Georgia Power has offered full monthly net metering only in limited form, and exported solar has often been credited at a rate below the retail price you pay. That makes solar you use at home more valuable than solar you export. EMCs and city utilities set their own rules, so confirm your utility's current terms before trusting any savings estimate.
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When rooftop solar produces more electricity than your home is using, the extra flows out to the grid. What your utility pays or credits you for that power is one of the biggest factors in whether solar pays off, and it's one of the details sales pitches most often blur. Here's how it generally works in Georgia, with one important caveat: these rules are set through Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) proceedings for Georgia Power, and by each EMC or city utility for its own customers, and they can change. Always confirm current terms directly with your utility before you sign.
Net metering vs. netting vs. buyback
People use "net metering" loosely, but there are a few distinct ways a utility can handle solar exports:
- Full monthly net metering. Exports during the month offset your purchases kWh for kWh, so every kWh you send out is worth about the same as one you buy. This is the most favorable arrangement for solar owners. Georgia Power has offered monthly netting only in limited form, with participation capped.
- Instantaneous netting with a buyback rate. Power your home uses as it's produced simply reduces what you buy. Anything exported at that moment is measured separately and credited at a set rate, which has often been well below the retail price. This is the arrangement many Georgia Power solar customers have had.
- Other structures. EMCs and city utilities use their own approaches, which may include some form of netting, buyback at a set rate, or special rate plans for solar customers.
What "avoided cost" means
Buyback rates for exported solar are often tied to the utility's avoided cost, meaning roughly what it would cost the utility to produce or buy that power elsewhere. Because avoided cost doesn't include the delivery, grid, and other charges built into retail rates, it's typically much lower than what you pay per kWh. The specific rate is set through regulatory filings and can change over time, so ask for the current figure rather than relying on what a neighbor or salesperson was told.
Why this changes how you size a system
If exports are credited at a lower rate than you pay for power, each kWh of solar is worth more when you use it at home than when you send it out. That has practical consequences:
- Bigger isn't always better. A system sized to produce all of your annual use will export a lot in spring and fall, when production is strong and air conditioning loads are light. Those exports may earn relatively little.
- Daytime use matters. Running laundry, the dishwasher, a pool pump, or EV charging while the sun is up lets you use more of your own production.
- Batteries can shift power. A battery can store midday solar for evening use. Whether that's worth the added cost depends on your rate plan and your goals, including backup power during outages.
- Savings estimates need checking. Ask every installer which export rate their estimate assumes and what share of production they expect you to use directly. If a proposal values every kWh at the full retail rate, ask why.
Rate plans and time-of-use
Georgia Power offers several residential rate plans, including time-of-use options where the price per kWh varies by time of day and season. Solar production lines up reasonably well with summer afternoons, but on-peak windows and prices are set in the tariff and may not match your system's output closely. Some plans may work differently for solar customers. Ask your installer to model your bills on the plan you'd actually be on, and review the current rate information on Georgia Power's website.
The interconnection process
You can't just install panels and start exporting. In general, the process looks like this:
- Your installer submits an interconnection application to the utility with system details and drawings.
- The utility reviews it and may require changes, especially for larger systems or unusual setups.
- The local building department permits and inspects the installation.
- The utility grants permission to operate, which may involve a meter change or reprogramming so exports can be measured.
Don't switch a system on before you have permission to operate, since that can violate your agreement with the utility. A good installer handles the paperwork and tells you clearly when it's done.
EMC and city utility customers
Many suburban Metro Atlanta addresses are served by an electric membership corporation such as Cobb EMC, Jackson EMC, Sawnee EMC, or Walton EMC, or by a city-owned utility in places like Marietta, East Point, and Newnan. These utilities aren't regulated by the PSC in the same way Georgia Power is, and each sets its own solar policies, including interconnection requirements, export credits, any fees, and system size limits. Call your utility's member or customer services and ask:
- How are exports measured and credited, and at what current rate?
- Is there a cap on system size, or a monthly fee for solar customers?
- Which rate plans are available with solar?
- What interconnection forms, agreements, and inspections are required?
Policies change, so plan for that
Georgia Power's solar crediting has changed through past rate cases, and it could change again. Ask your utility whether a future change would apply to existing solar customers or only to new ones. Run your savings estimate assuming the current export rate stays flat rather than rising, and treat any long-term savings figure as an estimate, not a promise.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Who is my utility, and which solar crediting arrangement will I be on?
- What export rate does your savings estimate assume?
- What share of my production do you expect me to use directly?
- Which rate plan did you model, and is it available to me with solar?
- Who handles the interconnection application, and how long does approval usually take?
To get a quote from an independent installer who can model your bills under your utility's current rules, request a solar installer.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Georgia Power offer full net metering?
Only in limited form. Georgia Power's monthly netting option has been capped, and many solar customers instead have exports credited at a set rate that has often been below retail. Rules are set through Georgia PSC proceedings, so check Georgia Power's current terms.
Is it better to size solar to cover 100 percent of my usage?
Not necessarily. When exports earn less than retail, a system sized closer to your daytime use often delivers better value per dollar. Ask installers to show how much production you'd use directly versus export.
Do EMCs follow the same solar rules as Georgia Power?
No. Each EMC and city-owned utility sets its own interconnection requirements, export credit, and fees. Confirm your provider, then ask its member services for current solar terms before comparing quotes.