS says it "does not currently offer rebates for residential solar installations."
  • SolarHost: closed. CPS's 2015 pilot, where a partner owned panels on customers' roofs in exchange for bill credits, is fully subscribed.
  • Community solar: open. CPS is enrolling customers in Big Sun Solar, which it says will build up to 50 MW of new solar in 2026. You buy anything from one panel up to enough to cover your average yearly use and get bill credits for what they produce. Renters can join.
  • Property tax: Texas exempts the value rooftop solar adds to your home. See our property tax exemption guide.

CPS also points customers to Bring Solar Home, a free technical assistance program from Build San Antonio Green, for help deciding whether solar fits.

Connecting to CPS Energy

  1. ApplicationYour contractor sends CPS the registration form, interconnection application, drawings, an annual savings report and your signed disclosure form and contract.
  2. ReviewAbout 7 to 10 business days. Systems over 25 kW need engineered drawings and can take up to 30.
  3. ApprovalCPS stamps the drawings and application. Installation shouldn't start before this, or before the city permit.
  4. Install and permitsElectrical permits and, where required, a final city inspection, such as the City of San Antonio's.
  5. CommissioningOnce permits pass, the contractor asks CPS for final commissioning. CPS asks for 5 to 10 business days to schedule it.

CPS's own advice before you start: the roof should be 10 years old or newer and face southwest, south or southeast, and the system should be added to your homeowner's insurance for its full replacement cost.

Before you sign

CPS's process sheet mentions a 72-hour right to cancel. Texas law is now more generous: since September 1, 2025, 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. Since September 1, 2026, the seller also has to be registered with the state. Our Texas solar laws guide has the details.

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.

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Common questions

Does CPS Energy have net metering?

Yes, in effect. CPS subtracts the solar power you send back from the power it delivers each month and bills the difference at its normal rates. If you send back more than you use in a month, the leftover is credited at 1.65 cents per kWh (2.02 cents June to September).

Does CPS Energy offer a solar rebate in 2026?

Not for homes right now. CPS says it does not currently offer rebates for residential solar installations. Texas exempts the value solar adds to your home from property tax.

What does CPS pay for extra solar power?

Only month-end leftovers are paid separately: 1.65 cents per kWh from October to May and 2.02 cents from June to September, as a credit on the next bill that can't exceed that bill and carries forward.

How long does CPS take to approve solar?

CPS says its review takes about 7 to 10 business days once it has a complete application, or up to 30 business days for systems over 25 kW. After installation and permits, it asks for 5 to 10 business days to schedule final commissioning.

Can renters get solar with CPS Energy?

Through community solar, yes. CPS says its Big Sun Solar community program is open to all customers, including renters, who can buy as little as one panel in a shared solar facility and get bill credits.

How much does solar cost in San Antonio?

CPS Energy says the average cost of solar in its territory in 2023 was $3.80 per watt, about $22,800 for a 6 kW system before incentives. Prices vary by installer and roof, and the federal tax credit no longer applies to systems finished after 2025.

CPS Energy's charges and credit rates change; its fuel adjustment changes monthly. Check CPS Energy's current solar pages before relying on a figure. Sources: CPS Energy: Solar Billing Facts · CPS Energy: residential customer-owned solar · CPS Energy: residential solar process · CPS Energy: community solar · CPS Energy: hosted solar · Occupations Code chapter 1806 · EIA Form 861 · PVWatts v8, National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL). Reviewed October 2026.

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