This article provides a clear, state-by-state breakdown of all requirements and links involved in the solar installation process, covering every requirement from M0 to M1 through M2 for Texas. It outlines the documentation, approvals, and compliance steps that installers and sales teams must follow to ensure each project meets state-specific regulations. Designed as a practical guide, it helps teams quickly understand what’s required in each state to keep projects compliant and moving efficiently.
State | Utilities* = Lease Only | Min. Production Factor for Sales (Y1 Prod / DC kW) |
Texas | We recognize that the state of Texas electric service territories and market conditions are unique and diverse. Please use the guidance below to determine if a customer is in 'deregulated ' or retail choice area and thus eligible for LightReach PPA, or if the customer is in one of our approved municipal or cooperative utilities and eligible for a LightReach Lease. Identifying the TDU and/or verifying a Retail Electric Provider is on the PUC of Texas list is a simple way to verify. On the PUC site, the utility company name can be looked up on the REP (Retail Energy Provider) Directory, and the TDU (Transmission Distribution Utility) Directory. The TDU Coverage Map is another resource to confirm the utility territory the customer resides in.
If the bill is administered by ANY of the retail electric provider ('REP') names and DBAs on the current PUCT list, then it is a retail choice area and eligible for a LightReach PPA:
Transmission Distribution Utilities (TDUs) with Retail Energy Providers (REPs)
Municipal, Cooperative, and IOUs (full-service)
| 800 |
Does LR offer contracts in Spanish? | Yes, Spanish contracts have launched in Texas |
Our very own retail electricity plan that provides renewable grid energy for homes beyond their power produced by solar. The plan provides competitive import rates and matched buyback rates for excess solar production. Homeowners enroll in the retail plan when they go solar with LightReach, providing added savings and convenience by getting 100% of their home energy all from one place: Palmetto.
Palmetto Grid+ Plan (Public Utility Commission of Texas REP #10340) a retail electricity provider, to offer transparent, affordable electricity -- all managed through the homeowner's home.palmetto.com account, including billing and customer support. Palmetto Grid+ becomes the customer’s retailer of record and handles customer enrollment, billing, payments, collections, and energy operations
*Click on link for more details
LightReach now offers an exclusive retail electricity plan for solar buyback + Enphase, TPW, and SolarEdge battery storage. When homeowners with storage sign up for the Battery Rewards Plan, Palmetto uses the battery to balance the grid, earning homeowners $650 to $1,300 per year in bill credits based on their battery's capacity. This is while still providing 1:1 matched solar buyback kWh rates and backup power during outages.
*Click on link for more details
State(s) | Snow Loss (Only use if design platform does not have a total value) | Minimum System Loss without Shade Loss (Includes Snow Loss) |
| 0% | 9.1% |
Lightreach has recommendations for the Battery settings based on a variety of factors; contract type, location, utility rate plan options and net metering policy, system design/configuration, etc.
Recommended battery operation mode varies by home. Some homes are not incentivized to use stored energy except during outages (e.g. 1:1 NEM with non-TOU markets) where Backup Power is desirable. California NEM 3 has customized TOU and AI Optimization modes and rate plans. While utilities with low export credits can optimize utility bill savings with Self-Consumption modes as in Texas.
*Click on link for more details
System Pre-Requisites by State:
State | Pre-Requisite |
TX | Green-e (M-RETS Incentives)
|
M1 Documents: Submission Requirements:
State | Document 1 | Document 2 |
TX | Utility Bill
| N/A |
Requirements by State:
State | Document 1 | Document 2 |
Texas | Interconnection Agreement
| PTO
|