Creative Solar USA
- Office
- Kennesaw, GA
- Georgia license
- Not published; ask for it
- Warranty
- 5-year workmanship; roof leaks at mounts not stated
More facts
- Solar since
- 2008, its founder (company says)
- Ways to pay
- Cash only; no home financing
Solar Panels in Georgia: Low Prices, Long Paybacks
A typical Georgia home system is 9.21 kW and costs about $25,604 in cash at $2.78 per watt. In our two worked cases it takes 23.7 to 35.7 years to pay for itself. That is slow, and the reason is plain: Georgia’s large utilities credit the power you send to the grid at 7.22¢ or less, under half the 15.12¢ average price of power.
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Why Georgia solar pays back slowly: the export credit
Georgia has no rule that makes a utility pay full price for the solar power you send out. Each kWh your panels make is worth one of two very different amounts. Our cases assume 40% is used at home as it is made.
Power you use as it is made about 15.12¢
- Your home uses it the moment the panels make it.
- It never reaches the meter, so you do not buy it.
- It saves your full price: 15.12¢ is the state average.
Power you send to the grid 2.6¢ to 7.22¢
- Every kWh that leaves your home counts as sent out.
- Your utility credits it at its own rate: 7.22¢ at Georgia Power in 2026.
- At night you buy power back at your normal price.
| Utility and export credit | Year-one savings | After upkeep | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Power, 7.22¢ (tariff RNR-11, 2026) | $1,357 | $1,080 | 23.7 years |
| Walton EMC, 2.6¢ (2026 rate) | $994 | $718 | 35.7 years |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
These are long paybacks, and we show them as they are. A Georgia system pays back faster only when more of its power is used at home as it is made.
How we calculated this
- Output: 9.21 kW × 1,419 kWh per kW = 13,069 kWh a year.
- Savings: 5,228 kWh used at home × 15.12¢, plus 7,841 kWh sent out × the credit. That is $1,357 at Georgia Power (7.22¢) and $994 at Walton EMC (2.6¢).
- Upkeep: $30 per kW a year, $276.30, including an inverter reserve.
- Payback: $25,604 ÷ (savings − upkeep). No financing, rate changes or panel aging.
- 15.12¢ is the EIA state average for 12 months to July 2026. It includes fixed charges, so it can run high. Walton homes paid about 13.0¢ on average in 2024, so a Walton home would likely take longer.
- We did not model Cobb, Jackson or Sawnee. Jackson EMC also charges solar homes $10 a month.
Georgia Power, an EMC or a city utility: who credits your solar?
In Georgia one company both delivers and sells your power, and its name is at the top of your bill. That company sets the credit for the power you send out.
Georgia Power
7.22¢ per kWh sent out
2026 credit: 3.2188¢ avoided cost plus a 4¢ adder, under tariff RNR-11. Serves about half of Georgia homes. $100 connection fee.
Next: ask for savings priced at 7.22¢, not your full rate.
Electric co-ops (EMCs)
Cobb, Jackson, Sawnee or Walton EMC
2.6¢ to 5.121¢ per kWh
Each co-op’s board sets its own credit. Jackson EMC also charges solar homes $10 a month.
Next: get your co-op’s credit and charges in writing.
Another EMC or a city utility
Its own rules
Georgia’s co-ops serve about 4 in 10 homes. State law makes every utility credit a home system of up to 10 kW, at a rate the utility files.
Next: ask for the credit, any monthly solar charge and the connection fee.
| Utility | Credit per kWh | Homes paid on average, 2024 | Extra cost for solar homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Power | 7.22¢ | 15.5¢ | $100 once |
| Cobb EMC | 5.121¢ | 11.4¢ | $100 once |
| Jackson EMC | 4.32¢ | 11.4¢ | $10 a month |
| Sawnee EMC | 3.79¢ | 11.5¢ | Ask Sawnee |
| Walton EMC | 2.6¢ | 13.0¢ | $800 once, for metering |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
How Georgia Power counts the power you send out
Georgia Power does not use net metering, where each kWh you send out cancels one you buy. It uses what it calls instantaneous netting. Solar power your home uses right away never reaches the meter. Every kWh that leaves your home earns 7.22¢, even if you buy the same amount back that evening. The credits are added up each month and taken off your bill, on the line “kWh Rec”.
The older month-for-month pilot was for 5,000 customers and is closed. The 2024 averages are what homes paid in total divided by the kWh they bought (EIA Form 861), so they include fixed charges. Jackson’s 4.32¢ comes from our October 6, 2026 tariff review; its rider gives a formula, so ask Jackson for the current rate in writing.
Georgia Power’s 7.22¢ credit resets every January
Only the 4¢ adder is fixed. The avoided-cost part is set again each year, so a quote should say which year’s credit it uses.
7.22¢Credit in 2026
3.2188¢ avoided cost plus the 4¢ adder the regulator approved in 2022.
7.93¢Filed for 2027
Georgia Power filed a 3.93¢ avoided cost on June 26, 2026. It is not yet a posted rate.
10 kW ACSize limit
Measured at the inverter. Above it, the other option pays nothing for extra power.
0.2%Program cap
Open until home solar reaches 0.2% of peak demand. Georgia Power does not publish how full it is.
The co-ops move too. Walton EMC’s 2.6¢ runs through December 31, 2026. Sawnee EMC raised its credit from 3.48¢ to 3.79¢ on May 1, 2026.
What a Georgia system costs at $2.78 per watt
The September 2026 benchmark, $0.11 below the US average. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.
| Size (kW DC) | Cash price | Power made a year |
|---|---|---|
| 5 kW | $13,900 | 7,095 kWh |
| 8 kW | $22,240 | 11,352 kWh |
| 9.21 kW (typical) | $25,604 | 13,069 kWh |
| 10 kW | $27,800 | 14,190 kWh |
How we got these numbers
- 9.21 kW is the median size Georgia homeowners installed in 2025 (Berkeley Lab, 351 systems). Size yours to the power you use in daylight.
- Output uses the Cost Index figure of 1,419 kWh per kW a year. Shade lowers it.
- Georgia Power, Cobb, Jackson and Sawnee cap a home system at 10 kW, measured on the AC side at Georgia Power and Sawnee.
- A system you own gets no federal tax credit after December 31, 2025.
Georgia solar incentives in 2026: a short list
Nothing lowers the purchase price of a home system in Georgia today. The one money item is your utility’s bill credit.
$0Rebate
Georgia Power says neither it nor the State of Georgia offers one.
$0State tax credit
The old credit only covered systems placed in service by December 31, 2014.
$0Federal tax credit
Not for a system you own placed in service after December 31, 2025.
PausedGeorgia Solar for All
Paused since August 7, 2025. There is nothing to apply for now.
| Way to pay | Who owns the panels | Georgia rule to check |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | You | No rebate or credit lowers the price |
| Loan | You | Cobb and Central Georgia EMC lend up to $25,000 at 9.90% APR; compare the financed total with cash |
| Lease | The company | Legal for home systems up to 10 kW AC; Jackson and Walton credit rules cover member-owned systems, so ask first |
| PPA | The company | Price per kWh; transfer or buyout if you sell |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Things sold as Georgia incentives that are not
- Property tax relief: do not count on it. Ask your county tax assessor, in writing, whether panels change your home’s assessed value.
- Community solar: a subscription, not a saving. Georgia Power charges $24 a month for a 1 kW block and says the program is not meant to save you money. Cobb EMC charges $19 a block and says the same.
- A Georgia Power battery payment: the regulator approved a pilot on July 31, 2025, but Georgia Power has not opened it or published amounts.
- “Free solar”: Georgia’s Attorney General warned on August 18, 2022 about ads promising free solar, no more power bills or a partnership with Georgia Power or an EMC.
Who Georgia solar works for
- Daytime usePower used while the sun is up saves your full price. Power sent out earns 7.22¢ or less.
- Your utilityCo-op credits run below Georgia Power’s, and Jackson EMC adds $10 a month.
- Shade and roofTrees cut output. Replace an old roof first, or get the remove-and-reinstall cost in writing.
- Time in the homeWith paybacks above 20 years in our cases, compare your planned stay with your quote’s payback.
Georgia solar installers, A to Z
Six companies that list Georgia service, A to Z, not ranked. Facts from their own sites and state registries, read October 12 to 14, 2026.
ESD Roofing Solar
Buys leads from EcoGen- Office
- Pinellas Park, FL (headquarters); no Georgia office listed
- Georgia license
- Electrical EN218454, as the company publishes it; not checked by us
- Warranty
- Maker warranties; no workmanship term published
More facts
- Experience
- Over 11 years installing (company says)
- Ways to pay
- Purchase, loan, lease
Hannah Solar
- Office
- Atlanta, GA
- Georgia license
- Not published; ask for it
- Warranty
- Panels “25 years or more” (FAQ); no workmanship term published
More facts
- Focus
- Mainly commercial; also installs home systems
- Ways to pay
- Loans; lender not named
Momentum Solar
Buys leads from EcoGen- Office
- Norcross, GA, per its Google listing (headquarters South Plainfield, NJ)
- Georgia license
- Not checked by us
- Warranty
- Not confirmed: website could not be read
More facts
- Founded
- Not confirmed
- Ways to pay
- Cash, loan, lease, PPA (older website)
Palmetto
- Office
- Charlotte, NC (headquarters)
- Georgia license
- Electrical EN009061, active October 13, 2026; the record names a person, not the company
- Warranty
- 10-year workmanship, 5-year roof penetrations
More facts
- Who installs
- Its subsidiary PlugPV or a partner; ask which
- Ways to pay
- Purchase, loan, LightReach lease or PPA
Suncatcher of Atlanta
- Office
- Marietta, GA
- Georgia license
- Not published; ask for it
- Warranty
- No terms published
More facts
- Solar since
- 1983 (company says)
- Ways to pay
- None listed
- Note
- Its site still advertises the ended 30% federal credit (read October 14, 2026)
Momentum Solar and ESD Roofing Solar buy homeowner leads from EcoGen America. That does not change their facts or their place in this A to Z list. How we make money.
Compare Georgia solar companies in detailAtlanta solar companies
Six checks for a Georgia solar quote
- Your utility and its creditGeorgia Power or your EMC by name, the cents per kWh used for power sent out, and the year it applies to.
- Your home-use shareThe share of solar power you are expected to use at home as it is made, and why.
- Size against the limitThe inverter size in kW AC, under your utility’s limit.
- No federal credit subtractedThe homeowner credit ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025.
- Cash and financed pricesBoth totals side by side, with any dealer fee shown.
- A Georgia electrical licenseThe license number, which you can look up in the Secretary of State’s licensee search.
Comparing Georgia quotes?
Ask each installer to name your utility and write down the export credit behind its savings estimate.
Check solar for your Georgia homeEcoGen America does not sell or install solar. When you request quotes, we pass your request to solar providers serving your area, and they pay us for the introduction. Providers can include installers, solar marketplaces and lead exchanges, and more than one may contact you. You never pay us. Privacy policy
Georgia Solar FAQs
Does Georgia have net metering?
Not at the full price of power. State law makes each utility credit the power your system sends out, but the utility sets the rate. Georgia Power pays 7.22¢ in 2026 for every kWh that leaves your home. The large EMCs pay 2.6¢ to 5.121¢.
Does Georgia have a solar tax credit?
No. Georgia’s old credit only covered systems placed in service by December 31, 2014, and the Department of Revenue’s list of credits has no solar credit. The federal credit ended for systems you own placed in service after December 31, 2025.
Will Georgia Power’s credit change in 2027?
Probably. On June 26, 2026, Georgia Power filed a 2027 avoided cost of 3.93¢. With the 4¢ adder that would make about 7.93¢. It had not posted a 2027 rate when we last read its solar page on October 14, 2026.
Can I lease solar panels in Georgia?
Yes. A 2015 state law lets you get a home system of up to 10 kW AC through a lease or a PPA, and your utility may not block it. Jackson EMC and Walton EMC credit rules cover systems the member owns, so ask those co-ops first.
Is there a free solar program in Georgia?
Not one you can apply for today. Georgia Solar for All, planned for lower-income homes, has been paused since August 7, 2025. The Attorney General has warned about ads that promise free solar.
Sources and authors of this Georgia guide
Sources (24 documents, each with the date we read it)
- EcoGen Solar Cost Index, September 2026: Georgia$2.78 per watt, 9.21 kW median size (Berkeley Lab 2025, 351 systems), 1,419 kWh per kW, 15.12¢ statewide average (EIA).
- Georgia Power: Residential Rooftop Solar FAQ2026 credit of 3.2188¢ plus 4¢, monthly bill credits. Read October 14, 2026.
- Georgia Power: tariff RNR-114¢ adder, 10 kW AC limit, 0.2% cap, closed 5,000-customer pilot. Read September 30, 2026.
- Georgia Power: Rooftop solar, how it works$100 interconnection fee. Read September 30, 2026.
- Georgia Public Service Commission: Docket 16573Georgia Power’s June 26, 2026 filing of a 3.93¢ 2027 avoided cost. Recorded September 29, 2026.
- Cobb EMC: Schedule DG-1, effective February 1, 20265.121¢ credit. Read September 30, 2026.
- Cobb EMC: I’m ready to install rooftop solar$100 interconnection fee, 10 kW limit. Read September 30, 2026.
- Jackson EMC: Rider NM, filed with the Georgia PSC$10 monthly charge, 10 kW limit. Read September 30, 2026; 4.32¢ credit from EcoGen’s October 6, 2026 tariff review.
- Sawnee EMC: Net Metering Rider NEM-183.79¢ since May 1, 2026 (3.48¢ before). Read September 29, 2026.
- Walton EMC: Selling your solar power2.6¢ through December 31, 2026; $800 metering. Read October 14, 2026.
- U.S. EIA: Form EIA-861, 2024 dataUtility shares of Georgia homes and average prices paid. Read September 30, 2026.
- U.S. EIA: average residential price by state15.12¢, 12 months August 2025 to July 2026, as used in the Cost Index.
- Official Code of Georgia, release 732001 distributed generation law, 2015 lease law, old state tax credit. Read September 30 and October 1, 2026.
- Georgia Department of Revenue: Tax CreditsNo solar or clean energy credit listed. Read October 1, 2026.
- Georgia Department of Revenue: Sales Tax Rates4% state rate. Read October 1, 2026.
- IRS: Residential Clean Energy CreditNo credit for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Read September 30, 2026.
- Capital Good Fund: Georgia BRIGHT Solar for AllProgram paused. Read September 30, 2026.
- Georgia Power: Community Solar$24 a month per 1 kW block. Read September 30, 2026.
- Central Georgia EMC: PowerUp loansUp to $25,000 at 9.90% APR, same at Cobb EMC. Read September 30, 2026.
- Georgia PSC: 2025 Integrated Resource Plan orderSolar plus storage pilot approved July 31, 2025. Read September 30, 2026.
- Georgia Attorney General: misleading solar offers, August 18, 2022Warning on free-solar ads and false utility partnerships.
- 2025 Annual Technology Baseline: residential PVOwner costs of $29.83 per kW a year, rounded to $30 for upkeep.
- Berkeley Lab: solar self-consumption research (2022)Informs the 40% home-use planning default. It is not a measured Georgia average.
- Cobb EMC: SolarShare$19 a month per block. Read September 30, 2026.
Written by
Dean Mahmoud
CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.
About Dean
Checked by
Trevor Guilday
Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.
About TrevorEditorial standardsCost Index methodologyVerified Installer methodology