Volunteer Electric Cooperative and solar
Volunteer Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 105,248 homes in Tennessee. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 13.4¢1% below Tennessee average
- Typical bill
- $1621,210 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~20%No statewide net metering
- Typical payback
- 24.2 yrs5.3 kW, cash
Export rules for Volunteer Electric Cooperative customers
No statewide net metering (Tennessee rule).
Tennessee has no net metering law; almost all homes are served by TVA-supplied local power companies. Solar offsets your own usage, but exported power is typically bought at TVA's low wholesale avoided-cost rate (about 2.7 c/kWh in late 2026) or a local utility's own rate.
Solar for a typical Volunteer Electric Cooperative home
| System | 5.3 kW (50% of 1,210 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $19,930 |
| First-year savings | $775 |
| Payback | 24.2 years |
| 25-year net | $845 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- —
- Share of customers
- —
- Residential solar capacity
- —
- Residential customers
- 105,248
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Volunteer Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Volunteer Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Volunteer Electric Cooperative follows Tennessee's rules: Tennessee has no net metering law; almost all homes are served by TVA-supplied local power companies. Solar offsets your own usage, but exported power is typically bought at TVA's low wholesale avoided-cost rate (about 2.7 c/kWh in late 2026) or a local utility's own rate.
How much does electricity cost with Volunteer Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 13.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 13.4¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,210 kWh a month, a bill of about $162.
Is solar worth it with Volunteer Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5.3 kW system costing about $19,930 pays back in about 24.2 years, with $845 net over 25 years.
How many Volunteer Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
Volunteer Electric Cooperative did not report residential net-metered solar to EIA for 2025.
Legal name: Volunteer Electric Coop (EIA ID 19898). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.