Houston homeowners are getting a new way to get solar and battery storage without signing up for a decades-long loan.
Now, solar company Terra Energy is rolling out a new option that bundles rooftop solar, home battery backup, and electricity into one monthly bill without the usual long-term solar loan.
The company today launched TerraOne, a three-year subscription that includes rooftop solar, up to 40 kWh of battery storage, and electricity service in Houston. Terra says there are no upfront costs, loans, liens, or equipment purchases required.
That’s a notable shift in an industry where homeowners are often asked to sign contracts stretching 20 to 25 years.
Terra says qualifying Houston customers could see electricity rates as low as 6 cents per kWh before delivery charges, depending on energy usage, system size, and eligibility. That’s less than half the typical residential electricity rate in the Houston area.
The launch comes as Texas electricity prices have surged nearly 70% since 2021, according to the company. At the same time, repeated extreme weather events have exposed ongoing concerns about grid reliability after millions lost power during heat waves and winter freezes.
The TerraOne package includes solar panels sized to cover up to 100% of a home’s yearly electricity use, along with enough battery backup to power most homes during outages, including air conditioning.
Terra handles installation, maintenance, repairs, and insurance as part of the subscription.
The Houston rollout also marks Terra’s move into virtual power plants, or VPPs. The idea is that connected home batteries and solar systems work together as a distributed energy resource that supports the grid during periods of high demand.
Terra says aggregating thousands of home energy systems could help utilities bring new capacity online faster as electricity demand from data centers grows.
The company expanded into Texas after growing quickly in Florida, where Terra says it became the state’s largest residential solar provider within 18 months.
TerraOne is now available for homeowners in CenterPoint and other deregulated service areas around Houston.
Read more: Another giant solar factory is coming to Texas
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