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Top Tier Texas Battery Sales Reference

Internal Sales Team Resource — Q2 2026 Edition

Sales Architecture (Read First)

This section establishes the pitch architecture every TX rep uses — takeover-led lead, 4-cohort bridge, hidden-costs bundle, cohort-routed ownership reframe. Read this FIRST. Utility-specific detail (7-utility table, TDU+REP two-layer model, per-utility deep-dives, REP plan optimization, install paths) lives in the sections below. TX Pillar 3 (System Rescue) lives in its own section below this one.

Standing Rules (Do NOT Violate)

The LEAD: Takeover-Led Opening (use for all 7 TX utilities, ALL cohorts)

The customer booked the appointment because they're frustrated about their utility bill AND their installer is unreachable. Don't open with savings math. Don't open with rebate availability (most don't apply to battery-retrofit anyway). Don't open with REP optimization. Open with:

  1. The free system inspection. "I'm here to inspect your existing solar system at no cost. If it's running well, we'll confirm that. If anything's wrong, we'll surface it. Either way, you walk away with a clearer picture of what you own."
  2. System takeover. "When your inverter fails — and inverters do fail, usually between year 8 and year 20 — you need someone to handle the warranty claim and the replacement. Top Tier becomes your single point of contact for the next 10 years on the entire system, not just on anything new we install."
  3. Then bridge to the bill — AFTER cohort identification. "You're still seeing a [Oncor / CenterPoint / AEP TX / TNMP / Austin / CPS / EPE] bill after going solar. The reason depends on which utility you're on, which REP you've chosen (for the deregulated four), and what cohort you're in — let me walk through it."

TX-specific bridge to grid history + climate:

The battery is the upsell that makes the deal economic for Top Tier; takeover/inspection is the lead the customer agreed to. Reps get paid on battery sales. Don't lose the open by leading with the close.

Bridge — 4-Cohort "Why You Still Have a Bill"

TX has 4 distinct cohort variants — the most architecturally diverse single market in the platform. Cohort identification happens BEFORE the bridge.

Template 1: TDU+REP TWO-LAYER (Oncor / CenterPoint / AEP Texas / TNMP — deregulated ERCOT)

Verbatim from the proposal copy (lib/why-bill-own-rent.ts, tx_dereg_two_layer cohort):

Your power bill has two charges that work like two different companies — because they are.

The TDU (Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, or TNMP) owns the wires and bills you a delivery charge. Your REP (Retail Electric Provider — Tesla Electric, Octopus, Reliant, Gexa, etc.) sells you the kWh and sets the export buyback rate. Most REPs pay sub-retail for your exports — they charge you ~12-18¢/kWh on import and credit you ~5-10¢/kWh on export. That delta is your bill. A battery captures the delta by self-consuming what you'd otherwise export. REP plan choice is half the pitch in deregulated TX — Tesla Electric Fixed pays 5¢/kWh exports + $400/Powerwall/yr VPP; Octopus IOFH pays wholesale-indexed; Reliant TrueSmart 0.07¢/kWh net surplus only. Different REP, different math.

Per-utility framing (the TDU side — wires + delivery charges):

Per-REP framing (the supply side — varies per customer):

Battery captures the SPREAD between retail import and REP export buyback. The dollar story depends heavily on REP choice. Reps should ASK what REP the customer is on; many customers don't know they can switch REPs (it's a 2-week process).

Template 2: VALUE-OF-SOLAR (Austin Energy — municipal VoS)

Verbatim from the proposal copy (lib/why-bill-own-rent.ts, value_of_solar cohort):

Every kWh your solar makes earns a Value-of-Solar credit — separate from the retail rate.

Austin Energy's VoS for 2026 is 9.91¢/kWh on ALL solar production (not just exports — every kWh your panels make). Your retail bill stays at the standard residential rate (~13-15¢/kWh typical). A battery captures the spread between the 9.91¢ VoS credit and the retail rate by self-consuming what you'd otherwise let earn the lower VoS credit while you're paying retail for evening imports.

Important nuances for Austin VoS customers:

Template 3: 1:1 NET METERING (CPS Energy — San Antonio municipal)

Verbatim from the proposal copy (lib/why-bill-own-rent.ts, one_to_one_nm cohort):

Your bill should be small. Here's what it covers.

Under 1:1 net metering, CPS Energy credits your exports at the same rate they charge for imports — so your annual kWh charges should mostly zero out. The bill you still see covers fixed monthly charges (basic service / customer charge, riders, taxes), any consumption above what your solar produces, and time-of-day or seasonal imbalances. A battery doesn't change your daily bill math much under 1:1 NM today — but it's how you lock in your position when net metering rules change. Every state is moving in that direction, and the customers who already have batteries installed are insulated when the change hits.

CPS-specific caveats:

Template 4: EDG NET BILLING (El Paso Electric — regulated IOU outside ERCOT)

Verbatim from the proposal copy (lib/why-bill-own-rent.ts, edg_net_billing cohort):

You went solar and still see a bill. Here's why.

El Paso Electric doesn't pay you the same rate for the energy you export as the rate you pay when you import. They credit your exports at an export rate (their EDG / avoided-cost rate), but you buy electricity back at the full retail rate. The spread between the two is where your residual bill comes from. Every kWh your solar produces during the day that you don't use immediately gets credited at the lower export rate. Every kWh you import after sunset costs you retail. A battery stores your daytime production for nighttime use — closing the spread by self-consuming what you'd otherwise export.

EPE-specific caveats:

Hidden Costs Avoided: The $11K System Takeover Bundle

Pillar 3 of the pitch (after Bridge and Takeover/Inspection lead — note this is the architectural "Pillar 3" name; the TX Pillar 3 System Rescue section below this is the TX-specific net-new scaffolding). When Top Tier takes over the system, you bundle in services the customer would otherwise pay out of pocket over the 25-year horizon. ~$11,800 of value built into the takeover. Applies to all 7 TX utilities equally.

Verbatim from the proposal copy (components/multistate/sections/HiddenCostsAvoided.tsx):

Bundled serviceEstimated 25-yr cost avoided
Align Solar Protection (5-yr service contract on existing equipment, $0 deductible, insurance-backed)~$1,500
Manufacturer warranty coordination (Top Tier handles OEM claims across 25 yr)~$300
Inverter replacement coordination (1-2 typical inverter replacements at $3-5K each over 25 yr)~$6,000
Workmanship warranty on existing PV (10-yr Top Tier Limited Workmanship liability coverage)~$1,500
Service call coverage (~$500/visit × estimated 4-5 visits over 25 yr)~$2,500
Total~$11,800 — call it "Over $11K"

TX-specific tie-ins (load-bearing):

The pitch: "On top of the bill math, you're picking up over $11K of bundled services that aren't sold separately. Especially in TX — after Beryl 2024, CenterPoint service-call queues stretched months. The 5-year Align contract on your existing system means you're not waiting in line for diagnostics after the next big storm. Add the inverter replacement coordination — and TX summer heat is hard on inverters — plus the workmanship warranty, the warranty handling — it adds up to over $11K of value built into the takeover."

What NOT to say about $11K bundle:

What You Own vs What You Rent — Cohort-Routed Reframe

Pillar 4 of the pitch. TX's cohort split routes to DOLLAR-COMPARISON for 3 of 4 cohorts; only CPS Energy's 1:1 NM cohort routes to QUALITATIVE.

DOLLAR-COMPARISON template (Oncor / CenterPoint / AEP TX / TNMP / Austin / EPE post-2025)

Verbatim from the proposal copy (components/multistate/sections/OwnVsRent.tsx, DOLLAR-COMPARISON branch):

Over 25 years: are you renting power or owning it?

The 25-year horizon isn't about which line is lower on the chart — it's about whether you walk out with an asset.

For TX EDG / TDU+REP / VoS / post-2025 EPE customers, the dollar math is meaningful — TX retail rates climb with ERCOT capacity dynamics, summer-heat load growth, and post-Uri grid-hardening cost recovery. The "rent" line compounds; the battery captures spread today and hedges the trajectory.

Per-cohort framing nuance:

QUALITATIVE template (CPS Energy — 1:1 NM cohort)

Verbatim from the proposal copy (components/multistate/sections/OwnVsRent.tsx, QUALITATIVE branch):

Your bill is small today — your solar's doing what it should.

That depends on net metering rules continuing as-is. The 25-year horizon for you isn't about a dollar gap on the chart — it's about what your monthly loan payment actually buys you that your current bill doesn't.

For CPS Energy customers, dollar comparison gives the wrong answer (1:1 NM means rent compounding is small). Use the qualitative reframe — emphasize ownership / home value / resilience / lock-in before any CPS Board action that could change 1:1 NM.

Cohort Identification Protocol — REQUIRED First 60 Seconds

Reps MUST identify cohort before bridging. TX's 4-cohort architecture is the most diverse in the platform; getting it wrong produces wrong proposal math.

Step 1: Identify utility

"Which utility serves your address?" → Oncor / CenterPoint / AEP Texas / TNMP / Austin Energy / CPS Energy / El Paso Electric

Step 2: Identify REP (deregulated TDU customers only)

For Oncor / CenterPoint / AEP TX / TNMP customers:

"Which retail electric provider — REP — are you on? Sometimes called your electricity supplier. Tesla Electric, Octopus, Reliant, Gexa, TXU, Direct Energy — anything like that."

If customer doesn't know:

"Look at your most recent bill — there are two charges, one for delivery (that's the wires company, [Oncor / CenterPoint / etc.]) and one for energy supply (that's your REP). Whichever name appears on the supply line is your REP."

REP choice drives Bridge template specifics (export buyback rate + VPP eligibility).

Step 3: Identify install cohort (EPE only)

For El Paso Electric customers, ask install date:

Step 4: Verify with interconnection paperwork / utility bill

Document the cohort in your notes.

What NOT To Say · TX-specific Quick Reference

TopicWhat To SayWhat NOT To Say
TX rebates for battery retrofit"Most TX rebates are SOLAR-INSTALL only. EPE $500 BYO is the only TX battery-retrofit-eligible rebate today.""Oncor $9K applies to your battery retrofit." (Solar-install only; battery component unconfirmed.)
Oncor $9K"Solar-install rebate; battery component eligibility unconfirmed pending Oncor follow-up.""Guaranteed $9K rebate on battery retrofit."
Austin $2.5K rebate"Solar-install only — requires new 3 kW-dc solar + AE-approved contractor + Solar Education Course. Doesn't apply to battery retrofit.""Austin pays $2.5K for adding a battery to existing solar."
Tesla VPP"Tesla Electric (REP) + Tesla Powerwall (battery), Oncor or CenterPoint zone. $400/Powerwall/yr.""Tesla pays you VPP credits no matter what battery / REP you're on."
Octopus IOFH"Octopus Energy (REP) + Enphase IQ / SolarEdge / Tesla; wholesale-indexed buyback.""Octopus pays a flat rate VPP credit."
EPE Uri framing"EPE is on WECC, not ERCOT — didn't lose power in Uri. Use West TX heat / summer outages as resilience anchor.""EPE customers lost power in Uri." (FALSE — EPE on WECC, separate grid.)
CPS Board policy"Board policy 1:1 NM — no statute. Vulnerable to CPS Board action; lock in BEFORE.""CPS 1:1 NM is permanent / protected."
Austin VoS"VoS credits ALL solar production at 9.91¢; not 1:1. Different from Oncor/CPS mechanics.""Austin pays 1:1 net metering." (FALSE — VoS is the only mechanism.)
Federal tax credit"Federal ITC expired 12/31/2025. TX has no state ITC. TX sales-tax exemption for solar equipment still applies.""We can find you a federal credit angle."
Section 25D residual(Don't pitch.)"You'll get a residual federal credit on the battery portion."
Warranty transfer"Workmanship transfers with written consent, manufacturer warranties transfer per their terms, Align is non-transferable.""All warranties transfer to the buyer."
Disqualification(Don't disqualify on home tenure.)"If you're moving in 3 years, this isn't for you."

TX Pillar 3: System Rescue (TX-Specific Scaffolding)

The "Hidden Costs $11K bundle" in the architecture section above is the dollar-anchored Pillar 3 — what the customer is getting (estimated 25-yr cost avoidance). This section is the customer-narrative Pillar 3 — what the customer is protecting against, anchored in TX-specific industry and climate realities. The two sections work together: this one frames why the takeover matters in TX; the $11K bundle quantifies what the takeover is worth.

Reps work through this material in the inspection / pre-pitch conversation — it's the "why is Top Tier in your driveway today" answer.

Why Existing TX Solar Systems Are At Risk

1. TX installer attrition (industry context — DO NOT name competitors disparagingly)

The TX residential solar installer landscape has consolidated significantly in 2024-2025. Several mid-sized and large installers ceased operations or filed bankruptcy; others sold their service books to acquirers who took on the installs but not the long-term service relationships. The customer experience pattern is consistent:

Rep framing (industry-level, NOT competitor-specific):

"The TX solar installer space has been through a lot in the past two years. A lot of customers who bought systems in 2018-2022 are finding their original installer is no longer reachable. The system is still on the roof, still producing — but when something needs attention, there's no one to call. That's the gap Top Tier fills. We're not here to tell you your original installer was bad; we're here because your original installer isn't here anymore."

Standing rule: NEVER name a specific competitor by name when discussing closures. Cite industry-level pattern. If a customer names their former installer first, you can acknowledge the situation factually without piling on ("Yes, that situation has affected a number of TX customers"). Don't disparage.

2. TX climate stress on existing equipment

TX is one of the hardest climates for solar equipment in the U.S. The stress profile differs by region:

Rep framing:

"Your system was built for 25 years, but TX climate is harder on it than the manufacturer datasheets assume. Inverters typically fail somewhere between year 8 and year 15 — in TX summer climate, expect the front half of that range. Panels lose 5-15% production from dust buildup if no one's cleaning them. That's not a defect — that's TX. The question is who's positioned to handle it when it happens."

3. Inverter failure patterns (the 25-year asset, 8-15-year service problem)

The customer-narrative anchor:

"Inverters don't last 25 years. Solar panels last 25 years. So at some point — usually between year 8 and year 15 in TX — you'll have an inverter failure event. You can pay $3-5K out of pocket and try to find an installer willing to do warranty work on someone else's install (most won't), or you can have a service relationship in place. The takeover doesn't prevent the failure — it pre-positions the warranty handling so the failure isn't an emergency."

4. Monitoring gaps when the installer disappears

When the original installer ceased operations:

Top Tier's takeover includes ongoing monitoring — Top Tier reads the alerts on the customer's behalf and triggers service-call responses based on what the data shows, not on the customer noticing.

What Top Tier's Takeover Provides (TX-Specific Detail)

1. Free inspection (educational, NOT findings-driven)

Per Standing Rules above, the inspection is primarily educational + diagnostic + future-failure-prevention. DO NOT fabricate findings to manufacture urgency. The inspection includes:

If the inspection surfaces a real issue (a failed microinverter, a deteriorated roof flashing, a wiring fault), surface it honestly. If nothing is wrong, say so. The deal economics work whether or not the inspection finds problems — the takeover value is in the SERVICE RELATIONSHIP going forward, not in extracting fees from urgent repairs today.

2. Single point of contact for ongoing service (10+ years)

Top Tier becomes the customer's single point of contact for:

For 10+ years on the entire system (not just the new battery).

3. Warranty coordination (per the transfer rules)

4. Replacement coordination for failed components

When (not if) the inverter fails:

The TX Customer Narrative — System Rescue in 90 Seconds

For the rep to deliver in conversation, in the customer's language:

"Here's the situation a lot of TX customers find themselves in: your system was built for 25 years. Your original installer is gone. Your inverter is going to need attention sometime in the next 8-15 years — that's the manufacturer's own expected service life, and TX summer climate puts you on the front half of that window. Panels need washing every few years to stay at full production. Monitoring alerts go to an email no one reads. When the next big storm hits — and we've had Uri 2021 plus Beryl 2024 in the past four years — service-call queues stretch for months."

"What Top Tier does is fill the service-relationship gap your original installer left. We inspect what you have. We take over warranty handling on the existing equipment. We add a 10-year workmanship warranty on the whole system once we accept it. We monitor your production. When the inverter eventually fails, we handle the replacement coordination so you're not on the phone with three installers trying to find one willing to touch someone else's install."

"The battery is what makes the math work for us economically — that's what we sell. But the takeover is what you get. Both pieces are in the proposal."

Why This Section Exists As A Distinct Pillar

The Hidden Costs $11K section quantifies the takeover value as a dollar number. This section answers the prior question: why is the takeover worth that number in TX specifically? Without this narrative, the $11K figure reads as a number on a page; with this narrative, the $11K reads as the answer to a problem the customer can name.

In other markets (GA, SC, OH, PA, IN, KY, VA, MD, NC, WV, FL) the system-rescue conversation is more implicit — folded into the LEAD + Hidden Costs sections without a dedicated narrative section. TX warrants the dedicated section because:

What NOT to say in Pillar 3 conversations

Quick Orientation

This guide covers the Texas market — Top Tier's most structurally diverse territory. Texas is not one market; it is three that share a state border:

  1. Deregulated ERCOT — Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, TNMP. Two-layer pricing: the TDU owns the wires, the customer's REP (Retail Electric Provider) sets the retail rate and the export credit. ~85% of TX residential solar customers.
  2. Municipal utilities — Austin Energy (Value of Solar Tariff) and CPS Energy (1:1 net metering). City-owned, own wires AND supply electricity, no REP layer.
  3. Regulated IOU on WECC — El Paso Electric. The structural outlier of the TX build: not on ERCOT, not deregulated, on a different grid that didn't fail in Uri.

Top Tier sells batteries and service plans to customers who already have solar. This guide assumes every customer in your conversation already has an existing solar system. If a prospect doesn't have solar, they're not our customer for the battery retrofit pitch — refer them out or move them to the solar+battery conversation (see "Two Install Paths" near the end of this guide).

Default Configuration: BACKUP-CAPABLE

Texas is a backup-capable battery market by default. Hurricane exposure on the Gulf Coast (Beryl 2024, Ike 2008, Hanna 2020), Uri-class winter storm risk across ERCOT (Feb 2021), and West Texas extreme heat all push the value-conversation toward resilience as a primary pillar — not a nice-to-have. The pitch leads with riding through the next event, with bill economics and REP plan optimization as the supporting layers.

Pricing reflects the backup-capable default. Texas's standard quote is $23,000 cash / financed at ~$284/month (Service Finance, 7.95%, 15 yr) for the backup-capable configuration. Self-consumption-only configurations are available for customers who explicitly prioritize bill economics over backup — but the financial structure of TX, with no statewide NEM and REP-dependent export credits, makes the resilience layer harder to walk away from than in 1:1 NEM markets.

The Federal ITC Reality

The federal Investment Tax Credit (30%) expired December 31, 2025. No new residential battery installation in 2026 receives a federal tax credit on the battery portion. This changes the math vs. GA/FL/SC/OH/PA where ITC was sometimes available within historical cohorts.

What this means for your pitch:

The Seven Utilities at a Glance

UtilityService AreaTypeNet Metering / Export CreditBattery Rebate (Battery-Only)Best Pitch Angle
OncorDFW + East/West TX (~3.8M residential)Deregulated TDUREP-dependentNone applicableREP buyback + ERCOT hedge + 10-yr workmanship
CenterPointHouston + Gulf CoastDeregulated TDUREP-dependentNone applicableBeryl 2024 resilience + REP buyback + ERCOT hedge
AEP TexasCorpus / RGV + Abilene/San Angelo (~820K)Deregulated TDUREP-dependentNone applicableHanna 2020 + West TX heat + REP economics
TNMPScattered (Galveston Island, Lewisville, West TX)Deregulated TDUREP-dependentNone applicableGalveston coastal hurricane + REP economics
Austin EnergyCity of Austin + Travis/WilliamsonMuni (single-layer)Value of Solar Tariff: 9.91¢/kWh on ALL solar production (2026); no 1:1 NEMNone for battery retrofitConsumption avoidance + Uri-class resilience + 10-yr workmanship
CPS EnergySan Antonio + 7-county footprintMuni (single-layer)1:1 retail NEM today (Board policy, not statute)None today (residential SmartSource sunset Dec 2022)Post-Uri rate-case hedge + DR enrollment + resilience
El Paso ElectricEl Paso County + parts of Hudspeth/CulbersonRegulated IOU on WECCPre-Jul 2025: 1:1 within month; post-Jul 2025: avoided-cost ~3-5¢/kWh capped at 10% of past-year usage$500 Home Battery Incentive (small BYO program)Post-2025 NEM cohort + Sun Belt heat + WECC-not-ERCOT

Note on cooperatives: Texas has dozens of electric cooperatives outside the seven utilities above (Pedernales EC, Bluebonnet EC, etc.). This guide does not cover them. Co-op tariffs and battery programs vary widely; verify the specific co-op's rules before quoting.

The Pitch Framework

The four Texas customer archetypes

Reps should identify which archetype they're talking to within the first 5 minutes. The pitch differs significantly for each.

Archetype 1: The Deregulated TDU Customer (Most Common ~85%)

The pitch turns on the two-layer model: their solar value depends on which REP they pick. Battery captures more self-consumption against whichever retail rate their REP charges. Walk them through their actual REP plan before quoting.

Archetype 2: The Muni Customer — Austin or CPS Energy

Austin pitch is consumption-avoidance + resilience (battery does NOT increase VoS revenue). CPS pitch is post-Uri rate-case hedge + resilience + the modest income line from the CPS Battery Storage DR program.

Archetype 3: The El Paso Electric Customer

Strong fit if post-Jul-2025 cohort: their export economics no longer pencil at 1:1. Battery is the math now. If pre-Jul-2025 cohort: grandfathered NEM is a hedge against the cohort transition + Sun Belt heat resilience.

Archetype 4: The Solar+Battery Combo Prospect (Reachable Rebates)

See "Two Install Paths" near the end of this guide. The rebate math only pencils when you're installing solar at the same time.

Two install paths — the critical distinction

Top Tier offers two distinct install paths in Texas. Confusing them costs deals and credibility:

PathWhatDefault Modeled In Proposal ToolRebates That Apply
Battery-Only RetrofitAdd a battery to existing solarYES — this is the defaultNone (Oncor $9K, Austin $2.5K, AEP $3K SMART Source, TNMP COMPASS are all SOLAR-INSTALL only)
Solar + Battery (Combo)Install solar AND battery togetherNo — sold as a separate engagementOncor "Take a Load Off" ($9K combined); Austin Residential PV Rebate ($2.5K); AEP SMART Source (up to $3K solar-only); TNMP COMPASS solar+adder (VERIFY pending)

The battery-only retrofit is Top Tier's primary lead. The solar+battery combo is the path to reach the meaningful TX rebates and is especially worth pitching to customers in Oncor or Austin Energy territory who do not already have solar.

Federal ITC: be honest

The federal Investment Tax Credit expired December 31, 2025. In every TX scenario for 2026:

If a customer asks about the ITC, the answer is: "It expired at the end of 2025. We're working with utility rebates where they apply and REP plan optimization on the bill side. Federal credit isn't in the math anymore for new installs."

The opening pitch — Deregulated TDU territory

"Your power bill has two charges on it. The first one is delivery — that's Oncor [or CenterPoint, AEP TX, TNMP] charging you to move electricity to your house. The second is supply — that's whatever REP you signed up with charging you for the actual electricity.

Most TX solar customers do not realize their REP determines how much they get paid for the solar they export back. Tesla Electric, Octopus, Gexa, Reliant — they all pay differently, and the spread between the cheapest and the best is real money over 25 years.

The battery does two things: it captures more of your solar for self-consumption before any of it hits the export market, so the REP question matters less. And when ERCOT has its next bad day — and there will be a next bad day — your house keeps running."

The opening pitch — Austin Energy

"Austin Energy is the only TX utility that pays you for every single kWh your solar makes — including the ones your own house uses. That's the Value of Solar Tariff. It's currently 9.91¢/kWh for 2026.

Here's what reps usually get wrong about Austin: the battery doesn't increase your VoS revenue. VoS gets paid on PRODUCTION, not export. So the financial argument has to come from a different place — and it does. Austin Energy's residential rate is a 4-tier inclining block, meaning the more power you pull from the grid in any month, the more expensive each kWh gets. A battery flattens that out. It pulls grid power overnight when rates are at the bottom tier, and discharges during your high-use windows so you stay in the lower tiers all month.

Plus: Austin lost power across the city during Uri in 2021. The battery rides through the next one."

The opening pitch — CPS Energy

"CPS still does 1:1 net metering today. So your solar offsets your bill almost cleanly when it's working. That's not the pitch for the battery alone — the pitch is what's coming.

CPS got hit hard by Uri in 2021. The cost of that storm is still being recovered through the Fuel Adjustment Factor on every bill. CPS rates went up 3.85% in 2022 — first increase since 2014. They went up another 4.25% in 2024. There's more coming.

The battery does three things. One: locks in your self-consumption value as rates climb — every CPS rate increase makes the kWh you capture from your own solar worth more. Two: lets you enroll in CPS's Battery Storage demand-response program, which pays you $10 per dispatch event. Three: rides through the next Uri-class winter storm."

The opening pitch — El Paso Electric

"EPE is the one Texas utility that didn't go down during Uri. You're on a different grid — WECC, not ERCOT. About 3,000 EPE customers lost power for under 5 minutes during the February 2021 collapse. The rest of Texas was out for days.

But the financial picture changed July 1, 2025. EPE used to give you 1:1 retail credit on solar exports within the billing month. New solar installs after July 1, 2025 are now on avoided-cost export rates — about 3-5 cents per kWh — capped at 10% of last year's usage. If your system installed BEFORE July 1, 2025, you're grandfathered on the old rules. If you're in the post-cohort group, the math is now battery-led.

Either way: PUCT just approved a $13/month bill increase for May 2026, and more is coming through the rate-case track. The battery captures self-consumption before the climb."

The Texas TDU+REP Two-Layer Model (Cross-Cutting)

The four deregulated ERCOT utilities — Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, TNMP — share a structure that is foreign to GA/FL/SC/OH/PA. Reps must understand it before quoting in any of those four territories.

How it works

Every deregulated TX customer pays TWO companies on every bill:

  1. The TDU (Transmission and Distribution Utility) — owns the poles, wires, transformers, and the meter. Charges a delivery fee per kWh delivered to the house. The TDU is geography-determined: you cannot pick it.
  2. The REP (Retail Electric Provider) — sells the actual electricity. Charges a retail rate per kWh consumed. The REP is the customer's choice; they can shop and switch.

There is no statewide net metering. Whether the customer's solar export is credited at retail, at wholesale, at some flat number, or not at all is a REP-plan decision — not a statewide rule.

Why this matters for the battery pitch

In a 1:1 NEM market (CPS Energy, pre-July-2025 EPE, the multistate markets GA/FL/SC/OH/PA mostly), every kWh of solar export is worth the customer's retail rate. The battery's job is mostly about resilience and time-shifting.

In a deregulated TX market, the customer's REP choice determines the export economics. Some REPs pay retail-equivalent on exports (Gexa Battery Benefits). Some pay a flat sub-retail rate (Tesla Electric Fixed plan at 5¢/kWh). Some pay variable wholesale prices that move with ERCOT real-time (Octopus Intelligent Octopus for Home). Some don't expose a solar buyback at all and just pay a fixed monthly bill credit (Reliant Battery Perks).

The battery's job in deregulated TX is to capture as much solar for self-consumption as possible before export becomes the only path. The cheaper the customer's REP pays them for exports vs. what they pay to import, the more value self-consumption captures.

REP plans worth knowing — the four representative options

The proposal tool's TX projection currently models four representative REP plans across Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, and TNMP. Reps should be able to articulate the differences:

Tesla Electric — Fixed plan (Powerwall customers only)

Octopus Energy — Intelligent Octopus for Home (Enphase / SolarEdge / Nexis)

Gexa Energy — Battery Benefits (Enphase / SolarEdge / Nexis)

Reliant Energy — Battery Perks (Enphase / SolarEdge / Nexis)

Quick rep reference — which REP for which battery:

BatteryTesla ElectricOctopus IOFHGexa Battery BenefitsReliant Battery Perks
Tesla Powerwall 3✅ Best❌ Not covered❌ Not covered❌ Not covered
Enphase IQ Battery❌ Not covered✅✅✅
SolarEdge Energy Bank (Home Battery + Nexis)❌ Not covered✅✅✅
FranklinWH aPower 2❌ Not covered❌ Not covered❌ Not covered❌ Not covered

For Franklin customers in deregulated TX: the proposal tool models them without a tied REP plan; the export economics flow from whatever retail plan they hold, with no REP-side VPP credit in the projection.

Oncor — Dallas/Fort Worth + East/West TX

Service Territory

Oncor is the largest TDU in Texas, serving approximately 3.8 million residential customers across DFW and parts of East and West Texas. Oncor owns wires and delivery; the customer's REP handles supply. Oncor's rates are set by PUCT through periodic rate-case proceedings.

TDU + REP — the bill anatomy in Oncor territory

Every Oncor customer's bill shows two distinct charge sections:

If the customer doesn't know which REP they're on, that's the first conversation. Open their last bill. The REP name is at the top.

Battery Rebate Reality

There is no battery-retrofit rebate in Oncor territory.

Oncor's "Take a Load Off" Solar PV + Energy Storage rebate (up to $9,000 combined per residential project — $5,000 solar + $4,000 battery adder, system sized 3-15 kW DC) REQUIRES installing new solar. A battery-only retrofit (the proposal tool's default modeled customer) does NOT qualify.

For solar+battery combo sales (Top Tier installs both): the rebate is real money on the table. See "Two Install Paths" near the end of this guide for the combo math.

VERIFY (Oncor follow-up): Oncor may pay a battery-only component of roughly $4,000-$5,500 for a battery added to existing solar — unconfirmed, pending direct confirmation with Oncor. Don't promise it yet.

The ERCOT Resilience Story

February 2021's Winter Storm Uri pushed ERCOT within 4 minutes 37 seconds of uncontrolled cascading blackout. Millions of Texans lost power for days; scarcity prices held at the $9,000/MWh cap for nearly 4 days (Feb 15-19, 2021). Securitization charges from Uri still appear on Oncor retail bills statewide. ERCOT issued its first post-Uri EEA 2 on Sept 6, 2023; the next Uri-class event is a structural risk, not a hypothetical.

Battery powers critical loads (furnace blower, fridge, lights, internet, medical equipment) during outages. For DFW customers who watched friends and family lose power for days during Uri, the resilience pillar is durable.

Pitch Approach for Oncor Customers

Lead with REP-plan optimization + ERCOT hedge. Walk them through their current REP and which of Tesla Electric / Octopus / Gexa / Reliant best fits their battery. Layer in:

  1. The Uri / next-Uri resilience story.
  2. The 10-year workmanship warranty (Top Tier inherits service responsibility for the whole system).
  3. The Oncor delivery-rate trajectory (ongoing rate-case activity through PUCT).

If the customer is interested in NEW solar at the same time: lead with the Oncor $9K combined rebate path. The combined economics are materially stronger than battery-only.

How To Identify the REP From a Bill

The REP name is printed at the top of the bill (e.g., "Reliant Energy," "TXU Energy," "Tesla Electric," "Octopus Energy," "Gexa Energy"). The energy charges are itemized under the REP section. The "Oncor Delivery Charges" section appears separately, typically below the REP charges.

If the customer can't find their REP on the bill: the customer's account number with the REP, the energy plan name, and the contract end date are all there. If they're unsure of their plan terms, they can call their REP and ask, or look up the plan's Electricity Facts Label (EFL) on the REP's website using their plan name.

CenterPoint Energy — Houston + Gulf Coast

Service Territory

CenterPoint Energy is the TDU for the greater Houston metropolitan area and parts of the Gulf Coast region (~2.6 million metered customers). Like Oncor, CenterPoint owns wires and delivery only; the customer's REP handles supply.

The Beryl Resilience Story (Critical Pitch Context)

Hurricane Beryl, July 8, 2024. 2.26 million CenterPoint customers lost power at peak across Houston. 98% restored by Day 10 (full restoration July 19 / Day 11). The worst-hit coastal pockets — Sargent in particular, ~2,500 households — waited up to 2 weeks in July Texas heat.

The PUCT investigation (Project No. 56822, final 69-page report issued November 21, 2024) and CenterPoint's subsequent 2026-2028 Systemwide Resiliency Plan ($3B+ in distribution investment, settled June 2025) are both direct responses to Beryl. For Houston customers in 2026, Beryl is in living memory and the resilience pillar is the strongest in TX.

Battery Rebate Reality

There is no battery-retrofit rebate in CenterPoint territory. CenterPoint had a residential solar rebate program that historically applied to solar installs; standalone battery retrofits do not qualify under any currently-active CenterPoint program known to Top Tier.

For solar+battery combo sales: the historic CenterPoint solar rebate eligibility is VERIFY-pending for the 2026 cycle. Reps should not promise CenterPoint solar rebate dollars in any current quote without direct CenterPoint confirmation.

Pitch Approach for CenterPoint Customers

Lead with Beryl + the resilience pillar. Houston customers do not need the abstract Uri story — they remember Beryl. Layer in:

  1. REP plan optimization (same four representative REPs as Oncor: Tesla Electric for Powerwall, Octopus / Gexa / Reliant for Enphase + SolarEdge).
  2. The PUCT-driven CenterPoint resiliency-investment trajectory means delivery rates are rising — battery hedges that.
  3. The 10-year workmanship warranty.

For Sargent and other Gulf Coast pockets within CenterPoint territory: the recovery timeline narrative (12-14 days for the worst-hit areas after Beryl) is the strongest resilience-pitch anchor in TX.

How To Identify CenterPoint Customers From a Bill

Same structure as Oncor: REP name at top, REP charges itemized, "CenterPoint Energy Delivery Charges" section appears separately. Service address ZIP determines TDU; Houston-area ZIPs (770xx, 771xx, 772xx, 773xx, 775xx, 776xx, 778xx most commonly) are CenterPoint.

AEP Texas — Coastal + West Texas

Service Territory

AEP Texas (formerly part of AEP Central) serves two distinct, non-contiguous territories:

Total residential meters ~820-850K across both territories (~1 million total premises including commercial). The dual-territory shape changes the resilience pitch depending on the customer's geography.

Dual Resilience Profile

Coastal (RGV): Hurricane Hanna, July 25-27, 2020. ~152,000 RGV customers lost power at peak. Recovery took 6-8 days in the hardest-hit Cameron and Hidalgo county pockets. Hurricane Beryl (July 2024) largely spared AEP Texas (the storm tracked through CenterPoint's footprint, not AEP TX's) — but the structural Gulf Coast hurricane exposure is the same.

West Texas (Abilene/San Angelo): Heat extremes. The 2023 summer set ERCOT-zone peak demand records repeatedly; West Texas saw multi-day stretches above 105°F. The 2024 summer was similar. Battery provides 18-30 hours of critical-load coverage per cycle with solar recharge during daylight.

Battery Rebate Reality

There is no battery-retrofit rebate in AEP Texas territory.

AEP Texas's SMART Source residential rebate program is SOLAR-PV ONLY with no battery component. Capped at $3,000 per project on a tiered $/W structure (50¢/W for systems under 3 kW, declining for larger systems). Residential battery retrofits do NOT qualify. The 2024 cycle ran July 1 - November 30, 2024; the 2026 cycle's open status is VERIFY-pending publicly.

For solar+battery combo sales: the $3K SMART Source on the solar side is real money, even though it doesn't cover the battery. See "Two Install Paths."

Pitch Approach for AEP Texas Customers

Pitch shape depends on geography:

For Corpus / RGV customers (Coastal): Lead with Hanna 2020 + Gulf Coast hurricane resilience. Layer in REP plan optimization, ERCOT hedge, and the 10-year workmanship warranty.

For Abilene / San Angelo customers (West Texas): Lead with West Texas heat resilience + critical-load coverage during peak summer. Layer in the same REP plan optimization, ERCOT hedge, and the 10-year workmanship warranty.

Both territories share the same REP options (Tesla Electric for Powerwall, Octopus / Gexa / Reliant for Enphase + SolarEdge). The Tesla VPP is currently NOT active in AEP Texas — Tesla Electric Fixed plan is available to Powerwall customers, but the stacked $400/Powerwall/yr VPP credit is not yet flowing in AEP TX zones. AEP TX Powerwall customers should expect the 5¢/kWh sellback without the stacked VPP credit.

How To Identify AEP Texas Customers From a Bill

REP name at top. "AEP Texas Delivery Charges" section separate. ZIPs in the 783xx-784xx (Corpus / RGV) and 765xx-769xx (West Texas) are most commonly AEP Texas. The service address determines TDU; cross-check the bill's delivery-charges section name to confirm.

TNMP — Scattered Texas (Galveston Coastal + North-Central + West)

Service Territory

TNMP (Texas-New Mexico Power) is the smallest of the four ERCOT TDUs (~220K residential customers, ~260K total premises) across three non-contiguous Texas regions:

Like the other TDUs, TNMP owns wires and delivery only; the customer's REP handles supply.

The Galveston Hurricane Memory

Hurricane Ike, September 13, 2008. 113,000 TNMP customers lost power — 100% of TNMP's Gulf Coast service area. Restoration cost approximately $30-35 million. Galveston Island was effectively cut off for days. Most Galveston-area solar customers in 2026 are old enough to remember Ike personally; the resilience pillar is the strongest in TX for that footprint.

For North-Central and West Texas TNMP customers, the resilience pitch shifts to ERCOT-class events (Uri 2021 winter storm; summer heat events) since those territories don't carry the coastal hurricane exposure.

Battery Rebate Reality

There is no confirmed battery-retrofit rebate in TNMP territory.

TNMP's COMPASS / Renewable Generation residential program offers up to ~$1,000 storage adder + up to ~$4,250/premise solar PV — but the storage adder appears to ride on top of a solar install, not function as a standalone-battery incentive. Treated as not applicable to the battery-retrofit default. VERIFY pending direct TNMP confirmation.

Reps should NOT promise COMPASS dollars on a battery-only retrofit. If the customer is also installing solar (combo path), the COMPASS PV cap may apply on the solar side.

Pending Rate Case (Pitch Context)

TNMP filed Docket 58964 in November 2025 requesting a $2.8B rate base, materially larger than the prior $835M (Docket 48401, 2018). Outcome pending PUC review. If approved at or near the requested level, TNMP delivery charges will rise materially — battery installed before the increase locks in self-consumption value at the current rate.

Pitch Approach for TNMP Customers

For Galveston Island / Gulf Coast TNMP customers: Lead with Ike + the Gulf Coast hurricane resilience pillar. Battery provides 18-30 hours of critical-load coverage per cycle with solar recharge — the multi-day outage protection Galveston customers have lived through.

For North-Central TX TNMP customers (Lewisville, etc.): Lead with ERCOT-class events (Uri winter + summer peak risk) + the pending TNMP rate case as a delivery-rate hedge.

For West TX TNMP customers (Pecos, Fort Stockton): Lead with West Texas heat resilience + the same ERCOT structural narrative.

Same four representative REP plans apply: Tesla Electric for Powerwall, Octopus / Gexa / Reliant for Enphase + SolarEdge. Tesla VPP is NOT active in TNMP zones today — same caveat as AEP TX.

How To Identify TNMP Customers From a Bill

REP name at top. "TNMP Delivery Charges" section separate. ZIP-code spread reflects the three-territory footprint; cross-check the delivery-charges section name. If a customer in Lewisville says they're "Oncor," check the bill carefully — Lewisville straddles Oncor and TNMP service areas in places, and the answer depends on the specific address.

Austin Energy — Austin (Municipal, Single-Layer)

Service Territory

Austin Energy is the municipal utility for the City of Austin and parts of Travis and Williamson counties. Approximately 553,000 residential customers (June 2024 financial report). City-owned, owns wires AND supplies electricity — single-layer, no REP. Austin Energy is on ERCOT and was hit by Uri Feb 2021.

The Value of Solar Tariff (CRITICAL — Reps must understand this)

Austin Energy does NOT have 1:1 net metering. Austin uses a Value of Solar Tariff (VoS). Every kWh of solar your customer produces is credited at the VoS rate — regardless of whether the customer's house used that kWh in real time or whether it exported to the grid.

The 2026 VoS rate is 9.91¢/kWh on ALL solar production. The customer separately pays Austin Energy's 4-tier inclining-block residential retail rate for the grid power they consume.

This means: a battery does NOT increase VoS revenue. VoS gets paid on production (the meter reads how much solar the panels made), not on export (how much went back to the grid). If a customer wants to argue the battery makes them more solar money, that's factually wrong. Don't pitch it that way.

What the battery DOES do at Austin Energy:

  1. Consumption avoidance against the 4-tier inclining-block rate. Higher monthly consumption pushes the customer into more expensive tiers. Battery discharges during high-use windows so the customer stays in the lower tiers. The compounding tier escalation makes this a real and growing financial line as Austin Energy rates climb through City Council base-rate cases.
  2. Uri-class resilience. Austin lost power across much of the city for days in February 2021. Battery provides critical-load coverage during the next event.
  3. Optional Austin Energy Power Partner Battery enrollment. Utility-run pilot VPP: $500 one-time enrollment + roughly $270-$300/year ongoing (up to ~$75/kW of dispatchable battery capacity). Pilot capped at 1,500 systems statewide — that's a real cap a customer may hit if they enroll late in the pilot's life. Eligible batteries per Austin Energy: Tesla Powerwall, FranklinWH aPower 2, Enphase IQ, SolarEdge (incl. Nexis pending direct AE confirmation).

Battery Rebate Reality

There is no battery-retrofit rebate at Austin Energy.

Austin Energy's $2,500 Residential Solar PV Rebate is a SOLAR-INSTALL rebate (minimum 3 kW-dc system, one per address since May 2018) that requires installing new solar with an Austin Energy-approved contractor. A battery-only retrofit does NOT qualify.

For solar+battery combo sales: the $2,500 PV Rebate applies to the solar side. Combined with the City of Austin's heat-and-resilience pitch, the combo path is one of the strongest in TX for new-solar customers.

Pitch Approach for Austin Energy Customers

Lead with consumption avoidance + Uri-class resilience. The VoS framing matters because most reps get it wrong. Layer in:

  1. The compounding tier-escalation math (Austin Energy keeps doing rate cases; every increase makes battery-captured consumption avoidance worth more).
  2. The optional Power Partner Battery enrollment as a small but real ongoing income line.
  3. The 10-year workmanship warranty.

Be careful with the VoS framing in conversation. Customers will sometimes argue, "But my solar makes 9.91¢ on every kWh — why do I need a battery?" The answer: "Because the kWh your house uses from the grid at the high tier costs much more than 9.91¢, and the battery is what stops you from being on that tier."

How To Identify Austin Energy Customers From a Bill

Single bill, single utility logo at the top — "Austin Energy" in red. Solar production credit appears as a "Value of Solar" line item (production-based, not export-based). 4-tier inclining-block energy charges are itemized by tier.

CPS Energy — San Antonio (Municipal, Single-Layer)

Service Territory

CPS Energy is the municipal utility for San Antonio and the surrounding 7-county footprint (Bexar, Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina). Approximately 907,000 electric customers — the largest US combined gas+electric municipal utility (LADWP is larger by electric-only customers). City-owned, single-layer.

1:1 Net Metering — But With a Caveat

CPS Energy credits solar exports 1:1 at the customer's retail rate today. Monthly excess generation carries forward. As of Q2 2026, no filed changes to NEM.

The caveat: CPS NEM lives at the CPS Board (not state statute). The Board has authority to revise without going through the Texas legislature. Pre-installed batteries hedge against any future Board action.

Recent Rate History (Pitch Context)

Battery Rebate Reality

The CPS residential SmartSource Solar PV Rebate SUNSET December 16, 2022. No residential capex rebate is available today. Commercial / non-profit / school tiers remain active.

There is no battery-retrofit rebate available at CPS Energy as of 2026.

CPS Battery Storage Demand-Response Program — performance-based, not a rebate. Pays a $10 bill credit per dispatch event. Small but real ongoing income line for enrolled batteries.

The Uri Memory

San Antonio lost power across much of the city for days during the February 2021 storm. ERCOT was 4 minutes 37 seconds from total grid collapse. CPS Energy absorbed massive Uri fuel-cost and operating losses (~$850M-$1B total exposure). The Uri narrative is operational memory for CPS customers in 2026.

Pitch Approach for CPS Customers

Lead with the post-Uri rate-case trajectory + 1:1 NEM hedge + Uri-class resilience. The story is:

  1. CPS rates are climbing. 2022 +3.85%, 2024 +4.25%, Uri FAF ongoing. Every rate increase makes the battery-captured kWh worth more.
  2. 1:1 NEM is good today — but vulnerable. Board-policy NEM can change. Battery installed now locks in self-consumption value regardless.
  3. Uri-class resilience. Battery rides through the next winter storm.
  4. Optional CPS Battery Storage DR enrollment. $10/dispatch event credits as a small ongoing income line.
  5. 10-year workmanship warranty.

How To Identify CPS Customers From a Bill

Single bill, "CPS Energy" logo at top. Both electric AND gas services may appear on the same bill if the customer has CPS gas (CPS is combined gas+electric muni). Solar net-metering credit appears as a single line item ("Solar Credit" or similar). Uri Fuel Adjustment Factor appears as a small per-kWh line item.

El Paso Electric — El Paso + Hudspeth/Culberson Counties

Service Territory

El Paso Electric (EPE) is a regulated investor-owned utility serving the City of El Paso (all of El Paso County) and parts of Hudspeth and Culberson counties (Van Horn, Sierra Blanca). EPE also serves customers in southern New Mexico; this guide is for the Texas-side residential customers (~310-320K, derived from total ~412K residential split across TX and NM, applying ~88% residential mix).

EPE is the structural outlier of the TX build. EPE is on the WECC grid (Western Electricity Coordinating Council), not ERCOT. PUCT regulates the Texas side; the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission regulates the NM side.

WECC-Not-ERCOT Resilience Reassurance

EPE was largely spared by Uri February 2021. Only approximately 3,000 EPE customers lost power for under 5 minutes — because WECC didn't collapse the way ERCOT did. EPE's post-2011 winterization investments + the Montana Power Station provided structural insulation.

For EPE customers who watched friends in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston lose power for days, the "we're on a different grid" message lands. The battery doesn't need to sell against an Uri-like outage at EPE; instead, it sells against the next regional event that could affect WECC (less frequent than ERCOT events but not zero) and against the Sun Belt heat-event pattern.

The July 1, 2025 NEM Change (CRITICAL — Cohort Matters)

EPE residential NEM changed July 1, 2025:

Cohort identification is the first conversation with an EPE customer. If they installed before July 1, 2025, they're grandfathered — pitch is resilience-led + hedge against future cohort change. If they installed after, the math is battery-led because the export-credit path no longer carries 1:1 economics.

Recent Rate Case (PUCT Docket 57568)

PUCT approved Docket 57568 in February 2026: $33M revenue increase, ROE 9.4%, average residential bill rising from ~$98 to ~$111 (+$13/mo), effective May 2026. Additional rate-case activity expected as EPE continues capital investment in WECC reliability and Sun Belt summer-peak generation. Battery captures self-consumption against the rising retail rate.

The Sun Belt Heat Story

EPE set a peak demand of 2,384 MW on July 19, 2023 — exceeding the 2030 forecast. West Texas summer extremes are real and intensifying. Battery provides critical-load coverage during peak-demand grid stress events that, while less catastrophic than ERCOT's Uri, are increasing in frequency.

Battery Rebate

EPE runs a small $500 Home Battery Incentive — a bring-your-own-battery program for enrolled batteries. Small but real. Not large enough to anchor a pitch on, but worth mentioning as a tangible incentive when present.

There is no broader EPE residential PV rebate.

Pitch Approach for EPE Customers

For pre-July-2025 cohort (grandfathered): Lead with 10-year workmanship warranty + Sun Belt heat resilience + the WECC-not-ERCOT story + hedge against future cohort change. The $500 Home Battery Incentive is supplemental. 1:1 NEM grandfathering means the financial value of the battery today is smaller — frame it honestly.

For post-July-2025 cohort (new rules): Lead with self-consumption math. Their solar exports now earn ~3-5¢/kWh capped at 10% of usage. Every kWh of solar the battery captures for self-consumption is a kWh the customer doesn't have to import at retail (~14-15¢/kWh post-May-2026). Layer in heat resilience, WECC reassurance, the $500 incentive, and the 10-year workmanship warranty.

How To Identify EPE Customers From a Bill

"El Paso Electric" logo at top. Single bill, no REP. PUCT-regulated; the bill includes references to PUCT-approved tariffs. Pre/post-July-2025 cohort: ask the customer when they interconnected their solar system (the date their utility connected the system and started crediting exports). Pre-July 1, 2025 = old cohort. After = new cohort.

Battery Optimization: Rate Plans, Daily Operating Cycle, and Backup

Daily Operating Cycle (Self-Consumption Mode)

Texas batteries — across all configurations — operate on a daily cycle. The exact discharge windows depend on the customer's rate structure, but the general pattern is:

Backup Behavior During Outages (Backup-Capable Configuration)

In backup-capable mode (the TX default config), the battery is connected to a critical-loads sub-panel through an automatic transfer switch. When the grid drops:

  1. Transfer switch isolates the critical-loads panel from the grid.
  2. Battery powers the critical loads automatically — typically within a few seconds, often instantaneously for most appliances.
  3. Solar continues producing during daylight, recharging the battery and powering critical loads simultaneously.
  4. Critical loads run on battery + solar indefinitely if conditions allow.

Critical loads typically include: refrigerator, lights, internet/router, sump pump, garage door, medical equipment, and one or two emergency outlets. NOT typically backed up: AC, electric dryer, electric water heater, electric stove, EV charger (whole-home backup configurations exist for select battery products but command significantly higher hardware and labor costs).

REP Plan Switching Mechanics (Deregulated TX Only)

For deregulated TX customers, switching REPs is straightforward: the customer signs up with the new REP, who handles the switch with the TDU and the prior REP. Switching typically completes in 1-2 billing cycles. There is no fee from the TDU; the customer's old REP may have an early-termination fee depending on the contract terms (most fixed-term plans have ETFs in the $150-$295 range; most variable / month-to-month plans do not).

Top Tier does NOT pick the customer's REP. Reps should walk the customer through which REP plan best fits their battery (per the table earlier in this guide) and the customer signs up directly. Note any ETF on the customer's current plan before recommending a switch.

Grid Charging Rules (TX-Specific)

Two relevant constraints:

  1. REP plan terms. Some REPs require battery customers to NOT charge from the grid as a condition of the solar buyback / VPP credit. Read the EFL (Electricity Facts Label) and program enrollment terms before enrolling. Charging from the grid in violation of the program terms can void the buyback.
  2. VPP dispatch rules. Batteries enrolled in Austin Power Partner, Tesla VPP, Gexa Battery Benefits, or Reliant Battery Perks may be dispatched by the utility/REP during peak events. The customer is paid for the dispatch (the VPP credit or DR event payment), and the dispatch is bounded by enrollment terms. Most programs do not affect backup-capability or critical-load coverage during outages.

The Two Install Paths — Deep Dive

This is the most important distinction in TX for reps to internalize. Confusing the two paths costs deals.

Path 1: Battery-Only Retrofit (Top Tier's Primary Lead)

Path 2: Solar + Battery Combo (Especially Worth Pitching in Oncor + Austin)

Oncor "Take a Load Off" combined rebate: up to $9,000 per residential project ($5,000 solar + $4,000 battery adder, system 3-15 kW DC). Real money. Reach the customer's eligibility cap before quoting.

Austin Energy Residential Solar PV Rebate: $2,500 for systems 3+ kW DC installed with an AE-approved contractor. One per address since May 2018. Real money in the Austin pitch.

AEP Texas SMART Source: up to $3,000 on a tiered $/W structure. Solar-side only — does not cover the battery. 2024 cycle ran Jul 1 - Nov 30, 2024; 2026 cycle status VERIFY-pending.

TNMP COMPASS: up to ~$4,250/premise PV + up to ~$1,000 storage adder when bundled with a solar install. The storage adder is what makes this slightly different from AEP TX — but it still requires the solar install path. VERIFY pending direct TNMP confirmation.

CenterPoint: no current confirmed combo rebate program known to Top Tier. VERIFY for 2026 cycle.

CPS Energy: residential rebate sunset Dec 2022. No combo rebate path.

El Paso Electric: small $500 Home Battery Incentive available regardless of install path; no broader PV rebate.

When to lead with which path

Federal ITC Is Gone in Both Paths

The 30% federal Investment Tax Credit expired December 31, 2025. No new install in 2026 — combo or retrofit — receives the federal credit on either the battery or the solar. Make peace with this before the conversation.

Texas does provide a sales tax exemption on solar equipment installed at residence (Tax Code §151.336). The exemption applies to the equipment purchase, not labor. It's a one-time savings of ~6-8% on the equipment cost (depending on local sales tax rate). Worth mentioning but not the headline.

Common Customer Questions

"Do I need to switch my REP to get the battery savings?"

For deregulated TX customers: not necessarily, but probably yes if you want to maximize the financial line. The four representative REPs we model (Tesla Electric for Powerwall; Octopus, Gexa, Reliant for Enphase + SolarEdge) all offer better battery-customer economics than most generic REP plans. The right REP for a customer depends on which battery they have and what they value (steady fixed rates vs. wholesale upside vs. retail-match + VPP credit).

For Austin Energy, CPS Energy, EPE customers: no — there is no REP choice. The utility is the supply provider.

"Will my battery be dispatched by the utility / REP without my permission?"

Only if the customer enrolls in a dispatch program (Tesla VPP, Gexa Battery Benefits, Reliant Battery Perks, Austin Power Partner, CPS Battery Storage DR). Each program has its own dispatch rules — typically a limited number of events per year, each bounded in duration. Customers are PAID for the dispatch (the VPP credit, retail-match buyback, or per-event DR credit). Customers who do not enroll in any program retain full control of their battery.

"What happens during a grid outage?"

Backup-capable batteries automatically isolate from the grid and power the customer's critical-loads sub-panel. Solar continues producing during daylight and recharges the battery while powering loads. The combination provides indefinite operation during multi-day outages so long as solar production is adequate.

Self-consumption-only batteries do NOT have transfer switches and do NOT power the home during outages — they're optimized for bill savings, not resilience.

For TX customers, the backup-capable configuration is the default in this market due to hurricane / Uri / Sun Belt heat exposure.

"What about the 30% federal tax credit?"

It expired December 31, 2025. Customers who installed solar before that date may have captured the ITC on their solar — that's history. Battery installations in 2026 do not receive a federal credit. Texas does have a state sales tax exemption on solar equipment, which applies on the combo path (solar+battery).

"How does the battery interact with my existing solar inverter?"

Two architectures depending on the battery:

The customer's existing inverter brand and capacity determine which battery architecture fits. Top Tier surveys the installation before quoting. For an Enphase customer, all four batteries above are options; for a SolarEdge customer, the SolarEdge batteries + Tesla / Franklin are options (the Enphase IQ 5P is hidden in the battery picker for SolarEdge customers).

"What if my REP plan has an early termination fee?"

If switching REPs makes sense for the battery economics, check the customer's current plan EFL or call the REP and ask. Most fixed-term plans carry an ETF of $150-$295. The savings from a better-fit REP plan typically exceed the ETF within the first 3-6 months of the new plan. Variable / month-to-month plans typically do not carry an ETF.

"What does the 10-year workmanship warranty actually cover?"

Top Tier inherits service responsibility for the customer's entire solar system — not just the battery we install. If the existing solar inverter fails, an existing panel needs warranty replacement, or any installation defect surfaces, Top Tier handles the warranty claim and replacement coordination. The customer doesn't have to chase down the original installer (often defunct) or pay $3,000-$5,000 out of pocket for an orphaned inverter replacement.

Coverage is confirmed through a system inspection at install.

Key Disclosures for All Texas Customers

These should appear on every Texas proposal:

  1. Federal Investment Tax Credit expired December 31, 2025. No federal tax credit applies to residential battery installations in 2026.
  2. Texas does NOT have a statewide net metering program. For deregulated TDU customers (Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, TNMP), solar export credits are REP-plan-specific. For municipal utility customers (Austin Energy, CPS Energy), the muni's tariff governs. For EPE customers, the PUCT-approved EPE NEM rules apply (with the July 1, 2025 cohort split).
  3. Service Finance loans do NOT re-amortize. Customers who apply a VPP/rebate to loan principal will shorten the loan term but the monthly payment stays the same. We do not promise lower monthly payments from rebates.
  4. REP plan switching is the customer's decision. Top Tier walks the customer through which REP plan best fits their battery configuration but does not enroll the customer in any specific REP.
  5. Utility rebate eligibility is verified directly with the utility/muni at install. Top Tier does not guarantee rebate approval — the utility/muni runs the eligibility process.
  6. Hurricane / winter storm projections are based on historical events. Past events (Uri 2021, Beryl 2024, Hanna 2020, Ike 2008) are real and documented but do not predict future event frequency or severity.
  7. VPP credit amounts are subject to program-rule changes. Tesla VPP, Gexa Battery Benefits, Reliant Battery Perks, Octopus VPP, Austin Power Partner — all may revise terms with program-rule changes. Current rates are the basis for current quotes.

Quick Reference Card

QuestionAnswer
What's the default install path?Battery-only retrofit. The proposal tool's default.
What rebates apply to battery-only?None at any of the seven utilities.
What rebates apply to solar+battery combo?Oncor $9K combined, Austin $2.5K PV, AEP $3K solar-only (no battery component), TNMP COMPASS (VERIFY pending), CenterPoint VERIFY pending, CPS none (sunset 2022), EPE $500 Home Battery Incentive (combo or retrofit).
Is the federal ITC available in 2026?No. Expired 12/31/2025.
Which REP is best for Powerwall?Tesla Electric Fixed plan.
Which REP is best for Enphase / SolarEdge?Gexa Battery Benefits (retail-match + $50/mo VPP) — generally the most generous combination.
Which REP is best for FranklinWH?None of the four representative REPs covers Franklin. Customer's underlying retail plan governs.
Which utilities are 1:1 NEM?CPS Energy (today, Board policy). EPE pre-July-2025 cohort (grandfathered). All deregulated TDUs depend on REP choice.
Which utility has Value of Solar?Austin Energy only. 9.91¢/kWh on ALL solar production (2026).
Which utility is NOT on ERCOT?El Paso Electric (WECC).
Default config in TX?Backup-capable.
Standard TX backup-capable price?~$23,000 cash / ~$284/mo financed (Service Finance, 7.95%, 15 yr).

End of Top Tier Texas Battery Sales Reference. Internal-only resource. Verify utility-specific tariffs, REP plan terms, and rebate programs directly before quoting any customer.