Solar in Bristol, TN
With City of Bristol's electricity at about 11.8¢ per kWh and 1,353 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Bristol home today: it does not pay back within 25 years.
- Payback, typical home
- NeverTennessee: 24 yrs
- 25-year net
- −$2,070after paying $21,170
- Sun
- 1,353kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 11.8¢34% below U.S. average
A typical Bristol home, by the numbers
| Utility | City of Bristol |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 1,296 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 5.7 kW, about 13 panels, 7,712 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $21,170 |
| First-year savings | $736 |
| Payback | never within 25 years |
| Exported power | No statewide net metering (Tennessee rule) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Bristol
- Owner-occupied homes
- 67%
- Single-family detached
- 60%
- Median home value
- $195k
- Median year built
- 1971
- Population
- 27,636
Census ACS 2020–2024.
Older housing stock. Many homes here were built before 1975. Have the roof and electrical panel checked before signing; a roof or panel upgrade can add thousands. Roof first?
Installers working in Bristol
Public installation records for Tennessee don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Tennessee.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Bristol
Is solar worth it in Bristol, TN?
For a typical home in Bristol, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 5.7 kW system costs about $21,170 after state incentives, saves about $736 in year one and does not pay back within 25 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Bristol?
About 1,353 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 1% less than the Tennessee average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Bristol?
Most homes in Bristol are served by City of Bristol, at about 11.8¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Elizabethton, Mountain Electric Cooperative.
How much do solar panels cost in Bristol?
A fair cash price is around $3.60 per watt before incentives, so about $21,170 for a 5.7 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Johnson City 24.4 yrs
- Kingsport no payback
- Morristown 24.4 yrs
- Knoxville 23.6 yrs
- Maryville 25 yrs
- Oak Ridge no payback
- Cleveland 24.5 yrs
- Cookeville no payback
- All of Tennessee
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.