Solar for GVEC Members: Buyback, Fees and Payback (2026)

The short answer

Under its tariff and its 2025 interconnection agreement, GVEC buys the excess power from a member's solar at its current Delivery Charge plus its Generation and Transmission (G&T) charge and credits it to the member's account. Those two charges are the per-kWh part of the bill you pay, so a kWh you send out is worth about what a kWh you use is worth. Only the $25 monthly service availability charge stays put.

$150 bill$1,275Typical first-year savings in our estimate

Payback15 to 17 yrsAt $3.00 to $3.50 a watt, the same for every bill size

GVEC fees$150To connect a new system; $50 to transfer one

A stone and brick home with rooftop solar panels among pecan trees in the Guadalupe River valley near Seguin, Texas

How GVEC values your solar

Solar used at home as it's madeSkips both per-kWh chargesYou don't buy that kWh, so you save the 2.3818¢ delivery charge plus the G&T charge.

Solar you send to GVECEarns both per-kWh chargesGVEC credits it at its current delivery charge plus the G&T charge, on your account.

Service availability$25 a month either wayA fixed charge on every G-1 meter; solar credits are per kWh and don't count toward it in our estimate.

Compare that with most of Texas. In the Dallas and Houston areas, your retail plan sets the buyback and some plans pay nothing; Entergy Texas credits exports at under 4 cents; PEC's credit only pays down its base power charge. With GVEC, a system that sends half its output to the grid still earns close to full value on that half. Our buyback guide compares the Texas deals.

The G&T charge moves with GVEC's power costs, which it passes to members without markup. GVEC's board cut it from 6.4 to 5.9 cents in 2020 and raised it from 8.1 to 8.5 cents in April 2023. When it rises, both your bill and your solar credit rise with it.

What a GVEC bill needs

Here's what our calculator works out for an average month at each bill size, with GVEC's 2025 average price from federal EIA data, its $25 charge, exports credited at the per-kWh price, and NREL's sun data for the San Antonio area:

Average monthly bill	Yearly use (kWh)	System to cover 75% to 95%	Yearly savings	Payback
$100	7,608	4.0 to 5.1 kW	$675 to $855	15 to 17 years
$150	12,680	6.6 to 8.4 kW	$1,125 to $1,425	15 to 17 years
$200	17,751	9.3 to 11.8 kW	$1,575 to $1,995	15 to 17 years
$250	22,823	12.0 to 15.2 kW	$2,025 to $2,565	15 to 17 years
$300	27,895	14.6 to 18.5 kW	$2,475 to $3,135	15 to 17 years

Payback assumes $3.00 to $3.50 a watt for a system covering 85% of use, rates rising 3% a year (GVEC's recent pace, capped at 3%) and panels losing 0.5% a year. No incentives: the federal credit ended for home systems finished after 2025.

Getting connected

120+ days before work startsApply with the $150 feeGVEC's tariff asks for the application and fee at least 120 days before construction, for systems up to 50 kW.
Before it's connectedSign the interconnection agreementGVEC's solar and battery agreement covers systems with an output up to 50 kW.
The buildA licensed contractor installs itThe agreement makes you responsible for hiring a licensed contractor to design, install, maintain and inspect the system to the National Electrical Code.
30+ days before turning it onTell GVEC in writingGVEC may inspect and test the protective equipment first.
MetersGVEC sets the meteringA dual register meter, plus PV and battery monitoring meters where they apply. A separate meter, when needed, is installed at GVEC's expense.

A row of electric meters and a disconnect switch on the stone side wall of a South Texas home, conduit running up to rooftop solar panels

Buying a house with solar?

A GVEC system is tied to an agreement with the member. A new owner signs a new one, and GVEC's fee for a renewable rate change or transfer is $50.

Batteries and time-of-use

GVEC's agreement covers solar, a battery, or both. Its tariff lets interconnected members pay the G&T charge either at the fixed rate or on GVEC's time-of-use rate, and GVEC says time-of-use "provides even more savings for members who have a battery storage system paired with their solar". The idea: charge the battery from your panels, then use it during the expensive peak hours. Time-of-use requires a signed interconnection agreement, and its rates change just as the standard G&T rate does. Our battery guide covers costs and outages.

The fine print

Size limit. The standard agreement and its fees cover systems up to 50 kW of output, far bigger than a home needs.
Renewable energy credits. Unless you claim them, GVEC may claim the renewable energy credits your system earns and register it with the state's grid bodies.
Ending the agreement. You can end it with 30 days' written notice. The agreement also says GVEC may end it for any reason at any time, and then the system has to be disconnected. Read that clause before you buy.
Rates can change. GVEC's board sets the G&T charge and can adjust it; the buyback follows the tariff in force, not the day you signed.

No roof for panels? SunHub community solar

GVEC's SunHub Generation Station, a 2-megawatt array of 6,500 panels on Highway 90A between Seguin and Gonzales, came online in December 2017. Members can buy one to five blocks of its solar energy a month, 100 kWh per block, with no sign-up fee, no long-term contract and no cancellation fee. GVEC lists the SunHub G&T rate at 5.9 cents per kWh ($5.90 per block), reviewed each year. It doesn't lower your bill the way your own panels do, but it's a way to buy solar power without a roof.

How it works

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Common questions

Does GVEC buy back solar power?

Yes. Under its tariff and its 2025 interconnection agreement, GVEC buys a member's excess solar power at its current Delivery Charge plus its Generation and Transmission charge and credits it to the member's account.

Does GVEC have net metering?

Not by that name, but the effect is close: GVEC pays for exported solar at the same per-kWh charges it bills for power you use (delivery plus generation and transmission). The $25 monthly service availability charge isn't offset.

How much does GVEC charge to connect solar?

GVEC's agreement lists $150 for a new installation and $50 for a renewable rate change or transfer, for systems up to 50 kW. Its tariff asks for the application at least 120 days before construction.

Can I install solar myself as a GVEC member?

GVEC's interconnection agreement makes the member responsible for hiring a licensed contractor to design, install, maintain and inspect the system to the National Electrical Code.

How long does solar take to pay back on GVEC?

In our estimate, 15 to 17 years at $3.00 to $3.50 a watt for a system covering 85% of a home's use, about the same at any bill size because exports earn close to full value.

What is GVEC SunHub?

GVEC's community solar program. Members buy one to five 100 kWh blocks a month from its 2-megawatt solar station between Seguin and Gonzales, with no sign-up fee, contract or cancellation fee. GVEC lists the SunHub G&T rate at 5.9 cents per kWh.

Savings are our calculator's estimate, not GVEC's. GVEC's charges change; check its current tariff and agreement before you sign. Sources: GVEC: Tariff for Electric Service, effective November 1, 2025 (PDF) · GVEC: DG interconnection agreement, solar and/or battery (PDF) · GVEC: interconnection agreement · GVEC: cost of power adjustment, April 2023 · GVEC: rate adjustment, November 2020 · GVEC: time of use billing · GVEC: SunHub community solar · U.S. EIA: utility sales and revenue data · NREL PVWatts. Reviewed October 2026.

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