PCSing to Fort Bliss? Don't Put Solar Panels on Your Home.

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.

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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.