$18,000 net cost, 10,800 kWh/year valued at 15.47¢/kWh. Run NREL PVWatts and apply the actual utility import/export tariff before relying on it.
ELECTRICITY INTELLIGENCE · REVIEWED AUGUST 2026
Solar payback planning in Dallas
Simple payback starts with net project cost divided by annual bill value, but export compensation, production, degradation and financing must be modeled separately.
Calculate with your ZIP →What changes the real result?
- All-in delivered rate, fixed fees and time-of-use periods
- Actual monthly kWh and seasonal HVAC load
- Plan term, minimum-use rules, credits and early termination
- Solar export compensation and address-specific production
- EV charging losses, vehicle efficiency and charging time
DO NOT MIX THESE NUMBERS
Average price ≠ utility tariff ≠ retail offer.
EIA divides residential revenue by electricity sold to create an average-revenue benchmark. Your bill applies address-specific rate rules and fees. In competitive markets, compare the full Electricity Facts Label at your normal usage—not only the advertised cents per kWh.