Solar in Memphis, TN
With Entergy Arkansas's electricity at about 13.9¢ per kWh and 1,439 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Memphis home today: about a 20.5-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 20.5 yrsTennessee: 24 yrs
- 25-year net
- $11,701after paying $41,320
- Sun
- 1,439kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 13.9¢23% below U.S. average
A typical Memphis home, by the numbers
| Utility | Entergy Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 2,917 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 12.2 kW, about 28 panels, 17,552 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $41,320 |
| First-year savings | $1,941 |
| Payback | 20.5 years |
| Exported power | Avoided-cost export credit (Entergy Arkansas) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 2.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Memphis
- Owner-occupied homes
- 45%
- Single-family detached
- 60%
- Median home value
- $169k
- Median year built
- 1970
- Population
- 618,980
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 72%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 158,507 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 Memphis
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 Memphis
Is solar worth it in Memphis, TN?
For a typical home in Memphis, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 12.2 kW system costs about $41,320 after state incentives, saves about $1,941 in year one and pays back in about 20.5 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Memphis?
About 1,439 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 5% more than the Tennessee average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Memphis?
Most homes in Memphis are served by Entergy Arkansas, at about 13.9¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Memphis.
How much do solar panels cost in Memphis?
A fair cash price is around $3.60 per watt before incentives, so about $41,320 for a 12.2 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Germantown 20.8 yrs
- Bartlett 20.8 yrs
- Collierville 20.9 yrs
- Jackson no payback
- Columbia no payback
- Spring Hill 23.2 yrs
- Clarksville 23.7 yrs
- Franklin 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.