Solar in Johnson City, TN
With Johnson City's electricity at about 13.6¢ per kWh and 1,347 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Johnson City home today: about a 24.4-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 24.4 yrsTennessee: 24 yrs
- 25-year net
- $645after paying $19,930
- Sun
- 1,347kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 13.6¢25% below U.S. average
A typical Johnson City home, by the numbers
| Utility | Johnson City |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 1,184 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 5.3 kW, about 12 panels, 7,141 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $19,930 |
| First-year savings | $769 |
| Payback | 24.4 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 Johnson City
- Owner-occupied homes
- 51%
- Single-family detached
- 53%
- Median home value
- $268k
- Median year built
- 1983
- Population
- 72,222
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 90%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 16,996 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in Johnson City
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 Johnson City
Is solar worth it in Johnson City, TN?
For a typical home in Johnson City, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 5.3 kW system costs about $19,930 after state incentives, saves about $769 in year one and pays back in about 24.4 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Johnson City?
About 1,347 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 Johnson City?
Most homes in Johnson City are served by Johnson City, at about 13.6¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Bristol, City of Elizabethton, Town of Erwin.
How much do solar panels cost in Johnson City?
A fair cash price is around $3.60 per watt before incentives, so about $19,930 for a 5.3 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Kingsport no payback
- Bristol 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.