El Paso Real Estate
5 Things to Do Before You Move to El Paso
Moving to El Paso? Here's the step-by-step process from picking the right agent to getting pre-approved, touring homes, and closing on your new house. Updated for 2026.
Episode 01
PCSing to Fort Bliss? Don't Put Solar Panels on Your Home.
El Paso Real Estate · 6 min read
Video transcript
Military Moving to Fort Bliss? DO NOT Make THIS $40,000 Mistake!
Welcome to Living in El Paso, Texas. My name is John Peña. My name is Alejandro Sosa, and in this video we want to talk to you about solar panels. Specifically, if you're a military member PCSing to Fort Bliss, we do not want you to make this mistake that we've seen others make. And that mistake is when you move here, put solar panels on the home that you purchase. So Alex and
I are going to break down exactly why you should not do this in our humble opinions. So Alex, what would you say is the average cost of solar panels for, say, a 1,500 to 2,000 square foot home? Typically, I would say between $25,000 to $50,000. If it's a bigger home, which we do see, $80,000 or so. Absolutely. On those big old homes that are trying to maximize and
cover all their electricity costs, yeah, $80,000, $100,000. So now, do most people pay cash for their solar panels or do they finance them? Typically, people are going to finance the solar panels, and it's going to be around 15 years, the loan. A 15-year loan. Yeah, the interest rate is usually low, 1% to 2%. Absolutely. So yeah, on top of the loan,
yeah, you are also going to pay some money in interest rates. So now, the majority of people, like you said, finance these loans. Most people don't have an extra $25,000, $50,000 laying around just to plop down for solar panels. And we'll get to, even if you did, why I still don't think it's a good idea. So anyway, most people finance this. So we're going to use an average. By the
way, I just talked to a couple of military people that were selling their homes. Last guy had $40,000. Another guy I talked to recently, $45,000. So we're going to use $35,000, okay? So let's pretend that you buy a home here in El Paso, Texas, and it's going to take about $35,000 worth of solar panels to cover the electricity costs of your home. $35,000 over 15 years,
what are they going to be paying per month? It's about $194 a month. All right, and that doesn't take into account interest, right? Now, let's say that those solar panels in August or July, when it's super hot, covers all of your electricity usage. Even if you don't use any electricity from the electric company here in El Paso, they are still going to charge you
a service fee. It's in the ballpark of $25 to $35, okay? So $194, let's tack on $25 maintenance fee. Basically, you're paying $220 a month for 15 years. This is what you made for yourself. What is the average residential electric bill in El Paso this last year? Here in El Paso, about $195. Okay, the same number, okay? But remember, you've got that
electric fee, all right? So basically, every month, you're paying $220 a month. The rest of us are potentially paying $195 a month. And keep in mind that in some months, yeah, you're going to use it more, so it might be more than that. But in a lot of months, like now, you're not going to use it much at all, and it's going to be... Sometimes my electric bill is $40, $50, all right? Now,
sometimes it's $300 in the summer because I got a lot of stuff being powered, I guess. But it basically evens out, okay? So you're not saving really any money with solar panels. Would you agree? I agree. I agree. So that's why it's very important. Like you said, a lot of people, they get excited. They want solar panels. They think it's a big saving, but they're going to
sell their house in three, four years. And once that happens, again, majority of buyers do not want to deal with solar panels, especially, obviously, if they're not going to be paid off because they got to assume the loan. So it's not really, in my opinion, a very smart move. Absolutely. And that is exactly why you should not get solar panels because now you've just
committed to a 15-year loan. Keep in mind, this loan is on your credit, so it's also affecting your credit score and everything like that. It's just one more loan you have this showing up in your debts. Here's the thing, though. Just like Alex said, in two to three years, when you want to sell that home, you probably haven't paid the solar panels off. So now maybe
there's still $30,000 left on these solar panels, and you expect a new buyer to not only pay you for what you think your home is worth, but then assume a $30,000 loan on solar panels that they never signed up for. Some buyers just don't want to do it. Some buyers don't have an extra money where they could get finance for it, but the majority of buyers just don't want to do it
because they're going to say, how old are these solar panels? How long are solar panels supposed to last? 25 to 30 years. Which I think sounds real optimistic, but okay, fine. But a lot of buyers are going to be like, well, how old are these solar panels? Are they enough to actually cover the electricity needs of the home? Are there any other fees? Yes. Like I said, most buyers,
they are not excited about assuming your solar loan debt, which makes it significantly harder for you to sell your home in two to three years when you PCS to the next place. Especially in the market. If it's a market like right now, right? You're competing with everybody, including new construction, and then you add that you have a solar panel balance of 30, 40,000. You're just
not helping yourself at all. No. Yeah. You're making yourself less competitive in the market. That is the big reason about why we believe if you're PCSing to Fort Bliss, or if you're only going to think you're going to have a home in El Paso for two, three, four, five years, don't do solar panels. All right? You're not going to save any money and you're just going
to create more problems for yourself when you try to sell. Yeah, I agree. We're trying to save you from making a mistake that we've seen others make over and over and over again. And so hope that that has some value for you and you'll believe us and we'll see you in the next episode.
We've seen this play out too many times. A military family PCSes to Fort Bliss, buys a home, and some solar panel company convinces them to put panels on the roof. Three years later, they get orders to their next duty station, try to sell the house, and that solar loan turns into a $30,000+ anchor that makes the home almost unsellable.
We first covered this on our YouTube channel a couple years ago, and the situation has actually gotten worse since then. The federal solar tax credit was eliminated at the end of 2025, El Paso Electric rates went up, and the resale complications haven't changed. Let me walk through the updated math.
The Solar Panel Math in El Paso (2026 Numbers)
According to EnergySage, the average cost of a residential solar installation in El Paso runs about $2.30 per watt. For a typical 5 kW system on a 1,500 to 2,000 square foot home, that's roughly $11,500 before incentives. But most El Paso homes need more than 5 kW to offset their full electric usage, especially in summer. A system sized to cover the whole bill can run $20,000 to $35,000, and larger homes can hit $50,000+.
Here's the big change: the 30% federal solar tax credit no longer exists. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, eliminated the residential solar tax credit effective January 1, 2026. That credit used to knock 30% off the cost of a system. On a $35,000 installation, that was $10,500 back in your pocket. That's gone now. You're paying full price.
Most people finance solar panels rather than paying cash. The typical loan is about 15 years. Let's run a realistic example: $30,000 financed at 4% over 15 years comes out to about $222 per month.
But even in July and August when those panels cover 100% of your electricity usage, El Paso Electric still charges a service fee of $25 to $35. So your real monthly cost with solar panels is closer to $250.
Meanwhile, El Paso Electric just got a rate increase approved in February 2026 that added about $14 per month to the average residential bill. Even with that increase, the average bill runs roughly $72 in winter months up to around $140 in peak summer. Over a full year, most homeowners are averaging somewhere around $115 to $130 per month in electricity costs. With solar, you're paying $250 a month for 15 years regardless of the season.
In winter and spring when your electric bill might be $50 to $70, you're still making that $250 solar payment. The math doesn't work.
The Real Problem: Selling With a Solar Loan
The monthly payment isn't even the worst part. The real hit comes when you sell.
Military families typically sell within 3 to 4 years. At that point, you've barely dented the principal on that solar loan. Let's say there's still $25,000 to $30,000 left on the balance.
Now a buyer looking at your home doesn't just have to pay your asking price. They also have to deal with that solar lien. According to SolarMedix, solar loans place a lien on your property that has to be released by the title company before closing. Some solar companies charge $200 to $500 just for the lien transfer paperwork.
And here's what the solar company doesn't tell you upfront: many solar loans aren't even assumable. If the buyer can't assume your loan, you have to pay off the entire remaining balance at closing, which comes straight out of your sale proceeds. On a $250,000 home, losing $25,000 to $30,000 off the top is brutal.
When the loan is assumable, the buyer still needs to qualify. The solar company runs their credit and requires a minimum score. On top of that, the buyer's mortgage lender counts the solar payment against their debt-to-income ratio. According to Arizona Mortgage Brothers, a $200/month solar payment can require the buyer to show an extra $400/month in qualifying income. That disqualifies a lot of buyers, especially first-time purchasers and other military families who are already stretching their budget.
Most buyers look at all that and walk away. They'd rather buy the house down the street that doesn't come with someone else's solar debt. You're already competing against every other listing in your price range, including brand new construction with builder incentives. A solar lien makes you the hardest home to sell in your neighborhood.
"But Don't Solar Panels Add Home Value?"
This is the counterargument you'll hear, and it's worth addressing directly.
A 2025 study analyzing Zillow data found that homes with solar panels sell for about 6.9% more than comparable homes without them. On a $250,000 El Paso home, that would be about $17,250 in added value. Sounds great, right?
Look closer. That study is based on homes with owned systems, meaning the panels are paid off and free and clear. When the system is an asset with no strings attached, yes, buyers see it as a bonus. Free electricity is a selling point.
But that's not what happens with a financed system. When there's a $25,000 lien attached, those panels aren't an asset. They're a liability. Zillow's own research notes that third-party owned or financed systems don't consistently add value because buyers don't want to take over someone else's contract or loan.
So the studies are technically correct. Owned solar adds value. Financed solar on a home you're selling in 3 years does the opposite.
Bottom Line
If you're PCSing to Fort Bliss and you plan to own your home for 2 to 5 years, don't do solar panels. The federal tax credit that used to make the math borderline workable is gone. El Paso Electric rates, even after the 2026 increase, still don't justify the monthly loan payment. And when it's time to sell, that lien is going to cost you either in buyer pool (fewer people willing to buy) or in proceeds (paying off the loan at closing).
We've watched families go through this over and over. The solar company gets their sale, the installer gets their commission, and the military family gets stuck holding the bag when they PCS out.
If you want to lower your electric bill at Fort Bliss, get a smart thermostat, add window tinting, and make sure your insulation is solid. Those upgrades cost a fraction of solar, don't create liens, and actually make your home easier to sell.
John David Peña is the owner of Peña El Paso Realty Group and has helped hundreds of military families buy and sell homes at Fort Bliss. For PCS relocation help, visit penaelpaso.com/buy/fort-bliss.
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