2020 CPS Solar Rebates: What You Need to Know

Rebates for San Antonio residents make solar an affordable option. In Texas, there aren’t any state rebates. Residents only have federal and utility rebates to help them out.

This means the residents are dependant on good utility rates. Along with the savings from the federal solar tax credit. 

Regulated utilities that don’t support solar create an uphill battle for interested customers. Thankfully, not all regulated utilities have solar prohibitive policies. 

CPS is an advocate for solar. Here is some about their solar-related programs.

CPS Solar Rebate Caps

CPS has a solar rebate program. This Program started out with tranche 1.

Tranche 1 offered solar customers up to $1.20 per watt of energy there system could produce. Each year a new cap and customer incentives is determined.

2019 Launch Of CPS Solar Rebate Cap

The latest round of funding for the solar rebate program was launched in June of 2019. 

Residental CPS customers can now get up to $2,500 per install. If they use local solar panels they can get an additional $500. This rebate is decreased by 75 percent if the customer uses a non-local installer.

To get this funding the customer has to qualify for it. The individual first needs to be a CPS customer. They also need to own their solar array or have permission to participate in the program from the owner. They also need to install over 1 kW of solar power on a permanent non-mobile structure.

CPS Energy Smart Meters

The New CPS smart meters are part of CPS Energy’s smart grid program that CPS has rolled out. Since 2014 CPS has been converting customer analog meters to smart meters. 

CPS installs smart meters at no extra cost to the customer. Unfortunately, there are some downfalls to smart meters. Two of them are that they don’t last as long and they use energy to run.

Each smart meter has constant communication between the meter, customer, and CPS. CPS Energy feels that having smart meters will help it prevent long power outages from occurring. 

Smart meters also cut the cost of reading meters and allow customers to see their day to day power usage. These meters, however, will not show where that power is drawn from.

If customers want to know what is drawing power, they will need a home energy measurement system. CPS Energy claims that smart meters will help reduce grid maintenance. 

As of right now, all CPS customers can pay to have their smart meter exchanged back to the analog meter. Analog metered customers also pay a monthly fee. This covers the cost of having someone come out and read the meter.

CPS Free Solar Panels: Solar Host SA

CPS has a solar hosting program that allows individuals to enjoy solar. This program credits customers $0.03 per watt for solar power produced over 20 years.

This discount decreases the customer’s monthly power bill by 20 to 30 percent. It also gives others who can’t install solar the option to purchase solar power generated from the hosted solar array.

Difference Between Solar Hosting And a Solar Purchase

When an individual purchases a solar array they are paying upfront at a discounted rate. If the system is the accurate size it should only have a monthly connection fee once the panels are paid off. Because solar arrays save customers thousands of dollars this purchase is a no-brainer.

Another reason to consider purchasing solar rather than leasing it from CPS is the tax credits involved. A CPS hosted system isn’t owned by the customer and therefore the power isn’t as cheap as it would have been had it been purchased.

Unlike a purchased system, people who get leased systems don’t qualify for the federal tax credit. A pro for the CPS hosting program is that moving is hassle-free.

The new owner will get the same discount on their energy bill until the 20-year program is complete. However, the panels will not increase the value of the home because the homeowner doesn’t own them.

San Antonio Can Save Money With CPS Solar Calculators

CPS also has energy calculators. These calculators estimate the energy used by different types of appliances. They show how much money could be saved by decreasing appliance use.

Individuals can boost their savings by increasing their energy awareness. Considering how often large energy-consuming appliances are used will impact the power bill at the end of the month.

Get Your Free San Antonio Solar Quote

Go Solar Group specializes in battery backup. We offer an array of solar backup options including the Tesla Powerwall.

We also value quality workmanship which is why we use German-engineered panels. Our Axitec panels are high-quality Monocrystalline which have been tested and tried to withstand extreme conditions.  

To find a generic estimate you can use Go Solar Group’s  Texas solar savings calculator.  If you would like to see what your personal savings would look like you can set up an appointment. 

This meeting allows customers to ask questions and get answers. To get the best deal possible we suggest comparing bids.