Tubac, Arizona is a distinctive Santa Cruz Valley community known for its historic adobe architecture, art galleries, Southwestern homes, mature desert landscaping, and views toward the Santa Rita and Tumacácori Mountains. Residential properties range from homes near the historic village to custom homes and larger lots surrounding the community. Tubac’s abundant sunshine creates excellent conditions for solar production, while Southern Arizona’s extended cooling season means air-conditioning can account for a substantial portion of household electricity use during the warmer months.

The primary electric utility serving Tubac is UniSource Energy Services (UES). UniSource’s electric rates increased in September 2024, with the company estimating an approximately 11% increase in the average residential electric bill under the rates approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Now, another rate case is before the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC): UniSource filed a new electric-rate proposal in June 2025 that would increase the average residential bill by approximately 14%, if approved. That proposed increase is not yet an approved rate hike. For Tubac homeowners already dealing with higher electricity prices and substantial summer cooling demand, rooftop solar can reduce the amount of electricity purchased from UniSource and provide greater control over exposure to future utility-rate increases. Actual savings depend on system production, household consumption, the applicable rate plan, and when electricity is used.

Adding battery storage can further reduce dependence on UniSource by storing surplus solar electricity produced during sunny daytime hours and making it available later in the afternoon or evening. This can increase solar self-consumption and help homeowners manage when they purchase electricity from the grid, particularly where time-based rates or future rate structures make the timing of consumption more important. When configured for backup operation, batteries can also keep selected essential circuits operating during an outage. With UniSource residential bills having risen about 11% under its 2024 rate case and another roughly 14% residential increase currently proposed before the ACC, combining solar panels with battery storage can give Tubac homeowners greater control over rising electricity costs while adding energy resilience and backup-power capability.