Solar Savings Analysis — Grand Prairie, Texas

Electricity Market Structure in Grand Prairie

Grand Prairie is served by Oncor Electric Delivery and participates in the ERCOT competitive retail electricity market. Situated between Dallas and Fort Worth, Grand Prairie spans portions of Dallas, Tarrant, and Ellis counties, with the majority of its residential base in the Dallas County Oncor service area.

Grand Prairie is positioned within the ERCOT North Load Zone. The city's geographic span across county lines means that portions of its service area reflect slightly different distribution sub-network characteristics, though all fall within Oncor's overarching transmission infrastructure and ERCOT's market framework.

For additional context on Oncor Electric Delivery's role as the transmission and distribution operator in this market, see the Oncor Electric Delivery utility authority node.

Solar Irradiation Context — Grand Prairie

Grand Prairie, Texas receives an estimated annual average solar irradiation in the range of 4.9 to 5.2 kWh per square meter per day, based on NREL National Solar Radiation Database reference data for the North Texas geographic zone. This translates to approximately 5.0 peak sun hours per day on an annualized basis, representing a moderately high solar resource consistent with the broader Texas solar production environment.

City-level irradiation data is applied in SunScore™ modeling as a primary energy yield input. No ZIP code-level or address-level irradiation claims are made on this page. Actual solar output at any specific property will vary based on roof pitch, azimuth, shading obstructions, and system configuration.

Utility Territory & Delivery Structure — Grand Prairie

Situated between Dallas and Fort Worth, Grand Prairie spans portions of Dallas, Tarrant, and Ellis counties, with the majority of its residential base in the Dallas County Oncor service area.

Oncor Electric Delivery does not set retail electricity prices in the deregulated Texas market. Retail rates are established by competing retail electricity providers (REPs) operating under Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) oversight. The delivery charge component of a retail electricity bill — covering Oncor's transmission and distribution infrastructure — is regulated separately and appears as a line item in monthly billing. Solar savings projections on this platform address the energy supply component of the retail bill, not the regulated delivery charge component. Methodology detail is available at SunScore™ Projection Methodology.

Retail Electricity Baseline — Grand Prairie (EIA 2024 Reference Year)

Residential rate modeling for Grand Prairie uses EIA Form 861 data for the 2024 reference year as the publicly available baseline. The city's primary residential market in Dallas County experiences the same competitive retail dynamics as neighboring DFW corridor cities within the Oncor delivery territory.

All rate references on this page are derived from publicly available EIA Form 861 data for the 2024 reference year and represent historical average figures. They are not real-time rates, guaranteed future rates, or provider-specific quotes. Actual retail electricity prices in Grand Prairie vary by retail electricity provider, contract type, and enrollment date. Consumers seeking current rate information should consult the Power to Choose portal maintained by the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

Avoided Cost & Export Compensation Context — Grand Prairie

Avoided cost for Grand Prairie is modeled against the ERCOT North Hub wholesale-proxy baseline. As with all North Texas Oncor-territory cities, the wholesale marginal price is substantially lower than residential retail rates, and SunScore™ modeling weights self-consumption as the primary economic scenario.

In the ERCOT market structure, the avoided cost concept is central to understanding the economic dynamics of solar energy for Texas homeowners. Solar energy consumed on-site avoids the retail rate, while energy exported to the grid is compensated at or near wholesale-proxy levels — a materially lower value. SunScore™ projections distinguish between self-consumption and export scenarios in the modeled output. A detailed explanation of the avoided cost framework used in this platform is available at Avoided Cost Explained.

Federal Incentive Layer — Grand Prairie (ITC 30% Reference)

The federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is available to qualifying homeowners in Grand Prairie who install eligible solar photovoltaic systems. As of the 2024 reference year, the ITC is structured at 30% of eligible system cost under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This credit is non-refundable, meaning it reduces federal income tax liability but does not generate a direct cash payment if the credit amount exceeds tax liability in the installation year. Unused credit amounts may carry forward to subsequent tax years subject to applicable IRS rules.

The federal ITC is incorporated as an incentive layer input in SunScore™ projected payback and return scenarios. GetSunScore does not provide tax advice. Homeowners should consult a qualified tax professional to assess personal eligibility and ITC application. A detailed explanation of the federal solar tax credit as it applies to Texas homeowners is available at Federal Solar Tax Credit Explained.

Grand Prairie homeowners are eligible for the Texas property tax exemption on qualifying solar installations and the federal ITC. Texas does not mandate retail net metering. Export compensation terms depend on each homeowner's retail electricity provider contract.

Modeled Projection Context — Grand Prairie

Grand Prairie's multi-county footprint introduces some geographic complexity relative to other single-county cities in this batch. Portions of the city's residential base along the Tarrant County border sit in different distribution sub-networks while remaining within Oncor's broader service territory. SunScore™ projections for Grand Prairie use city-level NREL irradiation data calibrated to this mid-DFW-corridor geographic position, which reflects solar resource conditions consistent with both Dallas and Fort Worth subregional data.

SunScore™ projections for Grand Prairie are generated by synthesizing NREL irradiation data for the Grand Prairie geographic zone, EIA Form 861 rate baselines for the 2024 reference year, publicly available residential system performance assumptions, and applicable federal and state incentive layer inputs. The output is a modeled estimated savings range expressed as an annual and cumulative scenario over a defined projection horizon.

All SunScore™ projections are non-binding modeled scenarios. They do not constitute financial advice, a solar installation quote, or a guaranteed savings figure. Results will vary based on actual system performance, roof characteristics, shading, consumption patterns, and future retail rate changes. Full methodology documentation, including data sources and modeling assumptions, is available at SunScore™ Projection Methodology, GetSunScore Data Sources, and Modeling Assumptions.

Solar Installation Pathway in Grand Prairie

Homeowners in Grand Prairie who have reviewed GetSunScore's modeled solar savings projection and wish to proceed with installation evaluation may do so through the standard residential solar qualification and contractor evaluation process.

Homeowners evaluating solar installation in Grand Prairie typically proceed through structured qualification and installer evaluation stages, beginning with a property assessment to confirm roof suitability, structural capacity, shading conditions, and utility interconnection eligibility under Oncor Electric Delivery's interconnection standards.

GetSunScore does not install solar systems, endorse specific solar contractors, or recommend providers. Qualified homeowners seeking installation evaluation may consult the installer directory referenced in GetSunScore's partner network documentation.