El Paso County · NEC 2020 · El Paso Electric · Not ERCOT
El Paso Solar
Permit Design.
Not ERCOT. EPE Western Grid.
Approval Before You Install.
El Paso solar permit drawings for City of El Paso and all El Paso County AHJs. El Paso Electric is NOT in ERCOT — no REP selection, net metering instead of buyback plans. EPE’s July 2025 rate case imposed a 10% export cap on new installations. And EPE requires written design approval before any installation begins. 297 sunny days. Free for first-time clients.
EPE Western Interconnection
·Net metering — no REP
·297 sunny days/yr
·Free AHJ revisions
Not ERCOTEl Paso Electric — Western Interconnection · No REP selection needed
297 DaysSunny days/yr · 5.5–6.0 peak sun hours · Best solar resource in Texas
10% CapPost-July 2025 export limit · Excess at avoided cost
EPE FirstWritten design approval required before installation
2026 Codes
Electrical: NEC 2020 (Texas working standard)
Structural: IBC 2021 / IRC 2021
Utility: El Paso Electric (EPE) · Not ERCOT · Net metering
Export cap: 10% prior year usage · Post-July 1, 2025
Last verified July 2026
Two Things Most Installers Get Wrong in El Paso
No REP Selection. And EPE’s July 2025 Rate Case Changed Export Rules for New Installations.
Installers who work El Paso alongside ERCOT cities make two mistakes: they tell customers to pick a solar buyback REP (an ERCOT concept that doesn’t apply here), and they miss the July 2025 EPE rate case changes. El Paso Electric is a regulated IOU on the Western Interconnection — it handles generation, delivery, and interconnection as one entity. No REP. No ERCOT market. A completely different structure from Dallas, Houston, or Austin.
Pre-July 2025
EPE Net Metering — Prior to July 1, 2025 Rate Case
✅Standard monthly net metering — generation offset against consumption
✅No explicit export cap — size system to match or slightly exceed usage
✅Net excess credited at EPE Rate Schedule T-48
✅Systems before July 1, 2025 grandfathered on this plan
⚠️$30.25 minimum monthly bill regardless of solar production
Post-July 2025
EPE Net Metering — New Installations After July 1, 2025
⚠️Net metering only for systems under 50kW
⚠️Export cap: only 10% of prior year’s usage credited at net metering rates
⚠️Excess beyond 10% cap earns avoided cost — a few cents per kWh
⚠️$30.25 minimum monthly bill still applies
✅Right-sizing to consumption is now the critical design decision
⚠️ EPE requires written design approval before installation begins. Submit the plan set and interconnection application to EPE, receive email approval, then pull the city permit and install. Application fees: $85 for systems 1–100kW. Contractors who install before EPE approval risk building systems that fail interconnection — rework cost on installed equipment is significant.
Why El Paso Installers Outsource
Wrong Plan Set Format for EPE. Oversized Systems Past the 10% Cap. Installing Before Approval.
ERCOT-Format Plan Sets Don’t Work for EPE Interconnection
EPE requires its own one-line format, site diagram, and generation disconnect documentation. Submitting an ERCOT-format plan set to EPE gets rejected — and since EPE recommends waiting for design approval before installation, a rejection delays the entire project. We build every El Paso plan set to EPE’s specific submission format.
Oversizing Past the 10% Export Cap Hurts the Customer
Before July 2025, sizing at 100–120% of consumption was standard. Now, exports beyond 10% of prior year usage earn only avoided cost — a few cents per kWh. A system that pushes too much past the cap leaves the customer earning cents instead of full net metering credits. Right-sizing to consumption is the key deliverable for every new El Paso installation.
Installing Before EPE Approval Is the Most Expensive El Paso Solar Mistake
EPE is clear: written email approval before panels go up. Contractors who build first risk systems that fail interconnection review. El Paso is not a self-certify-and-submit market. EPE reviews first. We flag this requirement in every El Paso deliverable and format plan sets for EPE submission alongside the city permit package.
El Paso Solar Permit Services
EPE-Formatted. NEC 2020. Export Cap Sized. All El Paso County AHJs.
El Paso Residential Solar Permit Design
NEC 2020, IBC/IRC 2021. EPE interconnection package — EPE-spec single-line, site diagram, generation disconnect. Post-July 2025 export cap sizing documented. City of El Paso Development Services permit format. Battery (NEC 2020 Article 706) where included.
Residential Solar Permit Design Services →El Paso Commercial Solar Permit Design
Commercial rooftop drawings for El Paso County. IBC 2021, NEC 2020. EPE commercial interconnection ($230 for >100kW). El Paso’s Borderplex industrial, government, and Fort Bliss military market creates strong commercial solar demand. PE stamp for commercial projects.
Commercial Solar Permit Design Services →El Paso Battery Permit Plans
Solar-paired and standalone battery permit drawings. NEC 2020 Article 706, EPE storage interconnection. With the 10% export cap, battery capturing excess midday generation and dispatching it for evening use maximizes EPE net metering value. 297 sunny days and high summer cooling loads make battery economics strong.
Battery Storage Permit Design Services →El Paso EV Charger Permit Design
EV charger permit drawings for El Paso County residential and commercial. NEC 2020 Article 625, load calculations, panel upgrade integration. Fort Bliss, government facilities, and border logistics operations drive commercial EV fleet demand. Solar + battery + EV eliminates daytime grid purchases under EPE’s net metering structure.
EV Charger Permit Design Services →El Paso Solar Market — 2026
Four Things That Define Solar in Sun City.
297 Days
Sunny Days Per Year — Best Solar Resource in Texas
El Paso averages ~297 sunny days per year with 5.5 to 6.0 peak sun hours daily — comparable to California’s Inland Empire. A system here produces 25–35% more electricity annually than the same system in Dallas or Houston. The irradiance makes El Paso one of the strongest solar ROI markets in the southern US.
10% Cap
Post-July 2025 Export Limit — Right-Sizing Is the Key Deliverable
New EPE installations after July 1, 2025 can export only 10% of prior year’s usage at net metering rates. Anything beyond earns avoided cost. Size the system to match consumption. Battery captures excess midday generation and dispatches it for evening use — keeping self-consumption high and exports low within the net metering threshold.
Western Grid
EPE Is on the Western Interconnection — A Simpler Solar Market Than ERCOT
El Paso Electric is a regulated IOU on the Western Interconnection — the same grid as California, Arizona, and New Mexico, completely separate from ERCOT. EPE handles generation, delivery, and solar interconnection as one entity. No retail competition, no REP selection, no market pricing volatility. EPE bills and credits solar under a single tariff — more predictable than ERCOT deregulation.
Fort Bliss
Largest US Army Installation — Government + Commercial Solar Market
Fort Bliss is one of the largest US Army installations in the country. The military presence drives government facility solar, EV fleet charging, and energy resilience projects. El Paso’s Borderplex economy — cross-border manufacturing, logistics, healthcare — creates a commercial solar market growing faster than residential in many zip codes.
AHJ Solar Permit Design El Paso
City of El Paso and All El Paso County Jurisdictions — EPE Formatted. Approval-Before-Install Workflow.
We cover City of El Paso, El Paso County, and surrounding communities including the New Mexico side of EPE territory.
| Jurisdiction | Utility | Permit Portal | Key Notes | Review Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of El Paso | EPE | El Paso Dev. Services | EPE approval before install · $85 fee ≤10kW · NEC 2020 · 10% export cap post-July 2025 | 1–3 weeks |
| El Paso County (unincorp.) | EPE | County Building | County Building Department · EPE territory · Confirm AHJ per address | 2–4 weeks |
| Socorro / Horizon City | EPE | City portal | East El Paso communities · EPE territory · Growing residential solar | 2–3 weeks |
| Anthony (TX side) | EPE | City / County | TX/NM border · EPE serves both sides · Confirm state jurisdiction per address | 2–4 weeks |
| Sunland Park (NM) | EPE (NM) | NM State AHJ | New Mexico permitting · EPE NM interconnection · Different NM net metering rules | 3–5 weeks |
| Las Cruces area (NM) | EPE (NM) | NM City / County | Southern NM EPE territory · NM PRC governs · Different from TX rate rules | 3–5 weeks |
| Fort Bliss | EPE / Federal | Federal permitting | Military installation · Federal project permitting · EPE interconnection | Varies |
References: EPE Texas Interconnection · El Paso Development Services
What You Get
Solar Permit Package El Paso — El Paso Solar Permit Plan Sets. EPE-Ready. Export Cap Documented.
01
Cover Sheet — El Paso PV Permit Plans
NEC 2020 · IBC/IRC 2021 · El Paso AHJ · EPE utility · Post-July 2025 export cap documentation noted
02
Site Plan + EPE Site Diagram
Meter and EPE interconnection access · ASCE 7 El Paso wind values · EPE-spec site diagram for interconnection submission
03
Roof Layout
Array diagram · Pitch, azimuth, setbacks · El Paso flat and low-slope rooftops · IFC 2021 §1205 fire access paths
04
EPE-Format Single-Line Diagram
NEC 2020 §690.12 rapid shutdown · EPE-spec generation disconnect · Battery (Article 706) where included · EPE net metering meter · Export cap sizing noted
05
Structural Calculations
IBC/IRC 2021 · ASCE 7 El Paso wind loads · Gravity and lateral loads · PE stamp for commercial projects
06
Rapid Shutdown + Labels
NEC 2020 §690.12 · EPE utility-accessible disconnect labeling · Battery shutdown (Article 706)
07
Equipment Datasheets + EPE Interconnection Package
UL-listed module, inverter, racking, and battery datasheets · EPE Interconnection Application · $85 fee note · Post-July 2025 rate case documentation · Texas property tax and sales tax exemption notes · EPE approval-before-install reminder
El Paso Plan Set — 24 Hours.
EPE-Formatted · NEC 2020 · Export Cap Documentation · All El Paso County AHJs
How It Works
Three Steps. EPE Approval First. City Permit Second.
📋
Submit the Project
Share address, specs, and prior year usage. We confirm AHJ, EPE Texas vs NM jurisdiction, and size the system for the 10% export cap.
5 minutes⚡
We Build the Plan Set
NEC 2020, IBC/IRC 2021. EPE-formatted single-line and site diagram. City of El Paso permit drawings. Battery (Article 706) where included. Export cap sizing documented.
24–48 hours✅
EPE Approval → City Permit → Install
Submit EPE interconnection application. Receive written email approval. Pull city building permit. Install. Free revisions for any AHJ or EPE correction on our design.
Free revisions🛡️
The Permit Design Commitment
Solar permit services in El Paso — what every installer and EPC gets on every project.
✓EPE-formatted single-line and site diagram per interconnection spec
✓Post-July 2025 export cap sizing — right-sized to consumption
✓24–48 hour delivery on standard residential solar projects
✓NEC 2020 formatted — not California NEC 2026
✓Free revisions for any AHJ or EPE correction related to our design
Start Free Trial →
First plan set free.
Licensed installers & EPCs only.
Licensed installers & EPCs only.
FAQ
Questions El Paso Installers Ask Us
No. El Paso Electric (EPE) is a regulated investor-owned utility on the Western Interconnection — the same grid as California, Arizona, and New Mexico, completely separate from ERCOT. El Paso customers don’t choose a Retail Electric Provider. EPE handles generation, delivery, and solar interconnection as one entity. No REP selection step, no ERCOT pricing, no solar buyback plan comparison needed.
EPE’s July 2025 rate case changed net metering for new installations: (1) available only for systems under 50kW; (2) exports capped at 10% of prior year’s usage at net metering rates; (3) exports beyond that earn avoided cost — a few cents per kWh. Systems installed before July 1, 2025 are grandfathered. The $30.25 minimum monthly bill applies regardless of production.
Yes — EPE requires written design approval via email before installation begins. The workflow: submit plan set and interconnection application to EPE → receive email approval → pull city building permit → install. Application fee: $85 for systems 1–100kW, $230 for systems over 100kW.
Size to match consumption — don’t oversize. Exports beyond 10% of prior year usage earn only avoided cost. Battery is the right add-on: captures midday excess that would hit the export cap and dispatches it for evening use, maximizing EPE net metering value without oversizing the array.
El Paso uses NEC 2020 as the working electrical standard. NEC 2026 adoption had not been confirmed for El Paso as of July 2026.
Yes — Sunland Park, Las Cruces area, and New Mexico EPE addresses. NM follows New Mexico permitting with EPE’s NM interconnection process and NM Public Regulation Commission rules — different from the Texas side. We confirm state jurisdiction and AHJ per address.
Most El Paso residential plan sets ship in 24 to 48 hours. Battery same day. Commercial: 3 to 5 business days. Rush available.
Nearby Cities
Our Services
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Reviewed by the Permit Design Engineering Team — Licensed PE
EPE Texas interconnection process confirmed from epelectric.com. EPE July 2025 rate case (10% export cap, avoided cost excess, 50kW limit, $30.25 minimum bill) confirmed. EPE approval-before-install requirement confirmed. NEC 2020 confirmed as El Paso working standard via City of El Paso Development Services. Texas property tax and sales tax exemptions confirmed via Texas Comptroller. Last reviewed July 2026.