Tennessee solar in numbers, 2024
Every figure below is computed by us from the Form EIA-861 annual files. Ranks are out of 51 jurisdictions, highest first.
| Measure | Tennessee | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Households with a metered rooftop system86 systems across 3,166,103 residential accounts | 0.00% | 51st of 51 |
| Average system sizeNational average 6.74 kW | 6.95 kW | 33rd of 51 |
| Residential priceDerived average across the state, not a tariff | 12.42¢/kWh | 43rd of 51 |
| Consumption per accountWhat a system here is typically sized against | 13,843 kWh/yr | 3rd of 51 |
| Systems with a battery34 paired systems | 39.53% | 1st of 51 |
| Third-party ownedLeased or under a power purchase agreement | 0.0% | 38th of 51 |
| Five-year growth8 systems added in 2024 | 33.9%/yr | 12th of 51 |
| Installed capacityResidential net-metered capacity | 0.6 MW | — |
What the adoption figure means
One of the least developed rooftop markets in the country. Expect few installers, long lead times, and permitting offices with little solar experience.
Residential electricity in Tennessee averaged 12.42¢ per kilowatt-hour in 2024, 43rd of 51 and below the national average of 16.48¢. Retail electricity is cheaper than most of the country, which lengthens payback because each kilowatt-hour you avoid buying is worth less. Prices and adoption across all 51.
System size and consumption
The average Tennessee system was 6.95 kW in 2024, ranking 33rd of 51. Households consumed an average of 13,843 kilowatt-hours a year (3rd of 51) — the figure a system here is sized against.
Size your own system from your own kilowatt-hours, not from this average — how to do that.
Who owns the systems
0.0% of Tennessee systems were third-party owned in 2024 — leased or under a power purchase agreement rather than owned by the householder. That is 38th of 51.
Outright ownership dominates, so purchase and loan offers will make up most of what you see. Who claims the federal credit · ownership across all 51.
Battery attachment
39.53% of Tennessee solar systems were paired with a battery in 2024, 1st of 51 — 34 paired systems.
Among the highest attachment rates in the country, which normally points to poor export compensation, unreliable supply, or both. Attachment across all 51 · does a battery belong in your project.
Where the market is going
Tennessee added 8 systems in 2024 and has grown at 33.9% a year over five years, 12th of 51. Where growth has turned.
Solar companies and licensing in Tennessee
We found no dedicated state licence register for solar work in Tennessee, so we publish no company counts rather than guessing. That is not evidence of light regulation — electrical work is frequently licensed at state or local level even where solar is never named separately.
It does have a practical consequence here. With 86 systems in the state and adoption 51st of 51, you are working in a market where a search for "Tennessee solar licence" will often return nothing useful, and where the company quoting you may be travelling in from out of state. Ask which licence they hold, in which state, and confirm it with that issuing authority rather than accepting a licence number on a proposal. What to do when the search comes back empty.
Method
Figures are computed by HyreSolar from the Form EIA-861 2024 annual files — net-metered residential systems only, penetration counted against residential accounts, sizes as means. EIA publishes the inputs, not these ratios. Full methodology and the underlying CSV.
None of these figures is an estimate for your property. What to work through before you talk to anyone.
Common questions
How many homes in Tennessee have solar?
86 residential net-metered systems were recorded in Tennessee in 2024, against 3,166,103 residential electricity accounts — 0.00% of households, 51st of 51 jurisdictions. That is a HyreSolar calculation from Form EIA-861.
What size solar system is typical in Tennessee?
The average net-metered residential system in Tennessee was 6.95 kW in 2024, against a national average of 6.74 kW. Your own system should be sized from twelve months of your kilowatt-hours and your usable roof, not from a state average.
Do people in Tennessee add batteries to solar?
39.53% of Tennessee systems were paired with storage in 2024, 1st of 51. Battery attachment tracks outage frequency and export rules more than it tracks sunshine.
Is Tennessee a good state for solar?
On the measures we can compute: residential electricity averages 12.42¢/kWh (43rd of 51), households use 13,843 kWh a year (3rd of 51), and 0.00% have installed a system (51st of 51). Retail price and export rules move the answer far more than sunshine does, and both are set by your specific utility rather than by the state.
Source: US EIA, Form EIA-861, 2024 final release, retrieved 2 September 2026. Figures marked as a HyreSolar calculation are derived by us and are not official EIA statistics.