Bexar County · NEC 2020 · CPS Energy Net Billing · Municipal Utility
San Antonio Solar
Permit Design.
CPS Energy Net Billing.
Battery Saves the Good Tier.
San Antonio solar permit drawings and plan sets for City of San Antonio and all Bexar County AHJs. CPS Energy credits solar at full retail up to your monthly usage — then drops to 2–4¢/kWh for any excess. Battery keeps more generation in the high-value tier. Residential rebate depleted. Commercial still active. Free for first-time clients.
150+ installer partners
·CPS Energy formatted
·NEC 2020 · Bexar County
·Free AHJ revisions
~$0.12/kWhCPS Energy Tier 1 — full retail credit up to monthly usage
2–4¢/kWhCPS Energy Tier 2 — avoided cost for excess generation
$0.60/WCPS commercial solar rebate — still active up to 25kW in 2026
24–48 hrStandard residential plan set delivery
2026 Codes
Electrical: NEC 2020 (Texas working standard)
Structural: IBC 2021 / IRC 2021
Utility: CPS Energy net billing · Tier 1 retail / Tier 2 avoided cost
Federal credit: 25D expired Dec 31, 2025
Last verified July 2026
The CPS Energy Two-Tier Structure
CPS Energy Pays Full Retail Up to Your Monthly Usage. After That, the Rate Drops to 2–4¢/kWh. Battery Is the Tool That Keeps More Generation in the Good Tier.
CPS Energy's net billing is better than most ERCOT deregulated programs — but it's not traditional net metering. Solar up to monthly consumption credits at full retail. Anything beyond that earns 2 to 4 cents per kilowatt-hour. System sizing and battery strategy are very different here than in a net metering market.
Tier 1Generation ≤ Monthly Usage — Full Retail Credit
~$0.12/kWh
Full retail rate credited · Every kWh offsets grid purchase at retail
✅Solar generation up to monthly consumption credited at full retail
✅Best outcome: solar sized to match consumption, battery dispatches during evening peak
✅No export value gap — every generated kWh in this tier avoids a full retail purchase
✅Battery stores midday excess and dispatches evening peak — stays in this tier
Tier 2Generation > Monthly Usage — Avoided Cost Export
2–4¢/kWh
Avoided cost rate only · $0.02–0.04/kWh for net excess generation
⚠️Generation beyond monthly usage earns avoided cost only — ~3–6× less than retail
⚠️Oversizing the system pushes more generation into this tier
⚠️Residential rebate depleted — no CPS rebate for new residential applications in 2026
✅Commercial rebate active: $0.60/W up to 25kW · Maximum incentive $80,000
⚠️ CPS Energy requires a Registered Contractor for all solar installations. Non-registered contractors cannot submit CPS interconnection applications. Verify your contractor registration with CPS Energy before committing to an installation timeline — registration processing takes time if it's not current.
Why San Antonio Installers Outsource
Oversized Systems Hurt Customers. Depleted Residential Rebate Changes the Conversation. CPS Registration Is Non-Negotiable.
Oversizing Pushes Generation Into the 2–4¢/kWh Tier — Customers Don't Always Understand That
Under CPS net billing, any generation beyond monthly consumption earns 2 to 4¢/kWh. An oversized system wastes money that should go to battery storage instead. The right San Antonio system matches consumption — battery captures midday excess and dispatches evening peak, maximizing Tier 1 credit across the full billing month.
The Residential Rebate Is Gone — Commercial at $0.60/W Is the Active Program in 2026
CPS residential rebate funding is exhausted — no new residential applications in 2026. The commercial rebate remains active: $0.60/W up to 25kW, capped at $80,000 or 50% of costs. Commercial customers still have a meaningful incentive. Residential customers should lead with Tier 1 economics, battery storage, and the Texas property tax exemption.
CPS Energy Registered Contractor Status Must Be Active Before Submitting Any Interconnection Application
CPS requires all installations by a Registered Contractor — and the interconnection application must come from that contractor. An unregistered contractor can't submit the CPS generator application — which blocks interconnection entirely. We confirm registration status before building and format the CPS documentation accordingly.
San Antonio Solar Permit Services
CPS Formatted. NEC 2020. Two-Tier Net Billing. All Bexar County AHJs.
San Antonio Residential Solar Permit Design
NEC 2020, IBC/IRC 2021. CPS Energy generator application and interconnection package formatted for registered contractors. Net billing Tier 1/Tier 2 documentation. System sizing notes for optimal Tier 1 utilization. Battery (NEC 2020 Article 706) standard for maximizing self-consumption.
Residential Solar Permit Design Services →San Antonio Commercial Solar Permit Design
Commercial rooftop permit drawings for Bexar County. IBC 2021, NEC 2020. CPS Energy commercial interconnection and $0.60/W rebate documentation. San Antonio's growing medical, military, and government sector creates a large commercial solar market. PE stamp where project size requires it.
Commercial Solar Permit Design Services →San Antonio Battery Permit Plans
Solar-paired and standalone battery permit drawings. NEC 2020 Article 706, CPS Energy storage interconnection. Battery is the highest-ROI add-on in San Antonio under two-tier net billing — it captures midday excess and dispatches evening peak, keeping more generation in the Tier 1 retail-rate window instead of spilling into 2–4¢/kWh exports.
Battery Storage Permit Design Services →San Antonio EV Charger Permit Design
EV charger permit drawings for Bexar County residential and commercial. NEC 2020 Article 625, load calculations, panel upgrade integration. San Antonio's large military base population and growing tech sector create a strong EV market. Solar + battery + EV charging eliminates afternoon peak grid purchases entirely under CPS two-tier billing.
EV Charger Permit Design Services →San Antonio Solar Market — 2026
Four Things Shaping Solar in San Antonio Right Now.
Tier 1
Full Retail Credit — the Number That Drives San Antonio Solar Economics
CPS credits solar up to monthly usage at full retail — ~$0.12/kWh. Battery that captures midday excess and dispatches evening peak keeps more kWh in this tier. Every proposal should start with annual kWh in Tier 1 — not system size.
$0.60/W
CPS Commercial Rebate — Active in 2026, Residential Depleted
CPS commercial rebate: $0.60/W for systems up to 25kW, max $80,000 or 50% of costs, active as of July 2026. Must use CPS Registered Contractors. Residential rebate depleted — direct residential customers to Texas state programs and Tier 1 billing optimization.
100%
Texas Property Tax Exemption — the Permanent Incentive No One Talks About Enough
Texas exempts 100% of solar added home value from property taxes — permanently. A system adding $15,000 to assessed value costs nothing in additional taxes. The sales tax exemption on equipment and labor rounds out Texas's state-level solar incentives after the federal 25D credit expired December 31, 2025.
TDLR
SB 1036 & SB 1697 — Solar Retailer Registration Required Since September 2025
Texas SB 1036 and SB 1697, effective September 2025, require solar retailers and salespeople to register with TDLR. All San Antonio solar sales require registration. Verify TDLR status for your company and salespeople before any customer engagement.
AHJ Solar Permit Design San Antonio
City of San Antonio Development Services and All Bexar County Jurisdictions — CPS Formatted Every Time.
We cover City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and surrounding cities. CPS Energy registered contractor status confirmed before we build interconnection documentation.
| Jurisdiction | Utility | Portal | Key Notes | Review Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of San Antonio | CPS Energy | SA Development Services | CPS registered contractor required · Generator application + building permit · $275–525 fee | 1–3 weeks |
| Bexar County (unincorp.) | CPS Energy | Bexar County | CPS territory extends into county · Confirm AHJ per address | 1–3 weeks |
| Helotes / Leon Valley | CPS Energy | City portal | CPS service area · Residential growth market · Suburban rooftop solar | 1–3 weeks |
| New Braunfels | NBU (muni) | City of NB | New Braunfels Utilities — separate from CPS · Confirm utility before building plan set | 2–4 weeks |
| Schertz / Seguin | CPS / GVEC | City portal | Mixed territory — CPS and Guadalupe Valley Electric Co-op depending on address | 2–4 weeks |
| Boerne / Kerrville | GBRA / CPL | City portal | Outside CPS territory — confirm utility per address · Hill Country area | 2–4 weeks |
| Converse / Universal City | CPS Energy | City portal | Military adjacent · CPS territory · Growing residential solar market | 1–2 weeks |
Also covered: Selma, Live Oak, Kirby, Somerset, and all Bexar County cities. References: CPS Energy Solar Program · SA Development Services · DSIRE Texas
What You Get
Solar Permit Package San Antonio — San Antonio Solar Permit Plan Sets. CPS-Ready. Development Services Formatted.
01
Cover Sheet — San Antonio PV Permit Plans
NEC 2020 · IBC/IRC 2021 · CPS Energy utility · Net billing Tier 1/Tier 2 noted · Registered contractor documentation reference
02
Site Plan
Meter location · CPS interconnection access point · ASCE 7 South Texas wind values · No significant seismic risk
03
Roof Layout
Array diagram · Pitch, azimuth, setbacks · Texas flat/low-slope and composition roofs · IFC 2021 §1205 fire access paths
04
Single-Line Diagram
NEC 2020 §690.12 rapid shutdown · Battery (Article 706) where included · CPS Energy bidirectional meter · Net billing metering configuration
05
Structural Calculations
IBC/IRC 2021 · ASCE 7 South Texas wind loads · Gravity and lateral loads · PE stamp for commercial and larger projects
06
Rapid Shutdown + Labels
NEC 2020 §690.12 compliance · Battery shutdown interface (Article 706)
07
Equipment Datasheets + CPS Energy Generator Application Package
UL-listed module, inverter, racking, and battery datasheets · CPS Energy generator application · CPS registered contractor documentation · Commercial rebate supporting documentation where applicable · Texas property tax and sales tax exemption notes
San Antonio Plan Set — 24 Hours.
CPS Energy Formatted · NEC 2020 · Two-Tier Net Billing · Battery + EV · All Bexar County AHJs
How It Works
Three Steps. 24 Hours. CPS-Ready.
📋
Submit the Project
Share address, specs, and system design. We confirm the AHJ, CPS registered contractor status, and NEC 2020 format for San Antonio Development Services.
5 minutes⚡
We Build the Plan Set
NEC 2020, IBC/IRC 2021. Development Services permit formatted. CPS generator application and interconnection package. Battery (Article 706) where included. Commercial rebate documentation where applicable.
24–48 hours✅
Submit and Get Approved
Submit Development Services permit and CPS generator application simultaneously. CPS interconnection: 4–6 weeks parallel track. Free revisions for any AHJ correction on our design.
Free revisions🛡️
The Permit Design Commitment
Solar permit services in San Antonio — what every installer and EPC gets on every project.
✓CPS Energy registered contractor status confirmed before we build interconnection docs
✓Two-tier net billing documentation — Tier 1 sizing and battery dispatch strategy noted
✓24–48 hour delivery on standard residential solar projects
✓NEC 2020 formatted for SA Development Services — not California NEC 2026
✓Free revisions for any AHJ correction related to our design
Start Free Trial →
First plan set free.
Licensed installers & EPCs only.
Licensed installers & EPCs only.
FAQ
Questions San Antonio Installers Ask Us
CPS Energy uses a two-tier net billing structure. Solar generation up to the customer's monthly electricity consumption is credited at the full retail rate — approximately $0.12/kWh. Generation beyond monthly consumption is credited at the avoided cost rate, currently 2 to 4 cents per kilowatt-hour. The practical implication: size the system to match annual consumption (not exceed it), and pair it with battery storage to keep more generation in the retail-rate tier instead of spilling into low-value exports.
The CPS Energy residential solar rebate program has depleted its funding as of 2026 — new residential applications are not being accepted. The commercial solar rebate remains active at $0.60 per AC watt for systems up to 25kW (maximum $80,000 or 50% of costs). All installations must use a CPS Energy Registered Contractor to qualify. For residential customers, the financial conversation in 2026 shifts to Texas state incentives and two-tier billing optimization.
CPS Energy requires all solar installations to be performed by a company that has completed CPS Energy's Registered Contractor program. The registered contractor must submit the CPS generator application and be listed on the interconnection documentation. Installations by unregistered contractors cannot submit CPS interconnection applications — which blocks the system from receiving solar credits under net billing. Confirm registration status before committing to any San Antonio installation timeline.
Under CPS Energy's two-tier net billing, battery storage shifts the economics significantly. Midday solar production often exceeds consumption — that excess would otherwise be credited at 2 to 4 cents per kilowatt-hour. Battery captures that excess and dispatches it during evening peak, when the customer would otherwise pull from the grid at $0.12/kWh retail. The value gap between Tier 2 exports and Tier 1 self-consumption is 3 to 6 times per kilowatt-hour. Battery narrows that gap by maximizing the high-value window.
San Antonio uses NEC 2020 as the working electrical standard for solar permits in 2026. San Antonio Development Services enforces electrical codes with local amendments. NEC 2026 adoption will likely follow the state adoption timeline — verify the current code with Development Services for any project submitted after Q3 2026.
All of it — City of San Antonio, Bexar County, Helotes, Leon Valley, Converse, Universal City, Live Oak, and surrounding cities. Note that some outer areas use utilities other than CPS Energy — New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) and Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC) serve some Bexar County adjacent areas. We confirm the utility and AHJ for every address before building.
Most San Antonio residential plan sets ship in 24 to 48 hours. Battery permit plans same day. Commercial projects with rebate documentation: 3 to 5 business days. Rush available on request.
Nearby Cities
Our Services
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Reviewed by the Permit Design Engineering Team — Licensed PE
CPS Energy net billing two-tier structure confirmed from CPS Energy solar program documentation. CPS registered contractor requirement confirmed. Commercial rebate $0.60/W (active 2026) confirmed; residential rebate depletion confirmed from CPS program status. NEC 2020 confirmed as San Antonio working standard. Texas SB 1036 and SB 1697 (eff. September 2025) TDLR registration requirement confirmed. Texas property tax and sales tax exemptions confirmed via Texas Comptroller. Last reviewed July 2026.