Solar Battery Calculator
Estimate battery cost, the 30% federal credit on storage, and what backup adds to a Texas solar project.
Free Texas Solar Calculator
Estimate your solar system
Enter your electricity bill and home details to estimate solar system size, production, cost, savings, and payback.
Use your average bill from the last 12 months if possible.
Estimated solar system
24 panels at 410 watts each
Annual production
14,363 kWh
Installed cost
$26,765
First-year savings
$2,160
Monthly savings
$180
Simple payback
11 years
25-year net savings
$48,605
Your estimate
Based on Dallas electricity rates, local solar resource, estimated system losses, roof conditions, and current installed-cost assumptions.
Planning estimate
This calculator is designed for early-stage planning. A professional site assessment is required for an installation quote.
No email required
You can use the calculator without submitting an email address or requesting an installer quote.
Texas-specific
City selection changes the electricity rate, solar resource, and installed-cost assumptions used in your estimate.
Estimates are for educational and planning purposes only. Actual solar production, project cost, savings, incentives, and payback can vary based on roof conditions, equipment, utility rules, financing, installation requirements, electricity rates, and other factors. This calculator does not automatically apply a federal tax credit to 2026 estimates.
Storage is priced by usable capacity and bought mostly for outage resilience. This calculator adds a 13.5 kWh unit to the model so you can see the real cost difference.
What the model assumes
Every estimate rests on assumptions, and hiding them is how bad solar math spreads. Here is exactly what this tool uses.
- City-average residential retail rate in cents per kWh
- City-average daily peak sun hours from long-run irradiance data
- 14% combined system losses for inverter, wiring, soiling, and heat
- 410-watt modules and installed cost per watt from current Texas market pricing
- 0.5% annual panel degradation across a 25-year model
- 3.1% annual utility rate escalation, close to the long-run Texas average
- 30% federal residential clean energy credit on the full installed cost
What it does not know about your home
A calculator cannot see your roof. It does not know your main panel amperage, your rafter spacing, the age of your shingles, or the pecan tree on your south side. Those details are what turn an estimate into a quote, and they usually move the number by 5% to 15%.
It also cannot know your retail electric provider's solar buyback rate, which in Texas is the single largest swing factor in real-world savings. Read how Texas buyback works before you finalize a system size.
How to use the result
Take the system size and net cost into your first installer conversation. If a proposal comes back 40% above this estimate for the same kilowatts, ask what is different: a panel upgrade, a service panel replacement, or a financing dealer fee. All three are legitimate reasons for a higher price, and all three should be itemized.
Then check your city page for local rate and utility detail, and confirm which Texas incentives you qualify for.