Solar Calculator for Georgia: Costs, Incentives & ROI
Georgia's solar economics differ meaningfully from most US states, and homeowners evaluating solar in the Peach State benefit from understanding two specific policy gaps before committing to a system. First, Georgia's traditional net metering program — administered by Georgia Power under the Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources tariff (RNR) at the retail rate — closed to new applications in December 2021 after reaching its statutory 5,000-customer cap, as ordered by the Georgia Public Service Commission in Docket 42516. New solar customers today receive avoided-cost compensation for any electricity their system exports to the grid, at rates of approximately three to four cents per kilowatt-hour — significantly below the residential retail rate of approximately thirteen cents per kilowatt-hour. For a six-kilowatt Georgia solar system, this means the primary financial value comes from solar electricity consumed directly in the home during the day, not from grid exports. Second, Georgia does not provide a statewide property tax exemption for residential solar installations. Unlike neighboring North Carolina — which exempts up to eighty percent of solar value from property taxes — or Florida, which provides a full property tax exemption, Georgia has no equivalent statute. Solar installations may increase a home's assessed value at county-level reassessment, potentially adding to a homeowner's property tax burden. Despite these two policy gaps, solar installations in Georgia are still financially viable for many homeowners: the state's excellent Sun Belt solar resource (peak sun hours comparable to Texas and Florida), the thirty-percent federal Investment Tax Credit, and Georgia Power's relatively moderate residential electricity rates at thirteen cents per kilowatt-hour combine to make self-consumption-focused solar systems sensible investments — particularly for homeowners with above-average daytime electricity usage, electric vehicle charging, or who plan to add battery storage to maximize the value of each kilowatt-hour their panels produce.
Incentive data updated: May 2026(may be outdated)
Average Solar Cost in Georgia
Average installed solar costs in Georgia typically range from $2.60 to $2.90 per watt before incentives, among the more competitive pricing in the Southeast. A standard six-kilowatt residential system costs approximately $15,600 to $17,400 before the federal Investment Tax Credit — modestly below the national average, consistent with LBNL Tracking the Sun data for the South Atlantic region. The thirty-percent federal ITC reduces net installed cost to roughly $10,920 to $12,180. Georgia does not offer a statewide solar rebate program; the federal ITC is the primary financial incentive. Because Georgia does not have a statewide property tax exemption for solar, homeowners should be aware that a solar installation may add to assessed property value at county reassessment, adding modestly to annual property tax obligations. The practical impact varies by county — some Georgia assessors do not routinely add solar value, but homeowners should not assume protection is in place. Georgia's competitive installation market — with active NABCEP-certified installers serving Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah — typically provides multiple competitive bids when homeowners request three or more quotes.
- Avg. installed cost
- $2.75/W
- Typical 6 kW system
- $16,000–$18,000
Top Solar Incentives in Georgia
Live incentive data not currently available for Georgia. See the federal incentive guidance via our Solar Tax Credit Calculator.
Electricity Rates in Georgia
Georgia residential electricity rates average approximately twelve to fourteen cents per kilowatt-hour on a blended basis, in the lower-to-middle tier of US electricity markets. Georgia Power Company, a Southern Company subsidiary serving approximately eighty percent of Georgia's residential customers, uses tiered rate structures in the twelve-to-fourteen-cent range. Georgia's forty-one Electric Membership Corporations — member-owned rural cooperatives including Cobb EMC, Jackson EMC, and Sawnee EMC — charge flat rates in a similar range, with individual EMC policies varying for solar customers. Georgia Power's avoided-cost compensation rate for solar exports is approximately three to four cents per kilowatt-hour — roughly twenty-five percent of the retail rate. This gap — thirteen cents retail versus three to four cents export — is why system sizing and self-consumption matter so much for Georgia homeowners. A system covering approximately eighty to ninety percent of household consumption during daylight hours will produce better economics than an oversized system exporting low-value electricity. Georgia homeowners with electric vehicle charging, home office loads, or battery storage plans are positioned to maximize self-consumption.
Peak Sun Hours in Georgia
Georgia's solar resource is among the best in the eastern United States. The Atlanta metro receives approximately four and a half to five peak sun hours per day, and coastal Savannah approximately five to five and a half peak sun hours. Atlanta at thirty-three degrees north places Georgia firmly in the Sun Belt, with solar resource levels comparable to central Texas and northern Florida — significantly above the Midwest and Northeast. Georgia's mild winters minimize snow cover, and abundant solar hours keep production high year-round. A six-kilowatt system in Atlanta typically produces seven thousand five hundred to eight thousand five hundred kilowatt-hours per year; Savannah systems may produce eight thousand to eight thousand eight hundred kilowatt-hours. Georgia's avoided-cost export rate means strong production is best captured through self-consumption: using most solar output directly avoids grid purchases at thirteen cents, whereas surplus exports earn only three to four cents. Battery storage — storing midday solar surplus for evening use — is particularly well-suited to Georgia's regulatory environment.
Example ROI for a 6 kW System
- Estimated annual savings
- $850
- Payback period
- 11.0 years
- 25-year net savings
- $18,000
Run a personalized estimate with your ZIP code using the Solar ROI Calculator.
Major Cities in Georgia
- Atlanta30303
- Augusta30901
- Columbus31901
- Macon31201
- Savannah31401
Common Questions About Solar in Georgia
Does Georgia have net metering for solar?
No — Georgia does not have traditional retail-rate net metering for new solar customers as of 2025. Georgia Power's Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources tariff program, which provided retail-rate net metering for residential solar installations, closed to new applications in December 2021 after reaching its statutory 5,000-customer cap, as ordered by the Georgia Public Service Commission in Docket 42516. Homeowners who enrolled in the RNR program before December 2021 are grandfathered at retail-rate net metering for the duration of their legacy contract term, but new solar customers connecting systems after December 2021 receive avoided-cost compensation for grid exports instead. The avoided-cost rate is approximately three to four cents per kilowatt-hour — about twenty-five percent of Georgia Power's retail rate of approximately thirteen cents. Electric Membership Corporation members in rural Georgia should contact their individual EMC, as some cooperatives have their own solar compensation policies that may differ from Georgia Power's avoided-cost rate, though most align with the avoided-cost framework. Georgia has not enacted replacement net metering legislation as of 2025, though advocates continue to pursue retail-rate compensation policy through the Georgia PSC.
Is solar still worth it in Georgia without net metering?
Yes, solar can still be financially worthwhile for Georgia homeowners without traditional net metering, but the strategy shifts significantly compared to full net metering states. In states with retail-rate net metering, oversizing a solar system to produce large surpluses can make sense because exports earn the full retail rate. In Georgia, the economics favor systems sized to match daytime consumption rather than maximize total production, because self-consumed solar avoids grid purchases at the full retail rate of approximately thirteen cents per kilowatt-hour — six to nine cents better per kilowatt-hour than the avoided-cost export rate. A well-sized six-kilowatt system for a Georgia home with above-average daytime electricity use (home office, electric vehicle charging, or heat pump cooling during the day) might still achieve a payback period of ten to twelve years after the thirty-percent federal Investment Tax Credit, producing meaningful twenty-five-year savings. The value proposition is strongest for homeowners with above-average daytime consumption, those who add battery storage to capture solar surplus for evening use, and those who can offset high-summer air conditioning loads during peak production hours. Georgia's Sun Belt solar resource — approximately four and a half to five peak sun hours per day in Atlanta — remains one of the eastern US's best, ensuring systems produce substantial kilowatt-hours regardless of compensation policy.
Why might my Georgia property tax go up after installing solar?
Georgia does not provide a statewide property tax exemption for residential solar energy systems. Unlike North Carolina, which exempts eighty percent of a solar installation's value from property tax assessment, or Michigan, which provides a full property tax exemption under Public Act 92, Georgia has no equivalent statute protecting homeowners from property tax increases attributable to solar. When a county assessor reassesses a home's value — which may occur on a regular cycle or following a sale — solar panels can be included as an improvement that increases the home's assessed value, which in turn increases property tax liability. The practical impact varies significantly by county: some Georgia county assessors do not routinely add solar value to assessments, while others do. There is no guaranteed protection, and homeowners should inquire with their county tax assessor's office about local assessment practices before purchasing a system. The good news is that Georgia's county property tax rates vary widely, and for many homeowners the potential property tax increase from solar is modest relative to the electricity savings the system provides over its twenty-five-year useful life. Solar equipment itself — panels, inverters, racking — is subject to Georgia's four-percent state sales tax plus applicable local sales tax additions of approximately three to four percent, as Georgia does not exempt solar equipment from sales tax.
What is Georgia Power's avoided-cost rate for solar exports?
Georgia Power's avoided-cost compensation rate for residential solar exports is approximately three to four cents per kilowatt-hour as of LAST_VALIDATED. The avoided-cost rate — determined by the Georgia Public Service Commission — represents what Georgia Power would otherwise pay to generate or procure that electricity, not the retail rate consumers pay. This is substantially below Georgia Power's residential retail rate of approximately thirteen cents, meaning exported solar earns roughly twenty-five percent of what that same kilowatt-hour would have cost to buy. This rate differential is the central economic factor for Georgia solar homeowners: self-consumed solar is worth the full retail rate, while exported solar earns only the avoided-cost rate. The Georgia PSC may revise this rate in future proceedings — verify the current rate with Georgia Power or your EMC before finalizing system sizing. EMC cooperative members should contact their individual utility, as EMC policies can vary.
What is the typical payback period for solar in Georgia?
For a six-kilowatt residential solar system installed in Georgia in 2025, a typical payback period ranges from nine to thirteen years after the federal Investment Tax Credit — the wide range reflecting how much output is self-consumed versus exported at the low avoided-cost rate. Homeowners consuming most solar output directly through high daytime use, EV charging, or battery storage can achieve payback closer to nine to eleven years; those exporting large fractions at three-to-four-cent avoided-cost rates will see payback extend toward twelve to fourteen years. A representative Atlanta-area scenario: six-kilowatt system at roughly seventeen thousand dollars, federal ITC credit of approximately five thousand dollars, net cost twelve thousand dollars, annual savings eight hundred to nine hundred dollars assuming most output is self-consumed — producing a payback of roughly eleven to twelve years. Over twenty-five years, cumulative net savings are typically sixteen thousand to twenty thousand dollars for a well-sized Georgia system. Battery storage improves annual savings by capturing solar surplus at the retail rate rather than the avoided-cost export rate.
Best Solar Installers in Georgia
Georgia requires solar installation electrical work to be performed by a licensed Electrical Contractor (Class I or II) from the Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board (SCILB). Verify your installer's license status at the SCILB online lookup before signing any contract. Look for NABCEP-certified professionals as an additional quality indicator beyond the state licensing minimum. In Georgia's avoided-cost environment, proper system sizing for self-consumption is particularly important — confirm your installer understands how to size for daytime load coverage rather than maximum production.
- Get at least 3 quotes from different installers to compare pricing and equipment.
- Check installer ratings with the BBB before signing a contract.
- Verify contractor licensing with Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board (SCILB) — Electrical Contractor license (Class I or II). Ask for proof of a 20–25 year panel warranty.
Top Utility Companies in Georgia
Georgia Power Company (Southern Company)
Service area: Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Savannah, most suburban and rural Georgia
Tariff: tier-2, TOU
Residential rate: 12.0–15.0¢/kWh (as of 2026-05)
NEM program: GA PSC RNR avoided-cost — program closed to new applications December 2021; new customers receive avoided-cost compensation (~3–4¢/kWh) only
Cobb EMC
Service area: Cobb County, Marietta, Kennesaw, Smyrna, northwest Atlanta suburbs
Tariff: flat
Residential rate: 11.0–14.0¢/kWh (as of 2026-05)
NEM program: Varies by EMC — most align with Georgia Power avoided-cost framework; consult Cobb EMC member services for current solar compensation rate
Jackson EMC
Service area: Gainesville, Braselton, Jefferson, Commerce, north Atlanta area, northeast Georgia
Tariff: flat
Residential rate: 11.0–14.0¢/kWh (as of 2026-05)
NEM program: Varies by EMC — consult Jackson EMC member services for current solar compensation rate; EMC policies may differ from Georgia Power's avoided-cost rate
Net Metering Policy in Georgia
- Version
- NEM avoided-cost
- Effective date
- 2021-12-15
- Buyback rate
- avoided-cost — 3.50¢/kWh
- System size cap
- 10 kW
- Grandfathering
- Pre-December-2021 RNR customers retain retail-rate net metering for their legacy contract term. EMC cooperative members should consult their individual utility — policies vary by EMC.
Georgia Public Service Commission Docket 42516 — Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources (RNR) tariff at retail rate closed to new applications December 2021 after 5,000-customer cap was reached. New solar customers receive avoided-cost compensation only (~3–4¢/kWh; significantly below retail ~13¢/kWh). Pre-December-2021 RNR customers grandfathered at retail-rate net metering for legacy contract term. EMC cooperative members should contact their utility directly for applicable rate. Effective: Georgia has no traditional retail-rate net metering for new applications as of 2025.
Property Tax Exemption in Georgia
- Status
- none
- Applies to
Georgia does NOT exempt residential solar from property tax assessment. Solar systems may increase a home's assessed value at county-level reassessment, potentially adding to annual property tax obligations. No statewide statute (O.C.G.A. § 48-5) protects solar homeowners from this. Some county assessors may not add solar value in practice, but there is no guaranteed protection. Solar equipment is also NOT exempt from Georgia's 4% state sales tax plus applicable local additions (~3–4%).