Ballpark Lab
Tennessee solar estimate

Solar Panel Cost in Tennessee (2026)

Installed solar in Tennessee runs about $2.55 per watt — roughly 1% below the national average of $2.58/W. With the federal residential tax credit (25D) gone as of 2026, payback here rests on a $0.14/kWh power price and 4.7 daily peak sun hours.

Worked example: a typical $150/month home in Tennessee

A $150/month electric bill in Tennessee works out to about 13,333 kWh a year. Sizing a cash-purchase system to cover 100% of that:

System size
10.0 kW
Panels
25
Annual offset
103%
Gross cost
$28,000
Federal credit (25D)
$0
Expired 12/31/2025 — $0
State incentive
$0
Net cost
$28,000
Payback
14.1 yr
25-year savings
$31,307

Last updated June 30, 2026

Tennessee solar numbers

Installed price
$2.55 / watt
Electricity price
$0.14 / kWh
Peak sun hours
4.7 hrs/day
State incentive
0%
Net-metering value
80% of retail

$/W: industry pricing surveys · electricity: U.S. EIA, 12-month average through April 2026 · sun hours: NREL.

Local context: TVA territory pays below-retail for exports, so Tennessee solar leans on self-consumption.

Tennessee credits exported power at about 80% of the retail rate (NEM 3.0-style), so a battery to store and self-use your generation usually improves the return here.

Estimate your own Tennessee system

Adjust the bill, ownership, and battery options below — it's pre-set to Tennessee's pricing and sun hours.

Tell us about your home

Average monthly electric bill$210
Estimated system cost
$33,234$43,166
14.0 kW35 panels
Low $33kMost likely ~$38,200High $43k
Federal tax credit
— expired Dec 2025, we won't pretend otherwise
$0
State & utility incentives
$0
Est. annual savings
$2,283
Payback period
~13.8 yr
Net cost
$33k–$43k
25-year net savings
+$44,830
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Monthly shape modeled with NREL PVWatts® v8 (NSRDB 2020 TMY) — updated July 18, 2026.

Electricity 13.5¢/kWh — U.S. EIA, 12-month average through April 2026.

iA ballpark estimate for planning — not a final quote.

Data: U.S. EIA · OpenEI URDB · Google Solar · NREL PVWatts · DSIRE · IRS · ENERGY STAR · industry surveys see all sources

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