What is the solar score for Tennessee?

Tennessee has a solar score of 25/100 (Limited), ranking #31 of 51. The composite blends solar irradiance (4.9 kWh/m²/day, 40%), incentive density (30%), and modeled payback (30%).

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

The estimated payback for a 6 kW system in Tennessee is 16.7 years, ranking #40 of 51 for speed to break-even. At a $16,500 system cost and $987/year modeled savings, that implies +$8,175 net over 25 years before rate escalation.

How much does a solar system cost in Tennessee?

A 6 kW residential system in Tennessee averages $16,500 before incentives, or $2.75 per watt. Tennessee has 2 tracked state and utility incentive programs that can lower net cost.

How much electricity do solar panels produce in Tennessee?

A 6 kW system in Tennessee produces an estimated 8,585 kWh/year, based on average irradiance of 4.9 kWh/m²/day. Actual output varies with roof orientation, shading, and panel efficiency.

What solar incentives are available in Tennessee?

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

Does Tennessee have net metering for solar?

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

State solar profile · #31 of 51

Solar in Tennessee: slow payback despite sun

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

Tennessee's 16.7-yr modeled payback (#40 of 51) is on the slow side of the corpus; rates (11.5¢/kWh) and 2 programs decide whether sun (4.9 kWh/m²/day) still pays.

4.9
kWh/m²/day irradiance: 11.5¢
avg electricity rate: 16.7 yr
payback (#40): 2
incentive programs

25 Limited

Subscribe (RSS)

EIA Form 860 nameplate strip

Nameplate TN · Tennessee score #31/51

Tennessee | 25/100 | 16.7 yr payback | 594 MW

SUN 25/100
RATE #31/51
PAY 4.9 kWh
CAP 11.5c/kWh
PROG 16.7 yr
NEM 594 MW
PHOTO 2 programs
BOOK near Alabama

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): 2.5 yr slower

MT

16
NE

16
TN

17
IA

17
OR

17
AK

17

What this shows Tennessee sits at 16.7 years among nearest payback peers (2.5 yr slower vs the 14.2-yr U.S. average).

Slow-band 25-year ROI · Tennessee

$16,500

system cost

$987/yr

modeled savings

16.7 yr

break-even

+$8,175

25-year net

Slow-band math: $16,500 in vs $987/yr out. Check net-metering (partial) and program stack before treating the 25-year net as settled. Run a personalized estimate →

Installed solar capacity in Tennessee, 2012–2024

Total solar nameplate capacity in Tennessee reported to the EIA, utility-scale and reported distributed systems. The number of reporting facilities grew 10.7x (3 to 32) between 2012 and 2024, and the average site size grew from 5 MW to 19 MW per site, a shift toward larger utility-scale installations.

Tennessee now has about 594 MW of installed solar capacity across 32 reported facilities.

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

Tennessee: sunny but slow to break even

Irradiance 4.9 kWh/m²/day (at/above the 4.8 national mean) vs 16.7-yr payback (slow band vs 14.2-yr mean). Crosshairs mark those means.

Tennessee (highlighted): 4.9 kWh/m²/day, 16.7-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: None
Installed cost / watt: $2.75/W
Annual production (6 kW): 8,585 kWh
Installed capacity (EIA 2024): 594 MW

Top incentive programs

2 programs available for Tennessee residents

Tax exemption TN Solar Property Tax Exemption · Property tax exemption Performance incentive TVA Green Power Providers Program (TN) · Premium payment per kWh

All Tennessee solar incentives (2)

Tax exemption

TN Solar Property Tax Exemption

Property tax exemption

Tennessee solar energy systems may be exempt from local property taxes.

Performance incentive

TVA Green Power Providers Program (TN)

Premium payment per kWh

TVA pays a premium for customer-generated renewable energy exported to the grid.

Slower-payback neighbors for Tennessee

Two non-geographic peer sets for Tennessee: 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 (25/100 here).

Alabama · score 24/100
Arkansas · score 24/100
Delaware · score 24/100
Minnesota · score 26/100

Similar modeled payback

Nearest payback-year peers nationwide (16.7 yr modeled here).

Iowa · 16.7 yr payback
Oregon · 16.9 yr payback
Alaska · 17 yr payback
Nebraska · 16.4 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