Solar in Knoxville, TN
With Knoxville Utilities Board's electricity at about 14.2¢ per kWh and 1,345 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Knoxville home today: about a 23.6-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 23.6 yrsTennessee: 24 yrs
- 25-year net
- $1,446after paying $18,690
- Sun
- 1,345kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 14.2¢21% below U.S. average
A typical Knoxville home, by the numbers
| Utility | Knoxville Utilities Board |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 1,109 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.9 kW, about 11 panels, 6,591 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $18,690 |
| First-year savings | $744 |
| Payback | 23.6 years |
| Exported power | 2.7¢/kWh (Knoxville Utilities Board) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Knoxville
- Owner-occupied homes
- 47%
- Single-family detached
- 52%
- Median home value
- $240k
- Median year built
- 1974
- Population
- 195,185
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 83%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 54,925 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
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 Knoxville
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 Knoxville
Is solar worth it in Knoxville, TN?
For a typical home in Knoxville, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.9 kW system costs about $18,690 after state incentives, saves about $744 in year one and pays back in about 23.6 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Knoxville?
About 1,345 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% less than the Tennessee average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Knoxville?
Most homes in Knoxville are served by Knoxville Utilities Board, at about 14.2¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Alcoa Utilities, City of Clinton, Loudon Utilities Board.
How much do solar panels cost in Knoxville?
A fair cash price is around $3.60 per watt before incentives, so about $18,690 for a 4.9 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Maryville 25 yrs
- Oak Ridge no payback
- Morristown 24.4 yrs
- Cleveland 24.5 yrs
- Kingsport no payback
- Cookeville no payback
- Johnson City 24.4 yrs
- Chattanooga 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.