Solar in Oak Ridge, TN
With City of Oak Ridge's electricity at about 13.7¢ per kWh and 1,319 kWh of sun per kW, solar is not worth it for a typical Oak Ridge home today: it does not pay back within 25 years.
- Payback, typical home
- NeverTennessee: 24 yrs
- 25-year net
- −$335after paying $16,830
- Sun
- 1,319kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 13.7¢24% below U.S. average
A typical Oak Ridge home, by the numbers
| Utility | City of Oak Ridge |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 942 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 4.3 kW, about 10 panels, 5,673 kWh a year (50% of use) |
| Cost | $16,830 |
| First-year savings | $618 |
| 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 Oak Ridge
- Owner-occupied homes
- 66%
- Single-family detached
- 69%
- Median home value
- $270k
- Median year built
- 1965
- Population
- 32,693
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 78%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 5,699 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 Oak Ridge
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 Oak Ridge
Is solar worth it in Oak Ridge, TN?
For a typical home in Oak Ridge, solar is not worth it at 2026 prices: a 4.3 kW system costs about $16,830 after state incentives, saves about $618 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 Oak Ridge?
About 1,319 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 4% less than the Tennessee average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Oak Ridge?
Most homes in Oak Ridge are served by City of Oak Ridge, at about 13.7¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by City of Clinton, Knoxville Utilities Board, Loudon Utilities Board.
How much do solar panels cost in Oak Ridge?
A fair cash price is around $3.60 per watt before incentives, so about $16,830 for a 4.3 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Knoxville 23.6 yrs
- Maryville 25 yrs
- Morristown 24.4 yrs
- Cleveland 24.5 yrs
- Cookeville no payback
- Chattanooga no payback
- Kingsport no payback
- Johnson City 24.4 yrs
- 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.