If you’re thinking about putting solar panels on the roof of your home in Dallas, you’re not alone: Plenty of your neighbors in Texas have done exactly the same thing.
The Lone Star State is ranked second in the country for total installed solar capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. With that huge burst in activity comes a lot of solar installers competing for homeowners’ business. That competition helps bring down the price of solar installation in Texas — the state also has some solid incentives to tamp down those solar costs.
All US residents are able to apply for the residential clean energy credit that provides a 30% rebate on the cost of solar panels and other clean energy additions to the home. This is one of the biggest incentives designed to make the switch to clean energy affordable and accessible. On the state-level, Texas also has a net metering policy and offers property tax exemptions on the value that a solar panel system will add to your home.
How do you decide which solar company is right for you, and how do you sort through the noise? We’ve got you covered. Here’s what you need to know when going solar in Dallas.
Best national solar panel companies in Dallas
The national companies featured here have been reviewed and scored by CNET. You should always get quotes from multiple companies before moving ahead with a solar installation.
Palmetto Solar
Best overall
Solar panels are typically low maintenance equipment, but they’re also unfamiliar. If you want to reap the benefits of solar but will have a bit more peace of mind if someone else is making sure it’s working, Palmetto might be a good fit for you. Just remember to add the cost of Palmetto’s monitoring service in to your payback period calculations.
SunPower Solar
Best solar panels
If you’re looking for top-of-the-line solar panels, SunPower is your best choice. But don’t write it off if you’re looking for a less flashy installation that will get the job done. This year it started installing Qcells panels, which should make an installation from the longest-tenured company on our list available to more people.
Freedom Forever
Best for cash customers
Include Freedom Forever in your search if you want the backing of a national company that installs a wide variety of the most popular solar equipment available. Freedom Forever also extends a couple of products that take some of the pain and risk out of going solar, like a production guarantee and an escrow option with cash purchases. Online reviews say customer satisfaction has been low of late, though the company says that’s changing.
Tesla Solar
Most affordable
Tesla’s solar branch seems to be the least loved of Elon Musk’s ventures. Even Tesla’s Solar Roof seems to get more love.
If price is the thing you won’t budge on, consider Tesla. By all accounts, Tesla installs quality panels and makes the closest thing there is to a household name in solar storage: the Powerwall.
Where you might miss out is customer service. Discussion online seems to suggest Tesla’s service is a bit of a gamble.
NRG Clean Power
Best in California and Texas
NRG Clean Power brings one of the solar industry’s most confident approaches to its work, offering a price match and 40-year warranty. NRG Clean Power is a solid bet as long as you live in Texas and California. NRG Clean Power does not offer leases or power purchase agreements, but it does provide solar panel cleaning and roofing services as well as a reliable equipment menu.
Local solar panel installers in Dallas
It’s possible that a local company will offer you the best deal. Again, it’s important to get multiple quotes before moving ahead with a project.
CNET hasn’t evaluated these companies in any formal way as it has the above national companies, but they can serve as a jumping-off point for your search.
North Texas Solar offers residential solar installations, as well as home battery backups and EV charging solutions. The company also has zero-down financing, and has generally been reviewed well by customers.
Smooth Solar is focused squarely on rooftop installations, but doesn’t mention home batteries on its website. The systems offer high-efficiency panels that can be paid for in cash, leased or financed. And Smooth Solar has an A-plus Better Business Bureau rating to boot.
How to determine which solar company is best for you
Finding the right solar installer is like hiring any contractor for your home. Installing solar is a major investment, and you want to make sure you properly weigh your options.
America Garcia, the Texas program director for Solar United Neighbors, suggests you start by reaching out to a few different companies for quotes. Ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations. Also read reviews or complaints, but look for trends in the reviews rather than fixating on any one customer’s experience.
When you’re talking to installers, be wary of any bold claims. “Watch out for any company who tells you you will never ever get a bill ever again, because that is untrue,” she said.
Also consider whether a national or local installer is better for you. Local installers can be more affordable, but national installers sometimes have better financing options.
Cost of solar panels in Dallas
The cost of your solar system will depend on a lot of factors: Your specific home, how you size the system, how you pay for it and whether you add a home battery or other extras. You can also lower the price by taking advantage of federal and state-level financial incentives.
The good news is that, on average, solar in Texas is slightly less expensive than it is nationally.
Here’s a look at the average cash price for a typical solar panel system in Texas before factoring in tax credits and incentives, according to data from FindEnergy.com.
Average cost of solar panels in Texas
| Typical system size (kW) | Price per watt | Total installed cost | Cost after 30% federal tax credit | |
| Texas | 9 | $3.33 | $29,970 | $20,979 |
| National average | 8.6 | $3.67 | $31,558 | $22,091 |
To get an idea of how Texas stacks up to other states, check out the map below. It shows the average total price, cost per watt and system size for solar panel systems in different states, according to data from FindEnergy.com. The prices shown do not reflect any tax credits or state solar incentives. If FindEnergy doesn’t have solar data for a particular state, it appears grayed out on the map.
Dallas solar panel incentives and rebates
Don’t let the sticker price of solar scare you: You can chop thousands of dollars off the price by taking advantage of federal, state and local financial incentives. Here’s what’s available in Dallas.
Dallas solar incentives
| Program | Description |
|---|---|
| Federal residential clean energy credit | This federal tax credit covers 30% of the cost of a solar system, including hardware and installation. |
| Texas property tax exemption | This gives homeowners a break from any property tax increase that would result from the installation of solar panels (which generally raise the value of a home). |
| Net metering | Net metering, which allows customers to get paid for any excess solar energy they send back to the grid, varies by utility in Dallas. Check with your electric provider to see if a net metering program is available in your area. |
| Oncor Residential Solar Program | Oncor electricity customers may qualify for incentives that offset the initial investment of solar panels. |
Installation factors to keep in mind
Investing in solar is not as simple as deciding you want panels on your roof. There’s a whole array of other questions you should think about.
How to pay for solar panels in Dallas
Dallas residents have a lot of options for financing their solar panels. Here’s what you should consider.
Cash: This is the most cost-effective way to pay for solar. By paying in cash, you avoid paying interest on a loan, and get a quicker payback on your investment.
Solar loan: If you don’t have the cash lying around, a solar loan is another great option. It allows you to spread out the cost of the system in monthly payments, while still owning the system on your roof.
Other types of loans: You can tap a home equity loan or personal loan to pay for solar, too. Just make sure you understand the terms and that you won’t be overpaying in interest.
Lease or power purchase agreement: These arrangements allow you to get solar with little or no money down. You won’t own the system, but you’ll still benefit from the solar power you’re generating. It can be tricky to nail down the pros and cons of a power purchase agreement, but we have explainers to help out.
How we evaluate solar companies
The companies we listed above as “the best” are curated from CNET’s best solar companies list. Companies making the best list are scored on the equipment, warranties and customer service they offer. Then, we make sure these recommendations are available in your state. You can read a full breakdown of how we review solar companies here.
Companies listed under the local installers were chosen in a less rigorous way. We chose them because they offered something unique or notable to customers in the state, they seemed well-regarded by internet reviewers or because they were one of the few installers we could find information on in the state.
Whether we’ve completed a full review on a company or not, it’s always a good idea to get multiple quotes from different installers before choosing a company.
FAQs
What are the advantages of solar panels?
Solar panels can reduce your energy bills, and — paired with batteries — can keep the power on during outages. Avoiding the worst effects of climate change requires the rapid transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy sources, like solar.
Are solar panels worth it in Dallas?
This depends on your personal situation, but many homeowners in Texas have found that there’s a solid payoff to installing solar panels on their roof. You can make this decision by yourself by running the numbers with the help of a solar installer.
How long does it take to pay off solar panels?
You can figure this out by comparing the total cost of a system with how much you’re saving in electricity bills. Here’s the the formula: (Total solar system costs – rebates) / Electricity bill savings per year = Payback period in years
