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Oncor Solar

RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL COMMERCIAL

THINKING ABOUT SOLAR?

Whether you're a homeowner or business owner, here's an overview of steps to help you start taking advantage of all the benefits offered by solar power.

Rooftop Solar Information Guide

CHOOSING AN INSTALLER

An installer plays a key role in the interconnection process, so selecting one is an important decision that can take time. You may want to talk with more than one installer to learn about the installation process and to educate yourself before making a selection.

 
ASK AN INSTALLER:
  • Is my roof ready for rooftop solar?
  • Do I have the right amount of space for installation?
  • Does my home or business have the right exposure to maximize solar gain?
  • Which system size will best balance cost and savings?

Once you've selected an installer, they will communicate with Oncor, file an application for either a certified residential system or certified small commercial system, and begin the interconnection process. The time frame for installation can range from a few days to several months.

 

Oncor will review your application, perform a study to ensure a safe and reliable interconnection to the grid, and prepare an interconnection agreement to be signed by all authorized parties. Once Oncor provides permission to operate, meter information—including information about any surplus generation—will be provided to retail electric providers with the first full billing cycle (30-60 days). An advanced meter is required to measure surplus generation sent to the grid. 

THE INTERCONNECTION PROCESS

  • Customer selects an installer.
  • Installer sends the customer a tariff application for signature.
  • Installer submits the solar installation via the web-based installer portal.
  • Oncor reviews the solar application and required documentation, performs a study, and prepares an interconnection agreement.
  • Once the interconnection agreement is signed by all parties, Oncor provides a Permission To Operate (PTO) letter to both the customer and the installer.
  • Once the PTO has been granted, Oncor has the customer's meter programmed to measure any surplus generation sent to the grid.
  • Surplus generation is provided to the customer's retail electric provider within 30 to 60 days of the PTO.
  • Customers can see the daily and monthly energy data recorded in 15-minute intervals by their smart meter at SmartMeterTexas.com.

CHOOSING A RETAIL ELECTRIC PROVIDER

You can choose a Retail Electric Provider (REP) and compare plans by going to powertochoose.org. It is the customer's responsibility to communicate with their retail electric provider about buy-back plans or energy credits for surplus energy that is produced, however, you are not required to participate in any buy-back programs. Questions you should ask your REP include:

  • Will I be charged for changing my current electric plan?
  • How do "buy back credits" help to offset my overall energy costs?
  • What savings can I expect with solar?
Oncor_private_solar_residential_interconnection_process.jpg

WHAT ABOUT SAVINGS?

Homeowners can benefit from a rooftop solar system producing 'homegrown' electricity. These systems offset a portion of your electric usage. Some retail electric providers offer buy-back plans for surplus generation sent to the grid. Customers should compare plans carefully to maximize their savings on electric usage. Oncor has a solar photovoltaic program that helps customers find service providers, and offers incentives that may offset initial costs. Visit takealoadofftexas.com to learn more about participating.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SUN ISN'T SHINING?

When the sun isn't shining (night, clouds, shade), a house may require power from the grid. In fact, most homes will still need power from the electric grid, and there will continue to be a delivery charge on customers' monthly bills to pay for the connection to the grid.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ENERGY I GENERATE?

If you are producing more energy than you are consuming, then the surplus energy goes to the grid. Conversely, if you are consuming more energy than you are producing, then all of your generated energy is being consumed by you. Any additional energy requirements you have will be provided by the grid. The figure below illustrates the basic scenario for power flow between a DG site home and the grid.

DG RESOURCES - METERING PROCESS

WHO SHOULD I CONTACT?

From time to time, you may have questions about different aspects of your private solar rooftop system.

  • Your installer can answer questions about pricing, installation options, and equipment.
  • Your retail electric provider can answer questions about billing, energy credits, or existing buy-back plans.
  • Oncor can answer your questions about distributed generation, interconnection, and more.

Call us at 1.866.728.3674 Mon. - Fri., 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) or email dg@oncor.com.

5 MYTHS OF RESIDENTIAL SOLAR

More people are embracing solar, battery storage and other onsite sources of energy for Distributed Generation (DG). By doing so, they can reduce their energy usage and save money on their electric bill. DG sources are those that generate electricity from one of many small sources at an individual’s home or business.

RESOURCES

LINKS

BUY BACK PROGRAMS
ONCOR RESIDENTIAL SOLAR INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
ONCOR COMMERCIAL SOLAR INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
SMART METER TEXAS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The process for obtaining an interconnection agreement for new systems begins with you or your installer submitting an interconnection application in our DG Interconnection Portal which can be accessed at oncor.anbetrack.com

For certified systems, the general processing time for complete applications is around three to four weeks. The processing time for systems that are not certified will vary dependent on particular aspects of the application.

Oncor's tariff for retail delivery service provides a chart showing the various Oncor study fees for different types of application requests. In general, there are no pre-interconnection study fees for small inverter-based systems.

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