Atlanta, GA Solar Panels
Solar Power in Atlanta
Considering solar for your Atlanta home? With Georgia electricity prices up 18% since 2020, more homeowners are exploring clean energy options that offer long-term savings and protection from rising rates.
This guide walks you through the essentials—understanding costs, maximizing local incentives, and choosing the right solar panels for your home in Atlanta.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in Atlanta, GA?
Our calculator uses real installation data from Atlanta homeowners in Buckhead, Decatur, Marietta, and beyond. Enter your details to see accurate costs based on actual solar projects completed in your area by Palmetto.
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Key Takeaways
- Atlanta receives 5.1 peak sun hours daily making solar panels a practical investment that can offset 100% of your home’s electricity usage.
- Georgia electricity rates increased 13% since 2021 while solar locks in predictable energy costs for 25+ years, protecting you from future price hikes.
- A typical 10 kW system costs around $24,800 and can save Atlanta homeowners approximately $45,000 over 25 years through reduced electricity bills.
Atlanta Electricity Prices
Understanding Atlanta’s electricity costs helps you make informed decisions about your home’s energy future and long-term budget planning.
Georgia electricity rates have climbed from 12.5 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2021 to 14.1 cents in 2024—a 13% increase in just three years that directly impacts your monthly utility bills.
Solar panels generate electricity at a fixed cost, insulating your household from these rate increases. Once installed, your system produces power at the same predictable rate for decades, regardless of utility price changes.
Over a typical 25-year system lifespan, this protection from rising rates can translate to substantial savings. Many Atlanta homeowners find that solar becomes increasingly valuable as traditional electricity costs continue their upward trend.
Price of Energy: Georgia vs National Average
Atlanta Area Utility Providers
Atlanta residents have access to seven utility providers with rates ranging from 11.7¢ to 14.6¢ per kilowatt-hour (2023 data). All local providers charge below the national average of 16.0¢, though prices vary significantly by service area.
Georgia’s competitive electricity market and abundant natural gas supply help keep rates lower than the national average. However, Atlanta-area prices still exceed Georgia’s state average of 13.70¢, reflecting urban infrastructure costs and growing demand in the metro region.
While current rates remain competitive, utility costs have steadily increased over time. Solar panels can lock in predictable energy costs for 25+ years, helping Atlanta homeowners protect their budgets from future rate increases while reducing grid dependence.
Atlanta Utilities Electricity Rates
Georgia Solar Incentives
Installing solar in Atlanta comes with financial benefits beyond energy savings. Several solar incentives in Georgia help reduce your upfront investment.
Georgia Power offers a net billing program that credits your account for excess solar production. While you’ll avoid retail electricity costs for power you use directly, surplus energy earns credits at a reduced rate.
Incentive programs can change, so research current offerings carefully. Understanding what’s available now helps you make informed decisions about your solar investment timeline.
Georgia Power’s Net Billing program allows homeowners with solar panels to receive credits for excess electricity they send back to the grid. Unlike traditional net metering, this program values exported electricity at a lower rate than what you pay for power from the grid. Any solar energy you use immediately in your home saves you money at the full retail electricity rate, but energy exported to the grid receives a credit based on Georgia Power’s avoided cost.
As of 2024, exported electricity is credited at approximately 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which includes a 4.5-cent avoided cost plus an additional 4-cent credit. This rate changes annually, and there is no rate lock-in period, meaning you’ll always receive the current year’s export credit value. These credits are applied directly to your current month’s bill with monthly settlement—there is no annual true-up or carryover of excess credits. The program is available to Georgia Power residential customers who install qualifying solar systems and complete the utility’s interconnection process.
Ready to start saving with solar?
Speak with a Palmetto solar expert to find out exactly how much you can save with Georgia incentives.
Get a Free QuoteAtlanta Solar Irradiance
Solar panel production varies throughout the year based on daylight hours, weather patterns, and sun intensity. Understanding how seasons affect your solar system helps set realistic expectations for your investment.
Atlanta’s mix of sunny summers and cloudy winters creates variable solar production throughout the year. Despite humid conditions and occasional storms, Atlanta receives ample sunlight for effective solar energy generation.
Solar Production in Atlanta by Month
What Can Your Solar System Power?
Summer Production (July)
In July, your 10 kW system could power:
- 3.6 average homes (15 kWh/day per home)
- or Run central AC for 18 hours AND power all other appliances
- or Fully charge 5.4 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles
Winter Production (December)
In December, your 10 kW system could power:
- 2 average homes (15 kWh/day per home)
- or Keep your home heating system running for 15 hours
- or Fully charge 3 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles
Annual Production
Over a year, your 10 kW system could:
- Offset 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions
- or Equal the environmental benefit of planting 175 trees
- or Save approximately $4,234 in electricity costs
Want to know exactly how much solar can power your home?
Get a personalized solar analysis based on your actual home, energy usage, and roof characteristics.
Get My Custom EstimateSolar Panel Systems in Atlanta
We’ve mapped every solar installation across Atlanta to help you discover which neighborhoods are leading the clean energy movement. Explore this interactive map to see how many of your neighbors have already made the switch to solar power.
Leasing Solar Panels
For Atlanta homeowners, Palmetto offers flexible ways to go solar without paying the full system cost upfront. If you’re served by Georgia Power, you may qualify for a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), where you pay only for the electricity your panels produce at a predictable rate.
With a PPA, there’s no large upfront investment, no maintenance responsibilities, and no surprise costs. You simply enjoy lower electricity bills from day one. This option works well if you want immediate savings without the complexity of ownership or if you prefer predictable monthly energy costs.
Customers with other utility providers in the Atlanta area currently have access to traditional purchase options. Whether you choose to buy or lease solar panels, Palmetto’s team can help you understand which financing path makes the most sense for your home and budget.
Go solar without the investment
With LightReach, there are no investment costs to recoup, loan payments to manage, or maintenance needs to take on. As soon as your panels are active, your solar savings are too!
Learn MoreFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, solar makes strong financial sense in Atlanta. With 5.1 peak sun hours daily and Georgia electricity rates up 13% since 2021, solar panels offer predictable energy costs and long-term savings.
A typical 10 kW system costs around $24,800 and can save approximately $45,000 over 25 years. Atlanta’s ample sunshine allows systems to offset 100% of home electricity usage, protecting you from future rate increases while reducing your carbon footprint.
Atlanta does not have traditional net metering. Most utilities in the Atlanta area use net billing programs instead, which credit excess solar production at rates lower than retail electricity prices.
Georgia Power, serving most of Atlanta, credits exported electricity at approximately 8.5¢/kWh (as of 2024), while you avoid paying the full retail rate of 14.1¢/kWh for power you use directly. Other local utilities like Cobb EMC and Jackson EMC have similar programs with monthly settlement and no annual true-up.
Yes, solar panels typically increase home value in Atlanta. Research from Zillow shows homes with solar panels sell for about 4.1% more than comparable homes without them.
For an Atlanta home valued at $400,000, solar panels could add approximately $16,400 to the sale price. Buyers value the long-term electricity savings and protection from rising utility rates that solar systems provide.
The cost to go solar in Atlanta depends on your home size and energy needs. Based on actual Palmetto installations, a typical medium-sized home (2,000-3,000 sq ft) requires an 8.93 kW system costing approximately $24,814, or about $2.78 per watt.
Smaller homes may need a 7 kW system starting around $20,000, while larger homes could require 11+ kW systems costing $30,000 or more. Your final cost depends on your roof characteristics, energy usage, and chosen equipment.
Yes, solar is financially worth it for most Atlanta homeowners. A typical 10 kW system costs around $24,800 and can save approximately $45,000 over 25 years through reduced electricity bills.
With Georgia electricity rates up 13% since 2021 and continuing to rise, solar panels lock in predictable energy costs for decades. Most Atlanta systems achieve payback in 15-16 years, then provide free electricity for the remaining system life while increasing home value by approximately 4%.
We’ve completed over 2,471 installations across Georgia since 2020, bringing our national expertise to Atlanta’s local market. Our approach combines flexible financing options with a trusted network of professional installers who understand Atlanta’s unique requirements.
We focus on making solar accessible and straightforward. From initial consultation through system activation, our team guides you through each step, ensuring your solar investment delivers the long-term savings and energy independence you expect.