GetSunScore Analysis: Buyback Plan
Definition and Solar Context
A solar buyback plan is a retail electricity plan offered by Texas retail electric providers (REPs) that provides compensation to solar system owners for excess energy exported to the grid. These plans are a central feature of the deregulated Texas solar market.
Buyback plans govern the value of solar generation that is not consumed on-site. GetSunScore models a range of possible export values, not the terms of a specific provider's plan.
What Does Buyback Plan Mean?
In Texas, a buyback plan refers specifically to the terms under which a provider purchases surplus solar power from a residential customer. Unlike traditional net metering elsewhere, Texas buyback plans often apply a credit rate lower than the retail purchase price of electricity.
Common buyback structures include Real-Time Wholesale (RTW) pricing or fixed cents-per-kWh credits. Some plans may include monthly fee caps or credit expiration rules. The economic benefit of a buyback plan is secondary to direct Avoided Cost through self-consumption.
Why Buyback Plans Matter in Modeling
Buyback-plan terms matter to a household's actual savings. The current calculator estimates exported production and tests several export-value assumptions; it does not apply a provider-specific credit rate.
Plan availability, pricing, caps, and credit expiration can shift actual payback. The calculator does not claim to reflect current REP offerings; compare current contract terms before deciding.
How Buyback Plans Apply in Texas
Buyback plans are the primary mechanism for export compensation in deregulated areas of Texas served by Oncor, CenterPoint, and other TDUs. Customers have the right to shop for buyback plans through various retail electric providers.
Oncor and other TDUs deliver electricity; in deregulated areas, a REP sets the retail plan and any buyback terms. Review the export-value explanation and your provider's current plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
A solar buyback plan is a specific retail electricity contract offered by a Texas retail electric provider (REP) that includes terms for compensating homeowners for excess solar electricity fed back into the grid. Policies vary by provider.
In Texas, 'buyback plan' is the common term for export compensation within the deregulated ERCOT market. While similar to net metering, buyback plans often credit excess energy at a lower rate than the retail price, such as the RTW (Real-Time Wholesale) rate.
The current GetSunScore calculator uses low, base, and high export-value assumptions. It does not retrieve or apply a provider-specific buyback rate, so a household must check its current REP or utility terms.
Yes. Homeowners in deregulated Texas markets can choose from multiple providers offering different buyback structures. Comparing plans is essential for optimizing the financial performance of a residential solar system.
GetSunScore does not maintain a live REP buyback-plan database. Current estimates use an EIA statewide electricity-price baseline and documented export-value scenarios; users should verify plan rates and credit rules directly with providers.
No provider-specific buyback rate is used in current GetSunScore estimates. Plan terms can change; verify them directly with the REP or serving utility.