What is the solar score for Georgia?

Georgia has a solar score of 31/100 (Limited), ranking #21 of 51. The composite blends solar irradiance (5.3 kWh/m²/day, 40%), incentive density (30%), and modeled payback (30%).

How long does it take for solar panels to pay for themselves in Georgia?

The estimated payback for a 6 kW system in Georgia is 14.5 years, ranking #28 of 51 for speed to break-even. At a $16,800 system cost and $1,161/year modeled savings, that implies +$12,225 net over 25 years before rate escalation.

How much does a solar system cost in Georgia?

A 6 kW residential system in Georgia averages $16,800 before incentives, or $2.80 per watt. Georgia has 2 tracked state and utility incentive programs that can lower net cost.

How much electricity do solar panels produce in Georgia?

A 6 kW system in Georgia produces an estimated 9,286 kWh/year, based on average irradiance of 5.3 kWh/m²/day. Actual output varies with roof orientation, shading, and panel efficiency.

What solar incentives are available in Georgia?

Georgia offers 2 solar incentive programs including tax exemption, net metering. Net metering here is classified as partial.

Does Georgia have net metering for solar?

Georgia's net-metering policy is classified as "partial." Homeowners receive partial (often avoided-cost) credit for excess exports.

State solar profile · #21 of 51

Solar in Georgia: mid payback · strong sun

Name: Georgia Solar Data, Cost, Incentives & ROI
Creator: PlainSolarData
Published: 2024-10-01
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Georgia sits in the middle of the payback pack at 14.5 yr (#28), so irradiance (5.3 kWh/m²/day) and the 2 tracked programs matter more than ranking alone.

5.3
kWh/m²/day irradiance: 12.5¢
avg electricity rate: 14.5 yr
payback (#28): 2
incentive programs

31 Limited

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EIA nameplate inventory

Nameplate GA · Georgia score #21/51

Georgia | 31/100 | 14.5 yr payback | 5.0 GW

PHOTO 31/100
BOOK #21/51
VS-AVG 5.3 kWh
GW 12.5c/kWh
IRR 14.5 yr
STRIP 5.0 GW
FORM860 2 programs
MW near Vermont

Stamps derive from this state's NREL irradiance, EIA Form 860 / Electric Power Monthly nameplate, and DSIRE incentive row (score, rank, sun, rate, payback, capacity, programs, peer), not a quote or site assessment. Modeled figures use a typical 6 kW system; your roof, shading, and utility tariff decide the real return. See our disclaimer. Verify with EIA Form 860 → · Read with methodology → · ROI calculator guide → · Personalized estimate → · All state rows → · States ranked → · Payback vs U.S. avg (14.2 yr): 0.3 yr slower

MD

14
AL

14
MI

14
NC

14
GA

15
UT

15

What this shows Georgia sits at 14.5 years among nearest payback peers (0.3 yr slower vs the 14.2-yr U.S. average).

Mid-pack 25-year ROI · Georgia

$16,800

system cost

$1,161/yr

modeled savings

14.5 yr

break-even

+$12,225

25-year net

Mid-band math for Georgia: $16,800 system cost vs $1,161/yr savings. Incentive stacking usually decides the edge case. Run a personalized estimate →

Installed solar capacity in Georgia, 2012–2024

Total solar nameplate capacity in Georgia reported to the EIA, utility-scale and reported distributed systems. The number of reporting facilities grew 50x (3 to 150) between 2012 and 2024, and the average site size grew from 1 MW to 33 MW per site, a shift toward larger utility-scale installations.

Georgia now has about 5.0 GW of installed solar capacity across 150 reported facilities.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, installed solar nameplate capacity As of 2024

Georgia's national sun-vs-payback seat

Irradiance 5.3 kWh/m²/day (at/above the 4.8 national mean) vs 14.5-yr payback (mid band vs 14.2-yr mean). Crosshairs mark those means.

Georgia (highlighted): 5.3 kWh/m²/day, 14.5-yr modeled payback - slower than the national average.

Source: PlainSolarData model, NREL irradiance + EIA rates As of 2024

Solar & grid details

Net-metering policy: partial
Renewable portfolio standard: Voluntary (600 MW)
Installed cost / watt: $2.80/W
Annual production (6 kW): 9,286 kWh
Installed capacity (EIA 2024): 5.0 GW
Notable programs: Georgia Power Advanced Solar Initiative

Top incentive programs

2 programs available for Georgia residents

Tax exemption GA Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption · Varies by county Net metering Georgia Power Advanced Solar Initiative · Avoided cost rate

All Georgia solar incentives (2)

Tax exemption

GA Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption

Varies by county

Many Georgia counties exempt solar energy systems from local property tax.

Net metering

Georgia Power Advanced Solar Initiative

Avoided cost rate

Georgia Power purchases excess generation from residential solar at avoided cost rate.

Score and payback neighbors for Georgia

Two non-geographic peer sets for Georgia: composite score neighbors and payback-year neighbors (deduped so each row links a distinct comparison).

Similar composite solar score

Nearest nationwide matches on the NREL/EIA/DSIRE blend (31/100 here).

Vermont · score 31/100
District of Columbia · score 32/100
Kansas · score 32/100
Maryland · score 29/100

Similar modeled payback

Nearest payback-year peers nationwide (14.5 yr modeled here).

Utah · 14.5 yr payback
Alabama · 14.4 yr payback
Michigan · 14.4 yr payback
North Carolina · 14.4 yr payback

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published composite scores and modeled 6 kW payback years; rankings above use the same fields but sort the full corpus.

Solar resource from NREL; electricity rates and installed capacity from the U.S. EIA; incentive programs from DSIRE. See our methodology.

Compiled from official public sources by the publisher. · Updated July 2026