Sunprint
The short answer
Tri-County bills every kWh you take from the grid at its normal residential rates and credits every kWh your panels send back at its avoided cost, which TCEC defines as the base power cost in its energy charge plus that month's Power Cost Recovery Factor (PCRF). Power used at home as it's made saves the full rate.
The buyback rate, month by month
TCEC posts its avoided cost for every billing month. Since July 2023, the first month on its table, it has run from 8.5 to 10.5 cents a kWh:
Tri-County's buyback rate for exported solar
Avoided cost in cents per kWh, by billing month, as posted by TCEC
Base power cost was 12 cents until bills mailed in April 2025 and 10.5 cents since; the PCRF moves the credit up or down each month. October to December 2026 are TCEC's posted figures.
The low points fall in June to September, when summer PCRF credits are largest. Those are also the months panels produce the most, so in 2024 and 2025 a large share of a year's exports earned the lowest rate. In 2026 the summer credit was 10 cents.
What you pay vs. what you're paid
A kWh you buy from Tri-County carries three per-kWh charges. A kWh you sell back earns only one of them:
The PCRF (between −0.5¢ and 0¢ in 2026) applies to both. TCEC's rate notice and bill guide; the Brazos Financing Rider is re-evaluated every six months.
So each kWh you export earns about two-thirds of what a kWh you buy costs. That's a much smaller gap than at utilities that pay 3 or 4 cents, but it still means a kWh your home uses as it's made is worth more than one sent out.
The $30 minimum and your credits
- $30 a month, whatever the panels make. Every solar bill carries the $18 customer charge and a $12 distributed generation charge, and export credits can't pay either one. TCEC says the rates and minimums came from a third-party cost-of-service study.
- Credits bank, then pay out once a year. Export credits not used against your purchased energy carry forward. TCEC reconciles solar accounts each March and pays unused credits by check once a year, or when you close the account.
- Older systems keep the old plan. Systems installed before March 1, 2024 stay on TCEC's grandfathered plan unless they're changed in a major way. That status now runs until March 1, 2044.
Savings and payback
Here's what our calculator works out for an average month at each bill size, with TCEC's 14.425¢ energy charge plus the 1.2¢ Brazos rider and its 2026 average PCRF, the $18 customer charge, exports at the 2026 average buyback, the $12 solar charge subtracted and NREL's sun data for the Fort Worth area:
| Average monthly bill | Yearly use (kWh) | System to cover 75% to 95% | Yearly savings | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 6,419 | 3.3 to 4.1 kW | $471 to $610 | 18 to 20 years |
| $150 | 10,333 | 5.2 to 6.6 kW | $846 to $1,069 | 16 to 18 years |
| $200 | 14,247 | 7.2 to 9.2 kW | $1,220 to $1,529 | 16 to 18 years |
| $250 | 18,160 | 9.2 to 11.7 kW | $1,595 to $1,988 | 15 to 17 years |
| $300 | 22,074 | 11.2 to 14.2 kW | $1,970 to $2,448 | 15 to 17 years |
Payback assumes $3.00 to $3.50 a watt for a system covering 85% of use plus TCEC's $500 application fee, rates rising 3% a year (capped) and panels losing 0.5% a year. No incentives: the federal credit ended for home systems finished after 2025.
Applying and connecting
One application and $500 fee for each meter the system connects to, with a one-line drawing and a site plan. Big design changes after approval can mean a new application and fee.
TCEC returns its interconnection analysis within 60 days of receiving final plans. Two failed reviews can add $100.
Your installer sends the required installation photos to schedule TCEC's final inspection. Each inspection after a failed first one costs $100.
TCEC emails permission to operate. Turning the system on before that can bring tampering charges, including a $2,500 fee, and disconnection.
TCEC recommends reviewing its solar resources and talking with more than one installer before you apply. If your installer needs the power cut to install the system, TCEC asks for a call at least two business days ahead. Our guides cover checking a Texas solar company and canceling a solar contract.
Equipment rules
Systems from 1 to 50 kW AC go on the avoided-cost buyback. TCEC counts kW AC from the inverters' continuous rating at 240 volts, battery inverters included, and doesn't accept systems built mainly to export.
- Pre-certified equipment. Every system has to use pre-certified distributed generation equipment.
- A lockable disconnect near the meter. A visible load-break disconnect switch within six feet of TCEC's meter.
- A smart meter. TCEC's smart meter records purchases and exports; it doesn't add a production meter. Members on its non-standard meter program can't join until a smart meter is installed.
- Upgrades are on you. If TCEC or its power supplier has to change lines or equipment to connect your system, you pay in advance.
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 Tri-County Electric Cooperative buy back solar power?
Yes. TCEC credits the power your system sends to the grid at its avoided cost, the base power cost in its energy charge plus the monthly PCRF. It posted 10.5 cents per kWh for October to December 2026.
Does TCEC have net metering?
Not for systems installed since March 1, 2024. TCEC meters the power you buy and the power you export separately, bills purchases at its normal rates and credits exports at avoided cost. Older systems stay on its grandfathered plan until March 1, 2044.
What fees does TCEC charge for solar?
A $500 application fee for each meter, a $12 monthly distributed generation charge on top of the $18 customer charge, $100 after two failed application reviews and $100 for each re-inspection after a failed first inspection.
Can my solar credits pay the $30 monthly minimum?
No. TCEC says export credits can't be used toward the $18 customer charge and $12 distributed generation charge. Unused credits are reconciled each March and paid by check once a year.
How long does solar take to pay back with TCEC?
In our estimate, 15 to 20 years at $3.00 to $3.50 a watt for a system covering 85% of a home's use, including the $500 application fee.
How big a solar system can I connect to TCEC?
TCEC's buyback covers systems from 1 kW to 50 kW AC, counted from the inverters' continuous rating at 240 volts, including any battery inverters.
Related guides
- Solar for CoServ members
- Solar for Oncor customers
- Texas solar buyback plans
- Solar batteries and Texas power outages
- How much solar panels cost in Texas
- How many solar panels you need in Texas
Savings are our calculator's estimate, not TCEC's. TCEC's buyback rate changes monthly; check its solar page before you sign. Sources: Tri-County Electric Cooperative: solar · TCEC: distributed generation manual 2025 (PDF) · TCEC: rate adjustment update · TCEC: how to read my bill · NREL PVWatts. Reviewed October 2026.
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