Georgia
Georgia solar in 2026
Georgia makes the roof-versus-utility distinction plain. The state has major utility-scale solar volume, but no state mandate gives a homeowner retail net metering. Georgia Power chooses the terms through its tariff: instantaneous netting, avoided-cost exports, and a capped program. The deal survives or fails based on how much of your solar you use as it is produced.
Georgia solar has two prices, and only one is under your control
A panel's production cost can be low while the value of its surplus output is lower still. In Georgia, the key split is between solar used in the house and electricity pushed onto the grid. An empty house at noon can turn a plausible quote into a weak one.
| Energy source | Type | Average price | What that means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia utility supply | Household electricity | 15.84¢ for each kWh | EIA's preliminary May 2026 statewide residential average. |
| Georgia residential gas | Pipeline gas | $33.28 for one Mcf | May 2026 EIA household series. Equivalent to roughly 10.9 cents for a thermal kWh. |
| Owned rooftop array | Generated power | ~6.6¢ for each kWh | Twenty-five-year cost estimate using EnergySage state pricing and our PVGIS output model. A kWh consumed behind the meter is not valued like an exported one. |
Household electricity data: EIA Table 5.6.A (May 2026). Georgia residential gas data: EIA natural gas prices, May 2026. One Mcf contains roughly 304 kWh of thermal energy. See our solar calculation methodology.
Good production is not the constraint here
The modeled output is steady across Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta, and Macon. This is not a state where one metro has a secret solar advantage. What differs by household is the daytime load profile. That is the variable worth paying an installer to understand.
| Modeled location | Yearly yield per installed kW | Output from a 13.51 kW array |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 1491.6 | 20,152 kWh |
| Savannah | 1478.1 | 19,969 kWh |
| Augusta | 1489.2 | 20,119 kWh |
| Macon | 1483.9 | 20,047 kWh |
Method: PVGIS v5.2 model runs by Solar Learning Lab on August 18, 2026, using the NSRDB radiation database. Assumptions: fixed roof mount, south facing, 30 degree tilt, 14 percent losses. Your roof will differ.
No statewide net-metering mandate means the tariff is the policy
Georgia Power's Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources tariff uses instantaneous netting. In practical terms, production offsets consumption only at the moment it happens. Energy sent outward is paid at the 2026 solar avoided-cost rate of 3.2188 cents per kWh plus a 4-cent per kWh adder for systems up to 10 kW AC. The program is capped at 0.2% of the prior year's peak demand.
That is not net metering in the ordinary homeowner sense. It is an export purchase program set by the dominant utility. The right response is to design around daytime use, ask whether a battery meaningfully raises self-consumption, and check the current capacity status before assuming the tariff is available.
Georgia Power rooftop solar FAQs state the export terms, system limit, program cap, PowerClerk application route, and the lack of residential incentives.
Incentives: the honest table is short
| Item | Value | Fine print |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia state or utility residential incentive | None | Georgia Power states that neither it nor the state offers incentives or rebates for residential solar (Georgia Power) |
| Federal residential credit, 25D | Closed after December 31, 2025 | A lease or PPA provider may still claim 48E, which can affect its price (CRS) |
Georgia's tariff rewards a load plan, not a panel count
Georgia Power's RNR tariff uses instantaneous netting. A solar kWh can offset household use when the two occur at the same moment, but it does not roll through the month at the retail rate. For eligible systems up to 10 kW AC, the stated 2026 export payment is 3.2188 cents per kWh plus a 4-cent per kWh adder. That is the number a proposal needs to use for the exported share, not the household retail price.
The program also has a capacity limit of 0.2% of the prior year's peak demand. Availability is not something a salesperson can assume from an old slide. Ask for the current status, then ask the installer to separate the array's expected self-use from exports. A proposal that only shows annual production has skipped the part that decides the return.
The state's scale does not change that conclusion. Georgia had 7,466 MW installed, ranked 7th nationally, and solar accounted for 7.04% of state electricity through Q1 2025. Those are meaningful deployment figures, but they are not a residential rebate. Georgia Power says neither it nor the state offers incentives or rebates for residential solar.
Interconnection is handled through PowerClerk. Georgia Power serves more than 2.8 million customers in all but 4 of the state's 159 counties, while Jackson EMC reports more than 270,000 meters in northeast Georgia. The utility territory belongs on the first page of a bid, because it sets the paperwork and tariff conversation.
There is also a useful reason to start with utility territory rather than a statewide talking point. Georgia Power's customer figure is more than 2.8 million, while a separate Georgia Power page lists 2.4 million. The difference does not change the tariff. It does reinforce the need to verify the actual serving utility before a project is priced.
Georgia Power rooftop solar FAQs document the tariff, capacity rule, incentives position, and PowerClerk process. SEIA's Georgia profile provides the statewide deployment figures. Georgia Power and Jackson EMC provide the service-area figures.
Use the calculator as an onsite-use screen
This calculator credits all modeled production at the statewide retail rate, so it is not a Georgia Power export model. Use it to understand the cost of a system matched to your annual bill. Then make the installer show a time-based case that separates self-consumed electricity from instantaneous exports.
PVGIS production is consistent across the four modeled Georgia cities. The make-or-break variable is how much generation you use in the moment.
Cash quotes in Georgia cluster near $2.44 per watt, against a $3.50 national 2024 median (LBNL). Use your quote.
Assumptions you can change
Use the rate on your actual lease or PPA quote. There is no published statewide average we trust enough to hardcode.
Cash purchase
$18,788 after state credit
- Year 1 benefit
- $151/mo
- Payback
- 10 years
- 20 year net position
- $25,195
No state rebate or tax credit is modeled because Georgia Power says neither it nor the state offers one for residential solar. This is an offset-the-load decision.
Solar loan
$252/mo 15 yr payment
- Year 1 net
- -$101/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- -$1,363
We price loans at $3.64 per watt, the EnergySage cash figure plus the $1.20 per watt LBNL loan-over-cash spread.
Lease / PPA
$0 down you buy the power
- Year 1 net
- -$78/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- -$19,455
A lease or PPA provider can claim the federal 48E business credit. Compare the offered rate to the avoided retail use, not to the export payout.
Estimates, not quotes. Inputs use the Georgia average rate from EIA, our PVGIS production runs, and EnergySage August 2026 cost data. Georgia Power instantaneous netting and avoided-cost exports are not modeled. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. See our disclosures.
Georgia rules to act on, not admire
- Make the proposal state how much generation is assumed to be used onsite, not just how much the array produces.
- The RNR program is limited to systems up to 10 kW AC. Do not let a DC panel number obscure the AC program limit.
- Check program capacity before relying on the 0.2% prior-year peak-demand allocation.
- Georgia Power uses PowerClerk for interconnection applications. Ask who files the application and when you will receive the confirmation.
Georgia installers worth comparing on load design
A useful Georgia bid is not the biggest system on the roof. It is the one that explains the export calculation, the expected self-consumption, the program size limit, and the equipment needed to move more solar into your actual load.
Southeast Energy Solutions
Athens, GA
4.8(112 Google reviews)
Solar Energy Partners Atlanta
Smyrna, GA
4.9(68 Google reviews)
Blue Raven Solar
Decatur, GA
4.8(42 Google reviews)
Southern View Energy
Lula, GA
4.8(32 Google reviews)
ADT Solar
Lawrenceville, GA
3.3(192 Google reviews)
Ratings snapshot: Google Maps, August 2026, via the DataForSEO SERP feed. Zero companies paid us and none are endorsed by us. Verify the contractor's applicable Georgia license before you sign.
Get a Georgia estimate built around your load curve
We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. Details in our disclosures.
What does your monthly electric bill look like?
Georgia average is $151 per month (EIA, 2024).