Is solar worth it in Georgia?
A 7.0 kW rooftop system near Atlanta produces about 9,812 kWh a year. Priced against the 12 residential tariffs currently on file in Georgia, payback runs from 13 years on the best of them to 55 on the worst.
Why the tariff matters more than the panels
Two households in Georgia with identical roofs and identical systems can see paybacks 13 and 55 years apart, purely because they are on different tariffs. Solar produces at midday; households consume in the evening. Only 53% of what these panels make is used as it is made — the rest is exported, and what an exported kWh earns is set by the tariff and by state net metering rules, not by the hardware.
That is why the figures here are computed hour by hour against each real tariff rather than by taking a bill and assuming solar removes a share of it. How this is modeled →
Payback by tariff in Georgia
7.0 kW system at $3.00/W, household using 1000 kWh a month, no incentives. A range means the export credit is not filed with the tariff and the outcome depends on net metering rules — 11 of 12 tariffs here belong to a utility that reports residential net metering.
| Utility | Tariff | Structure | Annual saving | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Power Co | Schedule TOU-OA-14 Time of Use - Overnight Advantage | Time-of-use | $948–$1,564 | 13–22y |
| Georgia Power Co | SCHEDULE R-30 RESIDENTIAL SERVICE | Time-of-use + tiered | $811–$1,449 | 14–26y |
| City of Covington, Georgia (Utility Company) | Residential | Time-of-use + tiered | $682–$1,247 | 17–31y |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp | Residential Prepay - Single Phase | Flat | $571–$1,081 | 19–37y |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp | Residential Service - Single Phase | Tiered | $545–$1,031 | 20–39y |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp | Residential Generator Net Metering Rider - Single Phase | Tiered | $776 | 27y |
| Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation | Residential Rate Single Phase (Schedule H-25) | Time-of-use + tiered | $382–$735 | 29–55y |
| Jackson Electric Member Corp | APHF Residential Poultry and Farm Service | Tiered | $714 | 29y |
| Jackson Electric Member Corp | A - Residential Service | Time-of-use + tiered | $669 | 31y |
| Jackson Electric Member Corp | ATOU Residential Service Time-of-Use | Time-of-use | $657 | 32y |
| Jackson Electric Member Corp | AEA Residential Energy Advantage Service | Time-of-use + tiered | $628 | 33y |
| City of La Grange, Georgia (Utility Company) | RESIDENTIAL | Time-of-use + tiered | $383 | 55y |
Price it for your own usage and system size →
What would change this
Your roof. Production is modeled for Atlanta on a south-facing array at 20° tilt. Shading, orientation and pitch all move it, and solar resource varies within Georgia itself.
Your usage pattern. A household at home during the day self-consumes more and exports less, which shortens payback wherever export credit is poor.
Rising rates. These figures hold today's prices flat. Electricity prices have been rising, and every rise shortens payback — so treat these as a conservative bound.
State and local incentives. Not included here, and in some states they are worth more than the federal credit was. Check your state energy office before deciding.