Shine Brighter with Tri-County's Solar Program
Tri-County Electric Cooperative is committed to empowering our members with the latest renewable energy solutions.
Our Solar program is designed to provide you with access to sustainable and cost-effective solar energy. We believe that by harnessing the power of the sun, you can take control of your energy consumption and contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.
Your Path to Solar
We make the transition to solar simple. Harness the power of the sun to reduce your energy bills.
Get StartedWe’re Here for You
Our team of trusted energy advisors are ready to answer questions and work with you to see if solar is a good fit for your household.
Get in TouchYour Go-To Support Center
From member FAQs to installer resources, discover the answers to your questions and find the tools you need in our Member Resources section.
Learn More
Are you ready to take the next step toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future?
Tri-County Electric Cooperative is here to help. Join us in shaping a brighter, greener tomorrow.
As your trusted partner on the path to solar energy, we've maintained ongoing communication with members over the years.
Our team of trusted energy advisors are ready to answer questions and work with you to see if solar is a good fit for your household.
For more information, please contact us at distributedgeneration@tcectexas.com or 817.752.8119.
Helpful Member Resources
Town Hall Resources
Solar town hall meeting recording on YouTube
Solar town hall meeting recording on Facebook
Solar town hall presentation
Application Process
Members interested in the solar program can submit an application. Before applying, we recommend reviewing our solar resources on the webpage and talking to multiple installers to find a solution that best fits your needs.
Tri-County Electric Co-op's engineering team will review applications within 10 business days of submission and once the $500 application is received. However, if the application is not complete or additional information is required, the process could be delayed. Ultimately, the installer is responsible for working with you, the member, and Tri-County Electric Co-op to meet requirements. Each project is different based on the system and installer, so we are unable to provide an exact timeline. Learn more about the application process here.
There is a fee of $500 for each solar application submitted. If significant changes (including the addition, changing or alteration of components) are made to the submitted system design after engineering review and approval, a new application and fee may be required.
An additional $100 fee may be assessed if there are two failed reviews of distributed generation application.
Additionally, there is a $12 Distributed Generation fee applied to your monthly bill to offset operation and maintenance expenses related to solar.
Members may look up their Distributed Generation application status here.
Billing & Metering
Most members will have a smart meter that will work with the system. Members without a smart meter will receive a new smart meter that works with the system free of charge.
Tri-County does not provide a production meter at this time. Our smart meters work with the system and track kWh purchased and kWh exported.
- kWh Purchased – Electric energy the co-op delivered/sent to the Member
- kWh Exported – Electric energy the co-op received from the Member
Tri-County will notify you, the member, via email when you have permission to operate the system. The application process must be complete before you can operate the system. Tampering charges, including a $2,500 fee, may be applied if the system is turned on without approval from Tri-County's engineering team. Furthermore, failure to comply will result in the disconnection of service. Learn more about our tampering policy here.
Since you are still connected to Tri-County Electric Co-op's system, we can meet your electric needs beyond what your solar system is able to produce.
You will receive a monthly statement with all kWh purchased and kWh exported for the bill period, including a minimum monthly charge of $30.
The $30 month consists of two non-energy (kWh) charges. $18 is the monthly customer charge and the $12 is the monthly Distributed Generation (DG) fee. These are both flat charges that are assessed each billing cycle.
Yes, a separate application, interconnection agreement, and $500 application fee will be needed for each meter connected to the solar system.
Avoided costs are the costs avoided due to Tri-County by utilizing Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) instead of purchasing from a third-party supplier. This per kilowatt-hour rate is equal to the Base Power Cost rate in the Energy Charge plus the Power Cost Recovery Factor (PCRF) which effectively represents what we pay other suppliers.
Energy is purchased or traded through an energy market, and prices constantly fluctuate based on supply and demand and other contributing factors. To ensure fairness to our members, based on market information, Tri-County will evaluate and adjust the rate we pay solar members for the energy they export to the grid. This ensures we pay the fair market value to our members, as we would outside suppliers.
| Month | PCRF/kWH | Avoided Cost/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| October 2024 | -2.75 cents | 9.25 cents |
| September 2024 | -3.5 cents | 8.5 cents |
| August 2024 | -3.5 cents | 8.5 cents |
| July 2024 | -3.5 cents | 8.5 cents |
| June 2024 | -3.5 cents | 8.5 cents |
| May 2024 | -2.25 cents | 9.75 cents |
| April 2024 | -2.25 cents | 9.75 cents |
| March 2024 | -2.25 cents | 9.75 cents |
| February 2024 | -2.25 cents | 9.75 cents |
| January 2024 | -2.25 cents | 9.75 cents |
| December 2023 | -2.25 cents | 9.75 cents |
| November 2023 | -2.25 cents | 9.75 cents |
| October 2023 | -2 cents | 10 cents |
| September 2023 | -2 cents | 10 cents |
| August 2023 | -2 cents | 10 cents |
| July 2023 | -2 cents | 10 cents |
Tri-County Electric Co-op will review and reconcile solar member accounts in March of each year. For any unused or excess credits, members will receive payment by check once per year or if/when they close their utility account with Tri-County Electric Co-op.
Rates for the new solar program were determined by a third-party cost-of-service study. Rates and minimums are set to ensure we recover our fixed and variable costs of providing service to your location.
To ensure fairness to all of our members, we hired a third party to conduct a cost-of-service study to guide our rates. Monthly fees and minimums ensure Tri-County Electric Co-op recovers our fixed and variable costs of providing service to each member’s location. The study confirmed that the $12 Distributed Generation Charge was needed to allow the Co-op to recover its fixed costs for providing service, so that service is always available when you need it.
Installation & Inspection
After an application is accepted and approved, Tri-County Electric Co-op conducts a virtual inspection comparing the electrical drawing to the photos of the installed system. An on-site inspection is not required. Learn more about the required solar installation photos here.
Yes, a new application must be submitted, and a $200 additional equipment fee received prior to installing any new equipment on an existing system.
When applying for electric service, please let the member service team know if you would like to keep or disconnect the existing solar system. If you wish to keep the solar system, you will need to complete an interconnection agreement at no additional cost.
Tri-County Electric Co-op does not have a list of approved or recommended installers. However, we can provide a list of contractors that successfully navigated our members through our application and installation process, which can be provided upon request.
Before selecting a contractor, we recommend reviewing our Contractor Questions document and reaching out to multiple installers to find the contractor and system that is right for you.
No, the Distributed Generation agreement is strictly between the member and co-op and does not include any additional parties. Any benefits received are provided to the member in accordance to the agreement. Power Purchase Agreements or PPA's are not permitted with our solar program.
A new application and $500 fee may be required if significant changes are made to the system following the original review and approval.
System Performance
An interconnection agreement, or solar contract, is a contract outlining relationship obligations and requirements between the member and the co-op. The interconnection agreement can be found here.
Members may contact our member service department once the panels have been removed to update cooperative records.
No, but we do offer a buy-back program. You’ll receive a credit for all the energy you export to the grid and pay only for the energy you use.
Yes, a system can be no larger than 50 kW-AC per meter.
“Production” for a solar system is the amount of energy that is produced or generated by that system. This energy is first supplied to the home or any other connected systems. If there is any excess energy remaining after powering the home or other connections, it is sent back to the electric grid and the meter will count this as “exported” kWh usage.
No, although solar is an excellent source of electricity, it does not work when the sun is not shining and if there are no additional components such as batteries, the system will not produce electricity. If you have solar and Tri-County Electric Co-op loses power, your facility with solar will lose power too—unless you have a backup system with batteries or a generator.
Commercial applications that fall within the allowed system size limits of 50kW AC will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Installer Resources
The "Estimated Load Guide" offers clear definitions for essential terms related to residential electrical systems.
The "Distributed Generation Manual" outlines procedures and guidelines for Member-Owners.
The "Distributed Generation Checklist" provides key requirements for applying to Tri-County Electric Cooperative.
The "Authorized and Unauthorized Devices" document outlines authorized and unauthorized devices for electrical installations, for interconnections.
The "Authorized and Unauthorized Conduits" document outlines authorized and unauthorized conduits for electrical installations, for interconnections.
The "Required Solar Installation Photos" document specifies photo submission requirements covering a variety of key components for a comprehensive overview of the solar installation.
Need assistance with the next step toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future? We're here to help.
Our team of trusted energy advisors are ready to answer questions and work with you to see if solar is a good fit for your household.
For more information, please contact us at distributedgeneration@tcectexas.com or 817.752.8119.
