Round Rock, TX Solar: 2026 Costs, Incentives & Savings

Solar Power in Round Rock

If you live in Round Rock, TX and you’re curious about solar installation, you’re in the right place. With Texas electricity prices rising 28% from 2020 to 2024, more Round Rock homeowners are looking at solar as a smart way to take control of their energy costs.

Texas also ranks 7th nationally for residential solar installations, so you’d be joining a growing community of neighbors making the switch. To dig deeper, explore our guide on home solar panels.

TEXAS by the Numbers

• 7th Most residential solar in the United States
• 122 Households have installed solar panels
• 5.4 Avg peak sun hours per day
• ~$73k Round Rock average savings over 25 years

How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in Round Rock, TX?

Curious what solar costs in Round Rock? This calculator uses real installation data from homes across the area, including Brushy Creek, Wells Branch, and Georgetown. Enter your details to see a local estimate built from actual projects nearby—no guesswork, just honest numbers to help you understand your options.

System Size

This system size is designed to offset approximately 100% of the average electricity usage for a home of this size in Texas.

Recommended System

• 8.91 kW

Your Monthly Payment

Estimated monthly cost with LightReach
$114/mo
As low as
$114/mo

Why Lease Solar?

• No upfront investment
• Palmetto handles all maintenance
• 90% Production Guarantee
• Comprehensive protection program included

Cost Breakdown

Your estimated investment

• System Cost: $25,222
• Price per Watt: $2.83
• Final Cost: $25,222

Savings

Your total financial benefit

• Monthly Savings: Average utility bill reduction $168
• Payback Period: Break-even point 10.6 years
• 25-Year Savings: $73,421

Get Your Personalized Quote

Palmetto Reviews

Overall great experience with Palmetto right from 1st contact till the panels are activated. I was informed on each and every step in advance, pricing is great, install crew was amazing. During inspection one small issue was observed and crew came and fixed it asap without need of further followups.

Ashish Gupta
Mckinney, Texas

I have had nothing but a positive experience with Palmetto. Any questions I had or concerns were addressed quickly. As a customer, it falls on me to research and verify information. My salesman, Josh, has been a major factor in why I proceeded with Palmetto. Installation was done in a day and the inspector assured me the crew had done an excellent job. I highly recommend Palmetto!

Angela W.
Dallas, Texas

I went through several quotes for solar panels before landing on Palmetto. Their quote was below other vendors, but it wasn’t a decision based on price. I chose them because they explained the product and the process very well. I was then set up with an app for tracking the installation process. I’m so happy I chose a company that cares about customer service!

Jeremy Langlitz
Aubrey, Texas

Key Takeaways

• Texas electricity prices rose about 23% from 2021 to 2024, so many Round Rock homeowners are turning to solar to gain more control over rising energy costs.
• Round Rock enjoys 5.4 average peak sun hours per day, and a typical home solar system can save around $73,000 over 25 years.
• Texas offers property and sales tax exemptions on solar, and leasing through LightReach lets you go solar with no upfront cost or maintenance worries.

Round Rock Electricity Prices

Wondering why your electricity bills keep climbing in Round Rock? A look at Texas energy prices reveals a clear, steady trend worth understanding.

Electricity isn’t getting cheaper. Texas average residential prices rose about 23%, from 12.1 cents per kWh in 2021 to 14.9 cents per kWh in 2024, adding up on Round Rock homeowners’ monthly bills.

Solar offers one way to take more control. By generating power at home, many Round Rock residents reduce how much they buy from the grid, softening the impact of rising rates. Learn more in our home solar panels guide.

Over time, that control can matter even more. As Texas prices continue trending upward, producing your own energy helps you plan ahead with greater confidence and predictability for years to come.

Price of Energy: Texas vs National Average

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Energy Information Administration, Form 861

Round Rock Area Utility Providers

In Round Rock, TX, most homes get power from Austin Energy, Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, or Pedernales Electric Cooperative. In 2023 (the latest data available), their rates ranged from about 11.1¢ to 13.0¢ per kWh.

These 2023 rates sit below the 14.50¢ state and 16.0¢ national averages. Local cooperatives like Bluebonnet and Pedernales often pass savings to members, while Austin Energy benefits from a diverse, partly renewable power mix.

Even with lower-than-average rates, electricity costs can shift year to year. Solar can help Round Rock homeowners lock in more predictable energy costs. Learn more in our guide on home solar panels.

Round Rock Utilities Electricity Rates

Source: US Energy Information Administration, 2023, Form 861, Table 6

Texas Solar Incentives

Round Rock homeowners can tap into several solar incentives in Texas that help lower the overall cost of going solar.

Statewide, you’ll find a 100% property tax exemption on added home value and a sales tax exemption on solar equipment. Many Texas cities and utilities also offer local rebates and solar buyback programs.

The federal 30% residential credit is no longer available, but these state and local benefits remain. Leasing through LightReach simplifies things—Palmetto handles the commercial ITC and passes savings along through lower monthly payments.

Texas Property Tax Exemption for Solar Energy Systems

Under Texas Tax Code Section 11.27, the added value that a solar energy system contributes to your home is 100% exempt from property taxes. For example, if your solar installation increases your home’s appraised value by $20,000, you pay zero additional property taxes on that amount. With Texas property tax rates averaging 1.8–2.2%, a typical residential solar system can save homeowners in Round Rock $400–$640 per year in property taxes.

To claim the exemption, you must file Form 50-123 (Exemption Application for Solar or Wind-Powered Energy Devices) with your county appraisal district by April 30 of the year following installation. You do not need to re-file annually — the exemption remains in effect as long as the solar system is operational. Battery storage systems installed as part of a solar energy system and used to store solar-generated electricity generally qualify under the same exemption.

Texas Sales Tax Exemption for Solar Equipment

Texas exempts solar energy equipment from the state’s 6.25% sales tax (plus any applicable local sales taxes). This exemption applies at the point of purchase, meaning you pay less upfront when buying solar panels, inverters, mounting hardware, and related components for your installation.

The exemption covers equipment used to produce, store, or distribute solar energy for residential or commercial use. Battery storage systems paired with solar installations are also generally eligible for this exemption. No special application is required — the exemption is applied automatically by the retailer or installer at the time of sale.

For a typical Texas residential solar system costing around $20,000–$25,000, the sales tax exemption can represent an immediate savings of $1,250–$1,560 or more, depending on local tax rates. This is an automatic, hassle-free benefit available to all Texas solar buyers statewide, including residents of Round Rock.

Texas Solar Buyback & Net Billing Programs

Texas does not have a statewide mandatory net metering law. Instead, homeowners with solar panels in the deregulated ERCOT market (covering approximately 85% of the state) must select a Retail Electric Provider (REP) that offers a solar buyback plan in order to receive compensation for excess electricity exported to the grid. Buyback rates vary widely by provider, ranging from approximately $0.037/kWh to retail-rate equivalents, depending on the plan and territory.

The Power to Choose marketplace (powertochoose.org), operated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, allows homeowners in Round Rock to search for and compare available solar buyback plans by ZIP code.

Key buyback options vary by utility territory: In the Austin Energy territory, solar exports are credited at the Value of Solar (VoS) rate of approximately 9.91¢/kWh (2026 rate). In the Oncor/DFW territory, some REPs such as TXU offer retail-rate credits (effectively 1:1), while Oncor’s base buyback rate is approximately 3.7¢/kWh — making battery storage pairing highly beneficial. In the CenterPoint/Houston area, Green Mountain Energy pays approximately 8.5¢/kWh. In AEP/TNMP territory, Chariot Solar Buyback pays around 7.0¢/kWh.

In regulated utility territories (such as El Paso Electric and CPS Energy), net metering or buyback programs are offered directly by the utility. Homeowners should carefully evaluate buyback rates when selecting a REP, as the rate significantly impacts the financial return on a solar investment — especially in areas with lower buyback rates where pairing solar with battery storage can maximize self-consumption and reduce reliance on low-rate grid exports.

Round Rock Solar Irradiance

Solar panel production varies throughout the year based on daylight hours, weather patterns, and sun intensity. Understanding how seasons affect your solar system helps set realistic expectations for your investment.

Round Rock enjoys abundant sunshine and long summer days, ideal for solar production. Hot summers and mild winters shape output, but with the right system, your home can generate impressive year-round energy.

Solar Production in Round Rock by Month

System Size: 5 kW, 7 kW, 10 kW
Daylight Hours

What Can Your Solar System Power?

Summer Production (July)

50 kWh/day
In July, your 10 kW system could power:

• 3.3 average homes (15 kWh/day per home)
• or Run central AC for 16 hours AND power all other appliances
• or Fully charge 5.0 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles

Winter Production (December)

31 kWh/day
In December, your 10 kW system could power:

• 2.1 average homes (15 kWh/day per home)
• or Keep your home heating system running for 15 hours
• or Fully charge 3.1 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles

Annual Production

15,128 kWh/year
Over a year, your 10 kW system could:

• Offset 11 tons of carbon dioxide emissions
• or Equal the environmental benefit of planting 182 trees

Solar Panel Systems in Round Rock

We’ve mapped solar installations across the country, right down to the neighborhood level. Explore this interactive heatmap to see how many Round Rock homes have made the switch to solar.

Solar Customers

57-1423
18-56
7-17
1-6

Leasing Solar Panels

Round Rock is served by Pedernales Electric Cooperative, and homeowners in that territory can go solar through a LightReach solar lease. With a lease, you pay a fixed monthly amount instead of buying and installing a system yourself, so there’s no large upfront cost to save for.

Leasing differs from paying in cash. When you buy outright, you cover the full system price and handle any repairs or upkeep on your own. With a lease, Palmetto owns the equipment, so we take care of monitoring and maintenance, and your predictable monthly payment makes budgeting simple.

Both leasing and cash ownership can lower your energy costs over time. To decide which path fits your home and goals, explore our guide on whether to buy or lease solar panels.

Go solar without the investment

With LightReach, there are no investment costs to recoup, loan payments to manage, or maintenance needs to take on. As soon as your panels are active, your solar savings are too!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does Round Rock, TX have net metering?

Texas does not have a statewide net metering law, so Round Rock does not offer traditional 1:1 net metering. Instead, homeowners earn credit for solar energy they send to the grid through their local utility’s buyback or net billing program.

2. Do solar panels increase your home value in Round Rock, TX?

Yes, in most cases owned solar panels can increase your home’s value in Round Rock, TX. A Zillow study found that homes with solar panels sold for approximately 4.1% more.

3. How much does it cost to go solar in Round Rock, TX?

With a LightReach lease, Round Rock homeowners can go solar for a low fixed monthly payment—starting around $114/mo for a medium home—with no upfront cost.

4. How does leasing solar work and what’s the approximate cost?

With a solar lease through Palmetto’s LightReach program, you make one simple monthly payment that covers your solar system, installation, monitoring, maintenance, and a 90% Production Guarantee—with no upfront cost. In Round Rock, a typical 8.91 kW system runs about $114/month.

5. What’s the best solar company in Round Rock, TX?

At Palmetto, we’ve completed 8,405 installs across Texas since 2020, pairing our national experience with a local focus in Round Rock. We offer some of the best financing options in the industry, including LightReach leasing, along with a trusted install network.

6. What solar incentives are available in Round Rock, TX?

Round Rock homeowners can benefit from Texas’ 100% property tax exemption on the added home value from solar and a state sales tax exemption on solar equipment.

7. Is solar worth it financially?

For many Round Rock homeowners, solar makes financial sense. With a LightReach lease, there’s no upfront investment, and your fixed monthly payment is typically less than your current electricity bill—so you can start saving from day one.