Solar Company Marketing in Houston After the Tax Credit: A Practical Playbook

Thursday afternoon, a homeowner in Cypress calls your office. Before you can say hello, she asks if you’re “with the Texas solar program.” Two men knocked on her door last week, told her the state was paying for panels, and left a flyer with no company name on it. She found you on Google because she wanted a second opinion.

That call tells you most of what you need to know about selling solar in Houston right now. Buyers want backup power and lower bills. They also expect to be lied to.

Solar company marketing in Houston works when it sells what’s true in 2026: no homeowner tax credit, buyback rates set by retail electric providers rather than the state, and a battery that keeps the fridge cold when CenterPoint goes down. Paid search should catch people already shopping, reviews should do the convincing, and every claim in an ad should hold up in front of a skeptical spouse. The installers we see winning sound like the calm second opinion. They don’t sound like the guy at the door.

This playbook is for residential installers with one to a few crews in the Houston area, from Katy and Sugar Land up through Spring, The Woodlands and Conroe.

What changed: the 30% homeowner credit is gone, leases and batteries are the new story

For years, the first line of every solar ad in America was “30% federal tax credit.” That line is dead for homeowner-owned systems.

The 2025 tax law ended the Section 25D residential clean energy credit for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, and an expenditure counts as made when installation is complete. A homeowner who paid in December but whose system was finished in January doesn’t get the credit, per the IRS’s FAQ on the 2025 law. Standalone home batteries bought by the homeowner lost the credit on the same date.

Third-party ownership is different. Leases and power purchase agreements run through Section 48E, the commercial credit, which the solar company claims. As Solar Power World and EnergySage explain, those systems stay eligible if construction began by July 4, 2026 or the system is placed in service by December 31, 2027. Energy storage got a longer runway under 48E, with projects that begin construction before 2033 remaining eligible, subject to foreign-sourcing limits, according to ESS News.

What that means for your marketing, in plain terms:

• Pull every “30% tax credit” mention from your ads, landing pages, Google Business Profile posts and old blog posts. A stale credit claim on a page today is a misleading savings claim, and Texas now has a law about those.
• If you offer leases or PPAs, you can talk about a lower price that reflects the company’s credit. Say it accurately: the company claims the credit, and the customer gets a lower lease or PPA price.
• Talk about the end-of-2027 placed-in-service date only if your financing partner confirms it applies to their product, and tell your sales team the same thing.
• Lead with the battery. In Houston, “keep the power on” is a stronger reason to buy than a tax form ever was.

Two Texas rules are still worth putting on your site because they answer real objections. Texas Tax Code Section 11.27 exempts the added appraised value from a solar device used on site from property tax, and Section 202.010 of the Texas Property Code keeps most HOAs from banning roof-mounted panels, with exceptions for things like placement, the developer period and devices installed without approval. In master-planned communities like Bridgeland or Towne Lake, that second one comes up on almost every sales call.

Selling into Texas’s deregulated market: buyback plans and honest savings math

Most Houston homeowners don’t buy electricity from CenterPoint. CenterPoint owns the wires and the meter; the customer picks a retail electric provider. That split decides what a solar customer gets paid for the power they push back to the grid.

Texas has no statewide net metering rule, so buyback terms depend on the provider. SolarReviews’ Texas buyback guide found only seven retail electric providers offering some form of solar buyback, out of more than 100 in the state, with plan types that range from credits at the full energy charge, to credits capped at the month’s usage, to real-time market rates that often sit around 3 cents per kWh. Those credits usually exclude delivery charges, which are a big part of a Houston bill.

This is why savings promises get installers in trouble here. A homeowner told “your bill goes to zero” who later sees delivery charges, a buyback cap or a provider changing terms will feel cheated even if the system works perfectly. A Houston-area homeowner KPRC 2 reported in September 2026 said she was paying $316 a month for panels plus about $150 for electricity, and that her provider cut her credits after the first year.

So the marketing needs a savings story you can defend:

• Show estimated production in kWh, then show savings as a range under named assumptions (current rate, buyback plan type, usage).
• Explain buyback plans on a page of their own. Searches like “solar buyback plans Texas” are real, and a straight explainer earns trust and links.
• Never claim a “zero bill.” Say what the system covers and what it doesn’t.
• Put the battery’s job in hours, not feelings: which circuits it can carry, and for roughly how long, under a stated load.

Beryl and Uri changed the pitch: battery backup sells itself, if you’re specific

Houston has had two very public lessons in what a grid failure feels like. Winter Storm Uri left millions of Texans without power in February 2021. Then Hurricane Beryl knocked out power to about 2.26 million of CenterPoint’s nearly 3 million customers in July 2024, with roughly 130,000 still out more than a week later, per Canary Media. In the same story, a Houston family with rooftop solar and two batteries kept their food, lights and devices running.

Every homeowner in Kingwood, Pearland or Tomball who sat in a hot house that week remembers it. The temptation is to lean on fear. We’d resist it; fear-based storm ads make you look like the door knocker.

What works better is specificity:

• A short video walking through a real install in Spring or Katy: panel, inverter, battery, the critical-loads panel, and the homeowner flipping the main breaker off while the fridge keeps running.
• A “what will my battery run?” page with three example setups (fridge and lights; plus one AC zone; whole home) and honest runtime ranges.
• A comparison with a standby generator. Some buyers should get a generator, and saying so earns trust.
• Timing. Push battery campaigns in April and May, before hurricane season starts June 1, and again after a big outage when people are researching. Don’t run “Beryl is coming back” ads during an active storm. It reads as opportunism.

The trust problem, and how Texas SB 1036 gives honest installers a marketing edge

Residential solar has a reputation problem, and the industry earned it. High-pressure door-to-door sales, flyers implying a government program, savings promises that don’t survive the first summer bill, and financing nobody explained.

Texas responded with Senate Bill 1036, which put residential solar sales under the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Per TDLR’s announcement and TDLR’s “What’s in Effect When” page, the contract and cancellation provisions took effect September 1, 2025:

• Buyers can cancel without penalty by written notice through the fifth business day after signing, and the contract must state the last calendar date to cancel and where to send notice.
• Installation must be done by a licensed electrical contractor, named in the contract with a license number (or chosen from a listed set).
• If a lender is affiliated with or referred by the retailer, the lender must cancel the loan when the sale is cancelled.
• Retailers can’t state or imply they’re affiliated with a utility or government agency, can’t make misleading claims about performance or cost, and can’t solicit at a home with a “no soliciting” sign unless invited.

Registration for retailers and salespeople became required on September 1, 2026, and KPRC 2 reported that the deadline was extended to November 1, 2026, with civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation (up to $10,000 when a court finds a person over 65 was harmed). TDLR also suspended enforcement of its contract-disclosure and educational-materials rules until November 1, 2026, so those are live now too.

Most installers treat this as paperwork. We’d treat it as copy, because a buyer burned by a door knocker wants proof you’re different:

• Put your TDLR registration and your electrical contractor’s license number in the site footer, on the quote PDF and on your Google Business Profile description.
• Write a “How our contract works” page that explains the five-day cancellation in plain English, with the exact wording you use.
• Say “We don’t door-knock” if it’s true. In Houston neighborhoods that have been canvassed hard, it’s one of the strongest lines you can run.
• Show the electrician. Name the licensed contractor and show their face on the installation page.

We’re marketers, not your lawyer, so have counsel review your contract and scripts. Just don’t hide the compliance work in a drawer.

Google Ads for solar installers: keywords, negatives and copy that survives scrutiny

Search is where the honest installer wins, because the searcher is already doing research. The keyword list should follow what people are actually trying to decide.

That last row is underrated. Installers have gone under, leaving Houston homeowners with systems and no one to call, and that service work often turns into a battery add-on.

Sample responsive search ad lines that stay on the right side of SB 1036 and Google’s misrepresentation policy:

• “Licensed Houston Solar Installer” / “Battery Backup for Storm Season” / “Real Quotes, No Door-Knocking”
• “See What a Battery Can Run” / “5-Day Cancellation in Every Contract” / “Licensed Electricians on Every Install”
• Descriptions: “Local crew serving Spring, The Woodlands and Cypress. Written production estimate with your actual usage. No pressure, no surprise fees.”

What to keep out: “Texas Solar Program,” “state-approved,” “free solar,” “eliminate your bill,” and any tax credit language for owned systems.

On cost, be ready for expensive clicks. Solar is one of the more competitive home-service categories, with national lead sellers bidding in every metro. We won’t quote a Houston solar CPC here because it moves with the season and the competition, but in accounts we’ve seen it sits well above HVAC and plumbing. Our Houston CPC benchmarks give a feel for the local market. Settings that matter: target people “in or regularly in” your service area, not people “interested in” it, and track calls and booked consultations as conversions, not page views. Our search marketing team runs this for installers who don’t want to babysit the search terms report.

Local Services Ads and your Google Business Profile

Google’s Local Services Ads category list includes a Solar energy contractor category. Local Services Ads charge per lead rather than per click and sit above the regular ads where available. Availability varies by area, so start the sign-up with your business address to see what you get.

LSA ranking leans on reviews, response rate and your business hours, so an installer with 18 reviews will struggle there. Fix the profile first: a primary category that matches your main work (Google has several solar categories, so pick the installation one if that’s your business), real photos of installs with addresses blurred, your service area drawn around where your crews actually go, and the TDLR registration in the description. Our LSA vs. Google Ads comparison and map pack guide cover the rest.

Lead vendors and shared leads: what to ask before you buy

Plenty of Houston installers buy leads. Some of those leads come from web forms that promise a “free solar quote” and sell the same person to four or five companies. That’s why the homeowner sounds annoyed when you call: you’re the fourth one that hour.

Before you sign with a vendor, ask:

1. Is the lead exclusive or shared, and with how many buyers?
2. What did the consumer see when they opted in? Get a screenshot of the actual form and consent language.
3. What ads drove the form? If the ad said “Texas solar program” or “free panels,” you’re inheriting that misrepresentation.
4. Can you return bad leads (wrong number, renter, no roof, outside the area), and within how many days?

Consent matters because you’ll call and text these people. The FCC’s “one-to-one” consent rule for lead generators was vacated by the Eleventh Circuit in January 2025 before it took effect, which means federal rules didn’t tighten the way the industry expected. Texas went its own way: SB 140 brought marketing texts under the state’s telephone solicitation law in September 2025, per Morgan Lewis’s summary. Our guide to Texas texting rules covers what that means; ask your attorney whether registration applies to you.

We’d judge every vendor on cost per signed contract after cancellations, not cost per lead. Five-day cancellations mean a sale isn’t a sale until day six. Our post on Angi and Thumbtack leads applies the same math to the big marketplaces.

Facebook and Instagram: battery stories, not bill-zero promises

Meta reaches homeowners who aren’t searching yet. Put real installs in front of the neighborhoods you already work in, then retarget site visitors with the battery and pricing pages.

Creative that tends to work: a 30-second phone video on a roof in Magnolia, a customer showing the app during a summer afternoon, a crew lead explaining what a critical-loads panel is. Lead forms should ask two or three qualifying questions (own the home, roof age, average electric bill), which costs you volume and saves your closers a lot of wasted driving. Our guide to fixing bad Facebook leads goes deeper.

A policy note. If an ad leads with a loan (“$0 down, $129 a month”), Meta’s Financial products and services special ad category may apply, which removes age and gender targeting, ZIP code targeting and lookalike audiences, per Jon Loomer’s summary. Ads about the system, the battery or the installer usually don’t need it. That’s another reason to keep financing out of the headline.

Financing disclosures: the line most solar ads get wrong

Financing is where solar marketing gets regulators’ attention. a 2024 CFPB report found lenders adding hidden “dealer fees” that can raise the cost of a loan by 30% or more above the cash price, often left out of the stated APR, and loans structured around a tax credit the borrower might not qualify for. After 25D ended, any ad or proposal still assuming a credit-funded paydown is a problem.

Ad copy has its own rule. Under Regulation Z’s advertising rule, if an ad states the number of payments, the repayment period, a payment amount or a finance charge (or a down payment amount, where one is required), it must also disclose the down payment, the repayment terms and the annual percentage rate. “Only $129 a month” in a Facebook ad triggers that. Most installers don’t realize it.

Our advice:

• Advertise the system and the cash price range. Leave monthly payment numbers for the proposal, where the full disclosures can live.
• Show the cash price next to the financed price on every proposal, so the dealer fee isn’t hidden.
• Have your finance partner sign off on any ad that mentions a rate, term or payment.

Reviews and referrals: your cheapest leads

A solar sale takes trust, so reviews carry more weight here than in most trades. Ask twice: once after installation and once after the customer’s first full summer bill, when the savings are real. The second ask is the one that produces specific reviews (“our August bill was $61”), and those sell better than anything you’ll write.

Follow Google’s rules: same link to every customer, no incentives for reviews, no filtering for happy ones. A referral program is different and fine; you can pay for referred sales, just not for reviews. Our complete guide to Google reviews has request scripts. A simple text after the first summer works:

“Hi Dana, it’s Marcus from [company]. Your system made it through its first Houston summer. If it’s been doing its job, a quick Google review helps neighbors find an installer they can trust: [link]. And if anything isn’t right, call me directly.”

Tracking and your first 90 days

Solar has a long sales cycle and a five-day cancellation window, so measure further down the funnel than most trades do. At minimum: tracked call numbers by channel, form fills, booked consultations, proposals sent, signed contracts, contracts still standing after day six, and installs completed. Our GA4 and Google Ads tracking guide covers setup, and the speed-to-lead guide explains why the first five minutes of a lead decide so much.

Then judge each channel on cost per installed system. If you want a senior strategist to build a plan around your crews, territory and close rate, get in touch.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 30% solar tax credit still available in Texas?

Not for homeowner-owned systems. The 2025 tax law ended the Section 25D residential credit for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, and an expenditure counts as made when installation is complete. Leases and power purchase agreements are different, because the solar company claims a commercial credit under Section 48E. Those systems qualify if construction began by July 4, 2026 or the system is placed in service by the end of 2027.

How do solar companies get leads in Houston?

The main sources are Google search ads and Local Services Ads, the Google Business Profile, Facebook and Instagram ads, referral programs, purchased leads from vendors, and door-to-door canvassing. The highest-quality leads usually come from search and referrals, because those homeowners are already researching. Judge every source on cost per installed system after cancellations, not cost per lead, since shared vendor leads often look cheap and close poorly.

What does Texas SB 1036 require of solar companies?

SB 1036 put residential solar sales under TDLR. Contracts must give buyers five business days to cancel without penalty and state the last day to cancel. A licensed electrical contractor must do the installation. Sellers can’t imply a utility or government affiliation, make misleading performance or cost claims, or solicit at homes with no-soliciting signs. Retailers and salespeople must register with TDLR, with the deadline extended to November 1, 2026.

Does Texas have net metering for solar?

Texas has no statewide net metering rule. In deregulated areas like most of Houston, the retail electric provider you choose sets the buyback terms, and only a handful of providers offer solar buyback plans. Plans range from credits at the energy charge rate, to credits capped at monthly usage, to real-time wholesale rates. Credits usually don’t offset delivery charges, so savings estimates should state the plan type assumed.

Can I advertise a monthly payment in my solar ads?

You can, but it triggers federal disclosure rules. Under Regulation Z, an ad that states a payment amount, the number of payments, the repayment period or a finance charge must also disclose the down payment, the repayment terms and the annual percentage rate. Many installers advertise the system and a cash price range instead, keep monthly payments for the proposal, and have their finance partner approve any ad that mentions rates or terms.

Written by Sean Melton

Sean Melton is the founder of First Byte, a digital marketing agency in The Woodlands, TX. A former global CMO of a $250M software company, he has spent his career inside the businesses he markets. His team runs paid social, search, CTV and creative for brands like Equinox, Kroger and Viceroy, and shares what works here.