Solar companies in Austin, TX: who installs the most
A typical 7 kW system in Austin costs about $15,750 before incentives and pays for itself in about 9 years without the federal credit. Check the numbers for your home:
Your solar estimate
How I calculate this
I went through utility interconnection records: 1,387 home solar systems were installed within 10.2 miles of central Austin in 2022–2024, by 10 companies with 30 or more systems each. The five most active still in business: Freedom Solar (411), Lighthouse Solar Austin (267), Freedom Forever (93), 512 Solar (87), Sunrun (57). Today, quotes average $2.25/W in Austin (EnergySage, updated 2026-09-04) — about $15,750 for a 7 kW system before incentives.
Counts from public records, not rankings; quote requests go to a referral network. How I calculate.
Solar installers in Austin by number of systems
| Company (as recorded) | Systems 2022–2024 | Earliest record here | Leased / PPA | With battery | Typical size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Solar | 411 | 2009 | 0% | 28% | 7.4 kW |
| Lighthouse Solar Austin | 267 | 2008 | 0% | 20% | 7.5 kW |
| Freedom Forever | 93 | 2020 | 0% | 4% | 8.0 kW |
| 512 Solar | 87 | 2014 | 0% | 0% | 8.1 kW |
| Sunrun | 57 | 2017 | 0% | 23% | 7.8 kW |
| Longhorn Solar | 53 | 2009 | 0% | 19% | 8.3 kW |
| M2 Power Solutions | 43 | 2021 | 0% | 5% | 7.6 kW |
| Green Light Solar Tx | 32 | 2019 | 0% | 12% | 8.0 kW |
| J C Energy Enterprises | 32 | 2020 | 0% | 3% | 8.6 kW |
| Titan Solar Filed for Chapter 7 in June 2024 and closed (source) | 31 | 2019 | 0% | 3% | 8.8 kW |
Counts of systems in utility interconnection records for ZIP codes within 10.2 miles of central Austin — not reviews, rankings or recommendations; I have no partnership with these companies. Company names are as reported and can include older brand names.
Get solar quotes in Austin
Enter your ZIP to request quotes from installers who work in your area.
How to check a solar quote in Austin
- Divide your quote by system size in watts. Austin quotes on EnergySage average $2.25/W; a typical 11.9 kW system there is quoted $22,674–$30,676 before incentives.
- Ask which utility credit the savings estimate uses. Power you send to the grid is credited at: Austin Energy 9.91¢/kWh.
- Paste the price and size into the quote checker or follow the six-step quote check.
Compare quotes for a home in Austin
Tell me about the home and installers who serve Austin will send prices for it. No obligation to buy.
Austin Energy: rates and export credits
| Utility | Typical energy charge | Credit for power sent to the grid | Export rate period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Energy | $0.159/kWh Residential, Residential - Outside Austin | $0.0991/kWh Value of Solar Rider (all production credited, charges for all consumption) | systems under 1 MW-AC, effective 2023-03-01, subject to change |
Parts of the Austin area near its edges are served by TXU Energy Retail Co. This page covers the utility serving most of the city.
Is solar worth it in Austin at today's prices?
At today's average quote of $2.25/W, a 7 kW system pays for itself in about 9 years for Austin Energy customers.
| Utility | Size | kWh/yr | Cost at $2.25/W | Credits and rebates | Savings/yr | Payback | 20-yr net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Energy | 5 kW | 7,415 | $11,250 | $4,000 | $958 | 7.6 yrs | $11,918 |
| Austin Energy | 7 kW | 10,381 | $15,750 | $4,000 | $1,342 | 8.8 yrs | $15,085 |
| Austin Energy | 10 kW | 14,830 | $22,500 | $4,000 | $1,917 | 9.7 yrs | $19,836 |
Rates used: Austin Energy 15.9¢ used at home, 9.91¢ exported. Rate basis — Austin Energy: EIA average residential price for the state, 2026-06, because the tariff on file understates the full per-kWh price (delivery-only or base energy charge without riders). Half of production used at home, no federal credit, no rate increases or degradation — full method.
How much a system produces in Austin
Each 1 kW of panels produces about 1,483 kWh a year here — most in August (154 kWh), least in February (94 kWh).
Permits and inspections in Austin
Installers reported a median of 4 business days for the city permit in 2024 (US median 7), no pre-install review reported, 14 days from installation to the last passed inspection and 10 days for permission to operate from Austin Energy; 39 projects in the data that year. Across the US the whole project took 93 business days median from contract to permission to operate (NREL SolarTRACE, how long installation takes).
Austin against nearby cities
Among Austin and its 1 nearest neighbours I cover, it is number 2 by systems in the records and number 2 by sunshine per kW.
| City | Systems in records | Companies with 30+ | Average quote | kWh a year per kW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | 6,676 | 30 | $2.20/W | 1,503 |
| Austin | 1,387 | 10 | $2.25/W | 1,483 |
Incentives and rules for Austin homeowners
- Federal tax credit: the 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025 (IRS).
- Austin Energy: Excess Solar Bill Credit carries over month-to-month, non-transferable. Details on the Texas page.
- Texas rules: property tax — full text and sources on the Texas page.
Texas rules and utility credits checked on 2026-09-14; price benchmark checked on 2026-09-15.
Nearby cities
- Solar companies in San Antonio, TX
- Solar companies in Tucson, AZ
- Solar companies in Gilbert, AZ
- Solar companies in Chandler, AZ
- Solar companies in Tempe, AZ
- All Texas cities
Ready for solar quotes in Austin?
About a minute, no obligation to buy.
Sources for Austin
- CPS Energy Rider E5 (effective 2008-09-01), received from CPS DG team 2026-09-14
- https://austinenergy.com/rates/residential-rates/value-of-solar-rate
- https://comptroller.texas.gov/forms/50-123.pdf
- https://data.openei.org/submissions/3
- https://developer.nlr.gov/docs/electricity/utility-rates-v3/
- https://developer.nlr.gov/docs/solar/pvwatts/v8/
- https://openei.org/services/doc/rest/util_rates/?version=7
- https://www.cpsenergy.com/en/my-home/savenow/solar-photovoltaic-rebate/comm-solar-rebate-faqs.html
- https://www.energysage.com/local-data/solar-panel-cost/tx/travis-county/austin/
- https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/residential-clean-energy-credit
- https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2025_Gazetteer/
Data collected on 2026-09-14.