Sunprint
The short answer
San Antonio and the Hill Country have some of the most generous solar terms in Texas, and they differ a lot from one utility to the next. CPS Energy and New Braunfels Utilities net your solar against your use each month, GVEC buys exported power at the same price you pay for power, and PEC credits a set rate. For a $150 average bill our calculator puts payback at 15 to 22 years across the five utilities with confirmed terms.
CPS Energy
Nets each month at the full rate; only the month-end leftover earns 1.65¢ (2.02¢ June to September).
16 to 18 yearspayback, $150 billNew Braunfels Utilities
Nets each month; extra becomes a 1:1 kWh credit. A per-kW solar charge, and a rebate of up to $3,000.
19 to 21 yearspayback, $150 billGVEC
Buys exports at the same per-kWh price you pay for power.
15 to 17 yearspayback, $150 billPedernales (PEC)
Credits 7.19¢ per kWh sent to the grid, against its base power charge.
19 to 22 yearspayback, $150 billPayback for a system covering 85% of a home with a $150 average bill, $3.00 to $3.50 a watt, no incentives.
Who serves the region
Federal EIA records put CPS Energy in eight of our ten counties, PEC and Bandera Electric in the Hill Country, GVEC and AEP Texas Central in parts of Bexar, Guadalupe, Wilson and nearby counties, and New Braunfels Utilities in Comal and Guadalupe counties. Here's each one with confirmed terms:
| Utility | What it does with solar power you send out | Yearly savings, $150 bill | Payback | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPS Energy | Nets each month at the full rate; only the month-end leftover earns 1.65¢ (2.02¢ June to September) | $1,215 to $1,438 | 16 to 18 years | Estimate → |
| New Braunfels Utilities | Nets each month; extra becomes a 1:1 kWh credit. A per-kW solar charge, and a rebate of up to $3,000 | $985 to $1,248 | 19 to 21 years | Estimate → |
| GVEC | Buys exports at the same per-kWh price you pay for power | $1,125 to $1,425 | 15 to 17 years | Estimate → |
| Pedernales (PEC) | Credits 7.19¢ per kWh sent to the grid, against its base power charge | $877 to $1,074 | 19 to 22 years | Estimate → |
| AEP Texas Central area | Your retail plan sets the buyback: from nothing up to about its energy charge | $744 to $1,341 | 16 to 18 years | Estimate → |
Each utility uses the sun from its own guide; AEP Texas Central uses Corpus Christi's. In the AEP Texas Central area your retail plan sets the buyback.
Rebates. New Braunfels Utilities pays up to $3,000, the most for panels facing south-southwest to west-northwest; our NBU guide shows the tiers. CPS Energy says it doesn't currently offer rebates for residential solar. We couldn't confirm the solar terms of Bandera Electric, Kerrville Public Utility Board, Medina Electric, Karnes Electric, Central Texas Electric or the city utilities of Seguin, Floresville, Boerne, Fredericksburg, Hondo and Castroville; for those the estimate shows a range.
Sun and hail
NREL PVWatts, south-facing panels on a 6/12 roof, standard losses.
San Antonio's panels peak in July and August. On hail, NOAA lists 783 reports in our ten counties from 2016 to 2025, 229 of them 1.75 inches or larger, led by Bexar County:
Our hail guide covers panel test ratings and insurance.
How often the power goes out
| Utility | Hours without power a year, 2020 to 2024 average | Leaving out major storms | Worst year |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPS Energy | 2.1 h | 1.0 h | 2.9 h in 2021 |
| New Braunfels Utilities | 1.1 h | 0.7 h | 1.8 h in 2023 |
| GVEC | 2.1 h | 1.3 h | 3.3 h in 2024 |
| Pedernales (PEC) | 2.1 h | 1.2 h | 4.6 h in 2023 |
| AEP Texas Central area | 10.9 h | 2.8 h | 31.7 h in 2021 |
| Bandera Electric | 4.9 h | 0.9 h | 15.7 h in 2021 |
| Kerrville PUB | 8.6 h | 0.5 h | 34.6 h in 2021 |
| Medina Electric | 11.2 h | 3.7 h | 38.0 h in 2021 |
Average hours without power per customer, from each utility's reports to the federal EIA. "Leaving out major storms" drops the major event days utilities are allowed to exclude.
CPS, NBU, GVEC and PEC customers averaged 1 to 2 hours without power a year from 2020 to 2024, storms included, against 25 for CenterPoint around Houston. Grid-tied solar shuts down in an outage unless it has a battery set up for backup; our battery guide explains the options.
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
Is solar worth it in San Antonio?
For a $150 average bill and a system covering 85% of use, our calculator puts payback at 16 to 18 years for CPS Energy homes and 15 to 22 years across CPS, NBU, GVEC, PEC and the AEP Texas Central area, at $3.00 to $3.50 a watt with no incentives.
How does CPS Energy credit solar?
CPS nets your solar against your use each month at the full rate. Only the leftover at the end of a month is credited at a lower rate: 1.65 cents per kWh, or 2.02 cents from June to September.
Does CPS Energy have a solar rebate?
CPS Energy says it doesn't currently offer rebates for residential solar. New Braunfels Utilities does: up to $3,000, depending on which way the panels face.
What does GVEC pay for solar power?
GVEC buys power you send to the grid at its delivery charge plus its generation and transmission charge, the same per-kWh price members pay for power.
How much hail does San Antonio get?
NOAA lists 294 hail reports in Bexar County from 2016 to 2025, 84 of them 1.75 inches or larger, and 783 across our ten-county region.
Related guides
- Solar for CPS Energy customers
- Solar for NBU customers
- Solar for GVEC members
- Solar for Pedernales (PEC) members
- Solar panels and hail in Texas
- Is solar worth it in Texas?
Savings and payback are our calculator's estimates, not a utility's or an installer's. Rates and buyback terms change; check your utility's current terms before you sign. Sources: CPS Energy: residential customer-owned solar · CPS Energy: Solar Billing Facts (PDF) · NBU: residential solar rebate guidelines (PDF) · GVEC: Tariff for Electric Service (PDF) · PEC: DG interconnection rates · U.S. Department of Energy: the road to resilience with rooftop solar · U.S. EIA Form 861: service territories, reliability and sales data, 2020 to 2024 · NOAA NCEI Storm Events database, 2016 to 2025 · NREL PVWatts v8. Reviewed October 2026.
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