Grid-Tied Solar Systems in Bastrop & Fayette County, TX
The most common setup for homes that already have utility service — panels draw first, the grid covers any shortfall, and excess production gets credited back through your utility's net metering program.
Sized Around Your Actual Property and Usage — Not a Template
Quick Check
Does Your Situation Sound Like This?
This is the standard case grid-tied is built for. Your system draws from panels first and pulls from the grid to cover any shortfall.
Grid-tied is generally the answer. It has the lowest upfront cost of the three configurations, since it skips a battery bank or backup generator.
Grid-tied alone won't help here. It shuts off automatically during an outage for safety. See Battery Storage & Backup Power to pair with backup.
Exactly what net metering is for. Excess production gets credited back through your utility, offsetting what you pull from the grid at other times.
Common — the mechanics are explained below. Terms vary by which specific utility serves your address.
Tell us now if that's a possibility. Most grid-tied systems can be designed to add battery storage later without replacing the panels or inverter.
The Mechanics
How Net Metering Actually Works
A grid-tied system stays connected to your utility through a bi-directional meter, which tracks power moving both ways: what you pull from the grid when your panels aren't producing enough, and what you send back when they're producing more than the house is using. That outgoing power is credited — not necessarily at the same rate you're billed for incoming power, and the exact terms (credit rate, rollover rules, annual reconciliation) depend entirely on which utility serves your specific address. Bastrop County properties are mostly served by Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative; Fayette County splits between municipal utilities and Fayette Electric Cooperative depending on the city. We confirm your specific utility and its actual crediting terms during the on-site assessment rather than quoting a generic net-metering promise that may not match what your utility actually offers.
It requires a formal interconnection agreement and inspection before activation — paperwork we handle — and by design it shuts off automatically during a grid outage for safety, even if the sun's out, so utility crews working on the lines aren't exposed to backfed power from your system.
Costs & Incentives
What Solar Actually Costs Right Now
Pricing
No flat installed-cost number posted here — every quote comes from the free on-site assessment.
Federal Tax Credit
The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit ended for systems installed on or after January 1, 2026 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act, per IRS FS-2025-05). Older marketing referencing a 30% federal credit is outdated.
Texas Property Tax Exemption
Still active. Texas Tax Code §11.27 exempts the added value of a solar energy device from your home's appraised value — filed via Form 50-123 with your county appraisal district.
Panel & Inverter Warranty
Panels typically carry a 25-year performance warranty. Inverters typically carry 10 to 15 years for a string inverter.
Top Questions, Ranked
Grid-Tied Solar FAQ
1. What does "grid-tied" actually mean, and how is it different from off-grid?
Grid-tied means your system stays connected to the utility — it draws from panels first and pulls from the grid to cover any shortfall, with excess credited back through net metering. Off-grid means no utility connection at all, with a battery bank sized to cover everything the grid would otherwise provide. See Off-Grid Solar Systems for that comparison in full.
2. How does net metering actually work — do I really get credited for excess power?
Yes, through a bi-directional meter that tracks power flowing both directions. The specific credit rate and rollover terms depend on your utility — Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative in most of Bastrop County, or a municipal utility or Fayette Electric Cooperative depending on the city in Fayette County. We confirm your specific terms during the on-site assessment rather than quoting a number that may not apply to your address.
3. What happens to my system during a power outage?
It shuts off automatically, even with the sun out — a safety requirement so the system doesn't backfeed power into lines utility crews may be working on. Battery storage is what keeps power flowing during an outage; see Battery Storage & Backup Power.
4. Is grid-tied actually the cheapest way to go solar?
Generally, yes — it has the lowest upfront cost of the three configurations (grid-tied, grid-tied-plus-battery, off-grid), since it doesn't require a battery bank or backup generator to function day to day.
5. Do I need a battery, or is grid-tied fine on its own?
Grid-tied works fine on its own for lowering your electric bill, but it provides no backup during an outage by design. Whether you need a battery comes down to how much an outage would actually cost or disrupt your household — see Battery Storage & Backup Power for that decision.
6. What is a bi-directional meter, and who installs it?
It's the meter your utility installs to replace your standard meter once your system passes inspection — it measures both the power you pull from the grid and the power you send back. The utility installs and owns it as part of the interconnection process, which we coordinate on your behalf.
7. Do unused credits roll over, or do they expire?
It depends on your specific utility's program — some allow month-to-month rollover with an annual reconciliation, others handle it differently. We confirm your specific utility's actual terms during the on-site assessment rather than assuming a generic net-metering structure applies.
8. What paperwork or agreement do I need with my utility?
A signed interconnection agreement and a passed inspection are required before your system can be legally turned on, in addition to the county (and sometimes city) permit. See Solar Permitting & Utility Interconnection for the full process.
9. Can I add battery backup or go off-grid later if I start with grid-tied?
Adding battery backup later is common and usually straightforward if the original design accounts for it. Converting fully to off-grid later is a much bigger undertaking — if that's a real possibility for your property, it's worth discussing during the initial design rather than after installation.
10. Does grid-tied still make sense now that the federal tax credit has ended?
The economics changed with the credit's end, but grid-tied remains the lowest-upfront-cost way to reduce your electric bill through net metering, and the Texas property tax exemption still applies. Whether it "makes sense" now depends on your specific usage and utility rates, which is what the free on-site assessment is for.
Where We Install
Serving Homes With Utility Service Across Bastrop & Fayette County