Solar FAQs in Katy, TX & Willis, TX

The 30% federal solar tax credit is available for a purchased Texas residential solar system and battery storage. We will assemble and coordinate all needed documentation making this process easy and fast. 

Solar buyback electricity plans put money back in your pocket. Your electric company pays you for the excess solar power that you generate from the solar panels on your roof. If your solar panels produce more power than you can use during the day, you can sell the excess power back to the grid. This is called solar buyback or net metering. To sell solar power back to the grid in Texas, you will need:

• A smart digital meter (We can assist in getting one installed for free if you do not have one)

• An interconnection agreement with your utility company. Don’t worry your retail electricity provider will give you all their paperwork and we will be here to provide our portion. We will assemble the application folder and assist along the way.

• A retail electricity provider that will buy your excess power through a solar buyback or net metering plan. Which due to current changes in the state programs most are required in Texas 

How much your electric company pays for your excess solar power depends on your electricity plan. Because you can’t literally sell power back to the grid. You’ll be selling it to your retail electricity provider. Most companies will pay you on net metering at the same rate per kilowatt-hour (kWh) that they charge you for electricity. Remember though, your net metering credit will be equal to the price you pay per kWh for the electricity portion of your bill. That’s important. Unless the plan you pick explicitly says they pay you back at the bundled rate of energy plus delivery? They don’t. So don’t use the average price per kilowatt-hour from the electricity facts 21 True Texas Solar LLC label when you’re figuring out what you’ll make selling solar back to the grid. You need to look at the energy only or electricity only price. That’s the energy rate excluding delivery charges. So, to be clear, to sell solar power back to the grid in Texas, not just any electricity plan will do. To sell solar power back to the grid in Texas, you need to pick a special solar buyback or net metering plan for your electricity. That’s the only way to get the best solar buyback rate. 

Most of our clients do receive solar rebates, which help offset the cost of power independence and ownership. Depending on your utility power provider, you may be eligible to get a cash incentive of $2,500 to $8,500 for the system kW size of solar power installed in your home. This varies by electric provider, solar PV system size, location, and applicant income. Good thing you have us in your corner to assist and coordinate your savings after the installation is complete. 

Yes, not only will your home appraisal amount increase, but for those looking at commercial solar options, this investment holds even more potential for long-term savings and tax benefits. The solar system is tax-exempt in the good ol’ state of Texas! This means the added home value from the installed solar panels being tax-exempt is a huge investment opportunity for homeowners. In 1978, Texas voters adopted a constitutional amendment that allowed the 1981 Texas Legislature to exempt from property tax the amount of appraised value associated with the installation or construction of solar energy devices used primarily for on-site energy production and use. Property owners must file applications for the appraised value to be exempt. But don’t worry, we will be there with you far past the finish line! We will coordinate and provide all necessary documents for a swift and easy application process.

Great, we can’t wait to install the renewable clean energy system you already trust for your new house! Again, don’t stress, we are here to assist you and make it simple. TTS will coordinate the loan transfer and your appraiser will provide your listing agent with the market value of the solar system. They would ideally locate a sale of a property that had similar solar devices as your system and using the adjustment process, bring them equally in all other respects, thus isolating the solar variable, and quantifying the value of the solar systems in the marketplace. 

Like we say in our mission statement, “Here at True Texas Solar we understand the importance of educating our clients in renewable clean energy independence and system ownership.” 22 True Texas Solar LLC Energy independence and ownership is a pretty simple concept that paves the way for some huge incentives. On an individual level, when a homeowner decides to go solar, they take energy generation into their own hands becoming their own power provider. This not only reduces costs, but also provides electricity security to the homeowner, and contributes to a greener environment. Another simple analogy we like to use is, do you lease or own your house? Why not do the same with your power and quit throwing money away on a sub par electrical grid? 

Just about any type of roof you have will support solar panels. Asphalt shingle roofs, tile roofs, slate roofs and flat or pitched roofs can all have solar panels attached to them. A racking system is used to mount the solar panels to your roof. Our installers can choose the best racking system for your particular situation. 

The electricity that your solar power system generates is direct current or DC. Most items in your home will use alternating current or AC. A converter is usually mounted on your home or building near your electricity meter to convert the DC power to AC power. After the power is generated and converted it will flow into your electric meter and into your home or building. It is used for your home or building when it's created and any excess will flow out through your electric meter and then it can be placed on the local grid for others to use. 

The sum of your solar panels is called an array. This array is an investment in your home that increases the value of your home and they have an average the lifespan of at least 25 years. After this period the panels continue to generate electricity for your home, but at a decreased amount. At TTS, we go beyond the 25 year warranty by offering a 30 year SolarInsure warranty:

• Active Monitoring - Our monitoring technology reports component failures in real-time so that we can respond to issues quickly.

• Covers Parts & Labor - No hidden fees or surprise labor expenses guarantee that you’ll never have to climb on your roof again.

• Protection for Generations - An insurance-backed warranty ensures that you and your loved ones will be protected for many years to come.

• Transferable Ownership - The Solar Insure Extended Warranty transfers from homeowner to homeowner, should you decide to move. 

When your electricity is out, your solar power system will discontinue to produce electricity in order to protect the linesmen that work on the power grid to fix it because feeding your excess electricity into the lines would injure them. Solar power can be stored for this exact situation. You can still use your solar power for your home though with a solar + storage system. This is a system that uses batteries to store excess electricity so it is available for use in your home when there is no power from the grid.

At TTS, we handle all of the paperwork and file to receive your permits for your solar system. Solar permits are handled by your local municipality so the process varies depending on where you live. Solar permits are required so that the installation is safe and it also has to follow the local code in your area. We get the permits needed and the inspection as well in order to make sure your system works properly and it is safe. 

Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells made of silicon. When the sun’s rays hit them, these cells convert sunlight to electricity. Individual cells are wired together to form a solar panel. Panels are typically three feet by five feet. They are coated in tempered glass, which allows them to withstand harsh weather.

• The electricity produced by a single solar panel is not enough to power a home or business, so multiple solar panels are needed. The number of panels varies by installation, but every solar system (also called an “array”) will include a series of panels mounted and wired together. This array may be installed on a roof (“rooftop solar”) or on the ground-level (“ground-mounted solar”).

• The electricity generated by solar panels takes the form of direct current (DC). However, most appliances and electricity-consuming objects (called “electric load”) require alternating current (AC). To convert the solar electricity from DC to AC, an inverter is needed. You will need to choose between two types of inverters: a central inverter and 24 True Texas Solar LLC microinverters. While both perform the task of converting electricity from DC to AC, they differ in critical ways.

• A central inverter receives all of the electrical output of your entire solar system and converts it from DC to AC at a single, central location. A single central inverter is required for a solar system. It is often mounted on the side of your home or building next to your electric meter. Central inverters are steadfast and affordable, but they are susceptible to variations in panel performance. If one panel is shaded and produces less electricity than the others, the total electrical output will drop. • If shading is of concern, microinverters or DC optimizers can help maximize production. Unlike central inverters, microinverters and DC optimizers individually mount to the backside of each individual solar panel. They capture the electricity that flows off of each panel. DC optimizers work with a central inverter that converts DC to AC. Microinverters convert DC immediately to AC right under the panel. With either DC optimizers or microinverters, if one panel is shaded, it will not affect the output of the whole array. By design, both DC optimizers and microinverters help maximize the conversion of electricity and are useful in situations with variable shading. What’s more, because they allow each panel to operate independently of one another, both make it easy to add more panels to a solar array in the future.

• Once electricity is produced by the solar panels and converted from DC to AC by the inverter(s), it will flow through your electric meter and into your home or building. It will be used on site the moment it is created. Any excess will flow back out through your electric meter and onto the local grid.