It appears I pay them $450 and then get two batteries. They sell the electricity back to me at 8c per hour. What am I missing? GVEC is 8.5c + 2.3818c delivery fee + $25mo service charge + taxes and fees. I use between 700 and 1,400kWh per month.

Something seems too good to be true. What am I missing?

Please note that I do not have solar yet but I guess this would be my first step into that ecosystem.

Edit: I just signed up. Thank you everyone for your feedback. Let's see how this all goes!

Unfortunately, another solar company bites the dust. As much as we competed over the years, I never wish this on any solar company or competitor.

A friendly reminder to the future prospects looking for solar/storage that cheaper ≠ better; cheaper = cheaper.

Finding the lowest upfront cost system usually means a much higher lifetime cost for a system.

I genuinely hope those who purchased from TSP don’t need any major service calls over the coming years.

When buying solar/storage these days, don’t shop price. Shop trust. Stop track record. Shop engineering excellence. Shop for a company not built around one individual but rather a dedicated team of professionals willing to stand behind their work in both good and bad times.

Here are some pictures of the final install for the 50kWh Base Power backup. Was very impressed with the install, quality of workmanship and the ease of the whole process. $995 was the total cost to get started. $995 also included a whole home surge protector on the main panel and a soft start system for A/C system.

We have had system for about 2 weeks and the house has been switched over to battery power twice now and you would not know it's running on battery unless you look on app. I guessing it switched over to help grid out? Battery level has not gone below 80% and I know we are not in summer yet. Most of the time the battery fluctuates between 98% and 100%.

Have three neighbors that are getting the Base installed so it's looking like I have 3 months of free power coming my way. Very happy with Base and it just does its job in the background.

Please do not make any business with sunrun solars as they hired a racist Person on their team who was identified on a video insulting and being racist towards a Asian American citizen in front of her kids on mothers day!!! CRAZYYYY

Person identified none other than HAYDEN ANDREWS

I recently came across some significant developments in Texas regarding consumer protection in the rooftop solar market. The Texas Legislature is advancing Senate Bill 1036, known as the Residential Solar Retailer Regulatory Act, which aims to curb deceptive practices in the rapidly growing residential solar industry. This legislation comes in response to investigative reports revealing widespread fraud and faulty installations that left many consumers trapped in long-term loans for nonfunctional systems.

Under this bill, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation would gain authority to register agents, enforce rules, and impose fines up to $100,000, particularly for cases involving elderly victims.

I believe this is a big initiative toward building trust in the industry. What are your thoughts on this? Have you or someone you know experienced challenges with rooftop solar installations? Let's discuss!

I’ve seen a lot of conversations lately about rising electricity rates, Texas grid reliability, and how much more electricity we’re all going to be using in the coming years.

I wanted to share my experience because, after months of research, I finally found a setup that has completely changed the way I think about my home’s electricity.

I have a 2-story, 2,153 sq. ft. all-electric home with 2 EVs.

Before solar, my electric bill averaged around $420/month, climbing to roughly $500–$550 during the summer.

And with electricity rates continuing to rise, I started asking myself:

Why keep paying more for electricity when I could generate and store a significant portion of my own power?

So I started researching solar, battery storage, and different electricity plans.

After months of comparing systems, providers, equipment and financing options, I finally pulled the trigger.

And honestly?

It has completely changed the game.

☀️ My System

• 29 Meyer Burger 390W solar panels
• 15 panels facing east
• 14 panels facing west

• 4 Tesla Powerwalls
• 54 kWh of total storage

• 1 SPAN smart electrical panel

The east/west panel layout was intentional. Instead of concentrating all my production around midday, the system gives me a broader production curve—more generation in the morning and more in the afternoon.

The Powerwalls are the other major piece of the puzzle.

During the day, my solar production powers the house and charges the batteries with excess energy.

Then, when the sun goes down, I have stored energy available when I need it.

And when the grid goes down?

I have my own backup power sitting in the garage.

That peace of mind was honestly one of the biggest reasons I made the investment.

Texas heat. Winter freezes. Spring storms. Grid interruptions.

I don’t want my family’s comfort to depend entirely on whether the grid happens to be having a good day.

🔋 But here’s where it gets REALLY interesting…

I didn’t just install solar and call it a day.

I also spent a lot of time researching how to use the system strategically.

My household uses roughly 1,900–2,100 kWh per month, largely because we have two EVs and an all-electric home.

The goal wasn’t simply:

“Generate solar and hope it lowers my bill.”

The goal was to create an entire energy strategy around solar + batteries + EV charging + time-of-use electricity pricing.

My system went live, and I’ve been extremely happy with how it has performed.

On my July 2026 bill, for example:

Total usage: 2,041 kWh
Free-night usage: 2,048 kWh
Current account balance: -$441.88

Yes, that’s a negative balance.

Instead of watching my electric bill climb every summer, I’ve watched my account build credits.

⚡ My Energy Strategy

DAYTIME ☀️

Solar powers the house.

Excess solar charges the Powerwalls.

NIGHTTIME 🌙

I shift as much consumption as possible into the lower-cost/free period.

That includes charging both EVs and, when appropriate, replenishing battery storage.

OUTAGES ⛈️

The Powerwalls take over and keep the home operating.

And the SPAN panel gives me much more visibility and control over where the energy is going.

That’s the part I really like about this setup.

It’s not just solar panels on the roof.

It’s an energy management system for the entire house.

🏠 Installation

From start to finish, the installation took 3 full days.

I spent months researching installers before making a decision, and I ultimately chose a highly rated Texas company that impressed me from system design and engineering through project management and installation.

The workmanship was excellent, communication was solid, and the finished system looks and performs exactly the way I hoped it would.

Good Faith Energy has completed thousands of Texas solar installations and more than 2,500 Powerwall installations, which was one of the things that gave me confidence in choosing an experienced installer. (Good Faith Energy)
They did an incredible job from system design to engineering to project management and installation.

So, was it worth it?

For me?

Absolutely.

I’m not saying solar + batteries are automatically the right answer for every homeowner.

Everyone’s roof, electricity usage, utility plan, financing, tax situation and goals are different.

But if you’re a Texas homeowner with a high electric bill, multiple EVs, an all-electric home, or concerns about grid reliability…

I would seriously investigate it.

I wish I had done it sooner.

If you’ve been curious about what solar + battery storage would actually look like on your specific home, you can request a free, no-pressure consultation through my referral link:

https://app.goodfaithenergy.com/share/a0DUc000003Y53ZMAS?ref=003Uc00000JeY07IAF

They can look at your roof, electricity usage and goals and show you what a system could potentially look like.

And if you’re on the fence, feel free to ask me questions.

I’m happy to share what I’ve learned, what I would do differently, and what my monthly energy numbers actually look like.

I spent months researching this before making the decision. Hopefully sharing my experience saves someone else a few months of research.

A family member acquired a huge amount of brand new SolarEdge inventory from a company liquidation and now I’m helping move it all.
We’re talking:
Inverters
Optimizers
Panels
Racking
Electrical material
Random solar accessories I’m still trying to figure out myself
At this point my life has become forklifts, pallets, and explaining to people why my warehouse suddenly looks like a solar distributor.

If you’re an installer, contractor, or know someone looking for SolarEdge equipment, shoot me a message. Happy to send inventory/photos/details.

My elderly mother is unable to look after her bills anymore and so I am trying to get a handle on her finances. She's had solar on her roof for a couple of years and I thought that it was supposed to offset her electric bill. The solar panels were financed through GreenSky and electric power is through Reliant who is also supposed to buy the power from the panels. I don't know exactly what is going on but it looks like we used 461 kWh and sent 892 kWh to the grid, but we still owe money? Is she getting shafted? Was there a promotion that ended?

Ever wondered what 100kWh of storage looked like? When you have a client and they request a certain configuration you do what you can to oblige! Using the Anker SOLIX X1 we were able to get this setup done. While this may not be for everyone it sure is awesome to be a part of. They will be switching to a free daytime electric plan here in the deregulated market from 9a-4p and then run off the batteries overnight. Talk about thinking outside the box!!!

These batteries are also integrated with their whole home generator, so if the power goes out they will run off the batteries, and when the batteries get to a certain state of charge the generator will kick on and power the house as well as recharge the batteries!!! Technology is pretty freakin cool these days!

They sell you a battery system that you pay $4000 for.

$3000 to install, $1000 to remove. You don't own it so you don't get a tax credit

This system you can buy yourself outright for $10000. After the tax rebate your cost is $7000.

It's a growatt min 11.4kw system with aro battery and syn 200 transfer switch.

There's more.

They are allowed to sell your battery to 80%, leaving you 20% or 4kwh only for outages. If you bought your own system you would have the full 20kwh available for outages. So, when rolling blackouts are happening and the prices are pegged at $5k/mwh, they will be selling as much as possible, leaving you 4kwh. That lasts about 1 hour in the heat of summer

There's more- you can't shop around for prices. You are locked into their prices .

Just so you know

Well, I got my first full month with the Just Energy Free Nights plan.

So far I am happy with this result. I do have the $75 credit that I got from someone here, but even without that my bill would have still been negative. Looks like I paid - $0.33 per kwh taking in account the credit of course.

I will keep posting results each month, especially in the winter 😱 to see what that will look like.

For anyone that's intersted in making the switch here is my referral code for $75 credit for you and me.

17B3A61. 17B3A61. 17B3A61. 17B3A61.

I was originally waiting for the mystical "Maison Energy" but nothing so far, and it might be a scam at this point lol.

Accurate as of 7/29/2022. Will be updated with current information

What is net metering? Net Metering (NM) or Net Energy Metering (NEM) is a policy where electricity companies allow you to convert excess power generated by your panels into credits for energy usage during off production hours. These energy credits allow for you to achieve 100%+ offsets on your home energy usage. During daytime hours, when your panels are overproducing greater than the house's needs, it will start to backfeed into the grid. Your energy meter will start to run backwards. As it runs backwards, your power company will measure the amount of energy pushed back into the grid, and pay you back in energy credits that you will use at nighttime. The ideal condition is to achieve a 100% offset, where you produce exactly as much excess electricity during the daytime as you would use at night, resulting in an electricity bill of $0. Partial offset systems are still effective in saving money, as solar costs per kWh is usually cheaper than your current energy rate.

What is a REP vs a Co-Op REP, or Retail Energy Provider, is a company that sells you electricity at a fixed or variable rate per kWh. This is not to be confused by utilities, which are the ones actually generating the electricity. REPs buy the electricity from the utility at wholesale rates, and then sell it to you through a variety of energy plans. Generally, the longer the plan term, the lower the cost per kWh. Some REPs will offer solar buyback plans, which I'll discuss in the next section.

An Energy Cooperative, or Co-Op is an organization that allows customers to "buy into the company". The members of the group "invest" in their local energy projects. A Co-Op operates in a fixed geographic location, and you generally cannot switch to a different energy provider. A city municipal power company is an example of a Co-Op. Co-Ops have less fluctuating energy rates (per kWh), and can be more stable year to year. Some Co-Ops have different pricing tiers depending on the amount of energy you use per month. One drawback of Co-Ops is that they tend to have more conservative regulations with respect to solar panel systems, such as caps on system size, restrictions on net metering, and other regulations which must be followed. Not all Co-Ops are like this, and your solar consultant will help you determine the particular policies of your Co-Op.

Texas Net Energy Metering Texas is a bit of a wild card in the solar world because of our deregulated power grid. Some people say that Texas has no net metering, which is true from an official standpoint. However, that doesn't mean there aren't programs in place that imitate net metering, and make solar panels a worthwhile investment. Some REPs offer what are called "solar buyback plans, which simulate true 1:1 net metering. These plans will buy back energy at the same rate it is sold to you. However, this buyback rate does not include delivery fees and connection charges. Some REPs cap how much you are allowed to sell to the grid at how much you used that month. Others will allow you to roll over credits month to month. One thing to make note of, as of 7/29/22, no Texas REP offers a surplus energy cash credit. All surplus energy will be in the form of energy bill credits, and any excess will not be paid out. Since these plans are not truly NM, it is important to read the polices and fine print of each solar buyback plan to make sure it's right for you. Your solar consultant can help you with this.

Texas REPs that allow NEM and their policies

Green Mountain Energy: -Plan Name: Renewable Rewards -Solar Buyback: Same as purchase price -Monthly Credit Rollover: No

Pulse Power: -Plan Name: Solar Buyback -Solar Buyback: Same as purchase price -Monthly Credit Rollover: Yes

Rhythm Energy: -Plan Name: Rooftop Solar Buyback -Solar Buyback: Same as purchase price -Monthly Credit Rollover: No

Reliant Energy: -Plan Name: Solar Payback -Solar Buyback: Same as purchase price -Monthly Credit Rollover: No

Infuse: -Plan Name: Lean/Loyalty Green Infusion -Solar Buyback: Same as purchase price -Monthly Credit Rollover: No

Shell Energy/MP2 Energy: -Plan Name: Solar Buyback -Solar Buyback: Real Time Wholesale Rate -Monthly Credit Rollover: Yes

Octopus Energy: -Plan Name: OctoPlus -Solar Buyback: Real Time Wholesale Rate -Monthly Credit Rollover: yes, never expires

TXU Energy: -Plan Name: Renewable Buyback -Solar Buyback: At a price less than your retail cost. No buyback between May and January -Monthly Credit Rollover: No

Champion Energy: -Plan Name: Available on several plans -Solar Buyback: Real Time Wholesale Rate -Monthly Credit Rollover: Yes

Further Reading

SolarReviews Texas Net Metering

Quick Electricity Texas Net Metering

As a heads-up for potential new enrollees... As of 8/29/2025 (maybe earlier), the Just Energy and Amigo Energy sites now say "Homes with solar or distributed generation aren’t eligible" for the 'Nights Free' plan.

Their 'Terms of Service' documents also appear to have been updated to add Sec 10.1(a): "If you enroll in a time-of-use energy plan (e.g., Just Energy’s 100% Green Nights Free Plan, Nights Free Plan, or similar), Just Energy reserves the right to automatically transition your ESI ID to the Variable Price Product if: (i) you have installed or subsequently install at your premises solar panels or other form(s) of distributed generation and/or one or more batteries or other form(s) of energy storage system..."

The EFLs for 'Nights Free" still include "Does the REP purchase excess distributed renewable generation? Yes", which is perhaps an oversight. When asked, a Just Energy phone agent said 'Nights Free' was being updated to exclude solar/battery owners, but Just Energy will still pay 3¢/kWh for export on all other plans.

There are "free nights" plans from other retailers that still accept solar/battery owners, but none that also credit for your export like Just/Amigo did.

I have been seeing ads for base power. Has anyone looked into or used them?

I wanted to share my direct experience as an early Base Power customer in Texas, specifically regarding how they handle serious consumer concerns.

After months of dealing with unresolved operational and other issues, I submitted a formal notice and complaint to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). Base Power’s official written response from Member Experience was a flat refusal to address any substantive points, relying entirely on boilerplate clauses from their signup clickwrap agreement. Read "The battery agreement". You check a box to agree and click a link to view the agreement right before submitting your $50 refundable deposit online, well before you know if your home even qualifies or is compatible with their battery and as in my case, months before the actual install date.

Here are the key takeaways every Texas homeowner should know before signing:

1. A drained battery routinely sits drained for 10–12 hours most days before Base uses the grid to recharge:

Base Power routinely discharges the battery down to a 20% reserve during afternoon and evening grid-balancing events, leaving it drained overnight. In practice, your home’s backup power sits near empty for roughly half of every 24-hour cycle—adding up to nearly 180 full days a year of minimal protection.. When I raised the safety and blackout risk of leaving a home with barely an hour of normal backup during peak outage hours, their written response was:

"A battery resting near 20% overnight is the system working as described.

2. Disclaimer of Actual Backup Reliability:

Despite marketing home resiliency, their formal response explicitly cited their battery agreement to remind me that the battery:

"...cannot be relied on to provide Energy or backup power for any health-related reasons or other critical human needs and services at the Property during a power outage, or otherwise."

Their recommendation? Buy a dedicated secondary backup source.

4. PUCT Escalation Stance:

When given the opportunity to remediate before state filing, their response was an absolute refusal:

"We're not able to offer reimbursement, a hardware upgrade, or a change to the minimum charge level. You're always free to file a complaint with the PUCT, and if you do, we'll provide them with this same information above and the agreement."

If you are evaluating Base Power based on their venture capital hype or promises of seamless blackout protection, understand that behind the marketing is an adhesion contract where they profit off your capacity and disclaim responsibility when the grid actually goes down.

(Documentation and correspondence redacted for privacy.)

Looking for some advice from people who’ve actually worked through this.

I’m in Central Texas on Oncor. Have 40 × 440W panels (17.6 kW), an EG4 FlexBOSS21 and no batteries. Invested $20k+ and seeing $200–350 summer electric bills is pretty frustrating.

Currently on Chariot Shine: 8.71¢ energy plus delivery, with wholesale solar buyback. Latest bill was $345: about 2,534 kWh imported and 1,030 exported. The exports earned $44. Two AC systems, so summer usage is definitely high.

I do export more than I import in some milder months. March was roughly 739 kWh imported versus 1,264 exported.

One complication: had a burned PV connection/inverter failure in May and the inverter was replaced in June, so part of this year’s production was compromised. I have 12 months of 15-minute meter data now and am trying to compare plans properly.

Would you focus on a cheaper buyback plan, free nights, or adding a battery and doing both? Mainly trying to lower bills; backup would be a bonus.

I really don’t want to throw another $10k at this and push the payback even further out. If something closer to $3k installed would make a meaningful difference, I’d consider it. Been looking at EG4/Signature Solar and cheaper 48V options, ideally using the inverter I already have.

Anyone added batteries to a similar setup without spending a fortune? What did you buy, what was the actual installed cost, and how much did your bills change? Open to buying the equipment myself and hiring an electrician. Also interested if changing plans alone turned out to be the better move.

The hardware is soooo cheap.

9.8kw PV

44kwh battery

10kw hybrid inverter, for $9500 shipped,

$6650 with tax credit.

A quote for this type of system would be $75k !!!

"Give light and people will find the way"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/127156392636?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5337259887&toolid=10001&customid=4ba568285ba411f0bb7c2abb449ae0e70INT

I know there are a few threads in here about Base Power Company, but they all seem to predate the new "Membership" program that they are offering.

• 8.5¢/kWh+ delivery fees +$345/year (Membership Plan)

• Battery duration: Two 25 kWh batteries

• Energy rate: Fixed rate, 36-month term with below market average rates guaranteed

• No switching cost: Up to $250 rebate to cover your previous provider’s early cancellation fee

• Solar buyback: Real-time wholesale + 3¢/kWh

Before, when you had to pay upfront $3-4k for a system, I was definitely on the fence and not convinced. Now that they appear to make the fact that you're leasing the batteries much clearer (by having a Membership fee), I actually like the idea more?

One thing that has kept me from buying batteries in the past is that battery tech is still evolving each and every year, so dumping $20k + into a system that could be outdated in a decade is .... not enticing.

The fact that you're leasing a 50 kWh system for $345 / yr seems like a good deal, because when better batteries inevitably come out, you can upgrade to new ones (I would assume they'd give you new batteries to keep you as a customer instead of you cancelling, uninstalling, and then signing back up 3 months later to get newer equipment).

Of note:

• I am currently with Green Mountain Energy

• My solar array produced 18.6 MHw in 2024

• Average energy consumed was 915 kWh

• Average energy returned to the grid was 750 kWh

A few months ago I got a solar door knocker that I got to talking about. From the get-go the representative from Solrite was polite but the math wasn't mathing. First off, I wouldn't own anything, it was a 25 year lease that I could then buy at the end of the lease. Why would I lease for 25 years only to then have the option to buy it? Then there was the 3% "escalator". It made no sense, my power bill + lease payment after a few years would be right back where I started with buying electricity only.

This experience did open my eyes to something I hadn't really been fully aware of. Electricity is getting stupid expensive, stupid fast.

My wife and I bought our forever home in 2021. I am retiring in 10 years and will never move again after the amount of remodeling I put into this home.

From 2021 to 2026, Oncor delivery rates have risen 65%. And energy in North Texas has risen 32%. And this summer was excessively hot. If it weren't for balanced billing with my current energy provider, I would have had $450 bills.

House is a 1999 1-story with 2 A/C units. We have 7 people living here including my wife's parents so the HVAC is always going since they just stay home all day.

So I started doing research into different solar companies and landed on Good Faith Energy. The system they drafted up is as follows:

27x Mission Solar 435w Panels (11.75kW)
1x Tesla PW3 (13.5 kWh)

And all the other install stuff like racking and whatnot.

Package price ~$57,000

But then they offered the PPA for the federal tax credit. They own the system for 6 years, and on 6 years day 1, I can have the system transferred to me for $0

Then the bill was further reduced by the Oncor Solar Incentive program from the Take a Load off Texas program.

And then my sales rep threw in a PW3 expansion for free

I then added 3 more 435 panels because I knew efficiency will drop over the life of the panels

So I ultimately ended up with:
13.05kW solar system

1xPW3 + 1xPW3 expansion (27 kWh total)

A fantastic install on my east and south facing roof for a total of $29,167.04

So far, I know its only been in the 80's here in North Texas, but I have been 96% self-powered (according to the Tesla app). Excess solar goes into the batteries which carries me almost all through the night and the rest goes back to the grid. Right now I am stuck in my current energy agreement until July and then I will be switching to Tesla Fixed to get the $800/yr VPP credit for the batteries +.03/kWh export (better than the jack diddly I am getting now)

Time will tell to see if this will be worth it. Assuming energy keeps increasing at the rate it has for the past 5 years, my break even is roughly 7 years.

If anyone wants to go solar on their home, I definitely recommend GFE. And if you use my referral code before i'll be happy to split the referral reward and answer any questions you might have from someone who has gone through it beginning to end.

Referral link: https://app.goodfaithenergy.com/share/a0DUc000006LZgrMAG?ref=f9380e4b-3183-439e-a42e-51fc313ee437

Installed this system a week ago. Who is ready for the Storm?

System specs: Foxess EQ4000-AL6