Short answer: in Central Texas, homes with solar panels have sold for about 1% more than similar homes without them. That's roughly $3,500. A new system costs about $30,000.
I hear it all the time. A homeowner was told the panels would add 4% to their home’s value, or about $15,000 when they sell. Then they go to sell, and the numbers don’t line up. So we looked at what solar homes actually sold for.
What Solar Homes Actually Sold For
We compared every solar home that sold from January 2024 through October 2026 with similar homes without solar that sold nearby within six months: same neighborhood, about the same size, about the same age, and the same pool and story count.
- Central Texas: 774 solar homes sold for about 0.8% more. That’s roughly $3,500 on a $425,000 home, and they sold in about the same amount of time.
- North Texas: 1,444 solar homes sold for about 1.3% more, roughly $5,000 on a $385,000 home.
- It works more like a flat amount than a percentage. Buyers paid roughly $3,000 to $6,000 more at most price points. On homes over $750,000, we saw no premium at all.
So Where Do the 4% and $15,000 Come From?
- The 4% is from a 2019 national Zillow study of homes sold in 2018 and 2019. It’s national, and it’s seven years old.
- The $15,000 traces back to a 2015 study of homes sold between 2002 and 2013, when systems cost a lot more.
Neither number is Texas, and neither one is today.
What It Costs Today
A typical new system in Texas runs about $30,000 before incentives. And the 30% federal tax credit for homeowners who buy their own system ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. At sale, panels have been getting back roughly 12–17% of what a new system costs.
If You Already Have Panels
You didn’t do anything wrong. Lower electric bills are real, and if you plan to stay a while, the timing can work. Just know what to expect when you sell:
- Price from what similar homes sell for, not from what the panels cost. Buyers pay for the house, plus a little for the panels.
- Keep your electric bills. Twelve months of real bills, plus the system’s size, install year, and warranty, show buyers what they’ll actually save.
- Know how your panels are paid for. Most solar homes we see are financed. A solar loan may have a lien on the panels that has to be paid off or released at closing, so tell your agent and the title company early. A leased system usually has to be taken over by the buyer, with the leasing company’s approval.
If You’re Being Pitched Solar Right Now
- Ask for the total price and the price per watt, in writing.
- Ask what happens to the loan or lease if you sell in three or five years.
- Ask them to show savings based on your actual electric bills, not an average.
- And if someone tells you panels will add 4% to your home’s value, ask them where that number comes from.
Thinking about selling a home with solar, or just want to know where your home stands? Reach out to our team. We’re happy to walk through it with you.
Source: Unlock MLS (Central Texas) and NTREIS (North Texas) single-family resales closed January 2024 through October 2026; each solar home compared with 3 or more similar non-solar sales in the same subdivision within 6 months. North Texas figures are market data only. The MLS doesn’t show each system’s size, age, or whether it’s owned, financed, leased, or paid off. System cost: EnergySage, Texas, November 2026. Outside studies: Zillow Research (2019) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2015). A correlation, not a guarantee, and not a price estimate for any specific home. General information, not legal or tax advice. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
