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Home  /  Solar site surveys  /  Georgia

Solar site surveys · Georgia

Solar site surveys in Georgia

A technician on the roof, in the attic and at the service panel, with the survey read against the code editions, AHJs and utilities that apply in Georgia.

NEC 2023Electrical code in effect
2Utilities covered here
48 hrsSurvey to deliverable
Nationwide500+ technicians
Short answer

Georgia's mandatory state minimum codes moved on January 1, 2026 to the 2023 NEC with 2026 Georgia amendments and the 2024 IRC and IBC, with the 2024 IFC adopted by the Safety Fire Commissioner; cities and counties enforce them. Georgia Power caps residential systems at 10 kW AC and credits exports at an annual solar avoided-cost rate plus a 4-cent adder, while 41 EMCs set their own terms. The state has no HOA solar-access law.

What changes in Georgia

The capture spec is the same everywhere. What the engineer and the plan reviewer read it against is not.

GA · METROSAtlanta
Code stack
2023NEC 2023National Electrical Code · effective Jan 1, 2026. The Department of Community Affairs board adopted the 2026 Georgia Amendments to the 2023 NEC as the mandatory state electrical code, effective January 1, 2026. Local governments enforce it and decide their own transition for permits already in the pipeline.1,2
2024IRC 2024The 2024 IRC with 2026 Georgia amendments is the state minimum one- and two-family dwelling code. Georgia deletes the IRC's electrical chapters in favor of the NEC and keeps residential fire sprinklers optional.2,3
2024IFC 2024The 2024 IFC, as adopted by the Safety Fire Commissioner with Georgia amendments, is the state minimum fire code; the State Fire Marshal's office handles questions on it.1,4
Rooftop fire access. Rooftop PV access rules come from the state minimum IRC and IFC as enforced locally, and local guidance can go further: Fayette County's solar submittal guide recommends 36-inch pathways along roof edges, peaks and valleys and 36 inches of clearance at the ridge on habitable buildings.1,5

Climate and site factors

Tree cover

Atlanta's 2023 canopy assessment put tree cover at 45.7% of city land, down from 47.9% in 2008, so shading from mature trees is a normal part of a Georgia roof review.6,7

Structure

Local guides tie structural paperwork to attachment spacing and load: Fayette County waives framing calculations for supports at 4 feet or less and caps array dead load at 4 psf.5

System size

Georgia Power's 10 kW AC residential ceiling, measured by inverter nameplate, often sets the design limit before roof area does.8

HOAs

With no state solar-access protection, association covenants and architectural review can block or reshape a rooftop array.9

Permitting in Georgia

Who reviews the plan set, and what the state layers on top.

Utilities and interconnection

The PSC fully regulates Georgia Power but has limited authority over the 41 EMCs and 52 municipal electric systems, so export terms depend on which utility serves the address.10

Georgia Power

Residential systems are limited to 10 kW AC under the RNR-11 tariff, and applications are handled through PowerClerk. New customers take RNR-Instantaneous Netting; the older monthly-netting pilot is closed and ends by 2038.11,8

Interconnection page ↗

Electric membership corporations EMCs

Georgia has 41 EMCs over which the PSC has only limited authority, so each sets its own distributed generation rider; Jackson EMC, for example, caps residential systems at 10 kW.10,12

Interconnection page ↗
Export compensation. Georgia Power credits exports under RNR-Instantaneous Netting at the annual Solar Avoided Cost rate, 3.2188 cents per kWh for 2026, plus a 4-cent adder approved in the 2022 rate case; credits are summed monthly against the bill. The monthly-netting pilot closed at 5,000 customers and expires no later than December 31, 2038. EMCs and municipal systems set their own rules.11,8,10

What we capture on every Georgia survey

One standard, one visit, the same record in Georgia as everywhere else. What it gets checked against is the code stack above.

Roof and structure

  • Measured roof planes: pitch, azimuth, dimensions
  • Every penetration and obstruction, located
  • Rafter or truss size, spacing and span
  • Decking type and condition
  • Layer count at a cut edge
  • Setbacks and fire pathway constraints
  • Horizon shading capture per array area

Electrical and interconnection

  • Main breaker and bus bar rating, photographed separately
  • Meter location and configuration
  • Slot count: used, open, tandem, double-tapped
  • Available interconnection points
  • Existing loads and sub-panels
  • Conduit route, measured along the actual path
  • Grounding electrode and bonding path

Commercial buildings

  • Membrane type, age and condition, with drainage pattern
  • Bar joist depth, spacing and span
  • Deck type and gauge
  • Switchgear and available bus capacity
  • Access and lift constraints for the install crew

Every visit

  • Roof and electrical in one visit, no second trip
  • 48-hour turnaround from survey to deliverable
  • Photo documentation throughout
  • Permit sets available, stamped, 6 days from survey

Georgia solar survey FAQ

Which NEC edition applies to solar in Georgia?

The 2023 NEC with 2026 Georgia amendments, mandatory statewide since January 1, 2026. Local AHJs set their own grace period for permits filed before then.1,2

How big can a residential solar system be on Georgia Power?

Up to 10 kW AC of inverter nameplate for residential customers under the RNR-11 tariff; commercial customers can go to 250 kW AC.8

Does Georgia Power offer net metering?

Not full retail net metering for new customers. Exports are credited at the annual solar avoided-cost rate (3.2188 cents per kWh in 2026) plus a 4-cent adder; the monthly-netting pilot is closed.11,8

Can a Georgia HOA ban solar panels?

Georgia has no law overriding association covenants on solar. A 2026 bill that would have done so did not pass, so the covenants and architectural rules decide.9

Do Georgia EMCs follow Georgia Power's solar rules?

No. The PSC has limited authority over the 41 EMCs, and each publishes its own distributed generation rider, so check the serving co-op's terms.10

Services and further reading

Metro pages for Georgia: Atlanta.

From Field Notes

Sources

Every local fact on this page links to where it came from. Codes, programs and tariffs change: confirm the current requirement with the AHJ and the utility before you design.

  1. https://dca.georgia.gov/community-assistance/construction-codes/current-state-minimum-codes-construction
  2. https://dca.georgia.gov/document/document/new-codes-and-amendments-effective-january-1-2026-memo/download
  3. https://dca.georgia.gov/document/document/irc-2026-amendment-packet-2024-edition/download
  4. https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/120-3-3
  5. https://fayettecountyga.gov/Documents/Departments/Building%20Safety/Residential%20Permits/Solar%20Panels/SOLAR-PANEL-PERMIT-GUIDE.pdf?t=202511250956130
  6. https://civicatlanta.org/blog/2026-08-16-atlantas-tree-canopy-continues-to-fall-in-latest-assessment
  7. https://www.wabe.org/tree-loss-moves-city-of-atlanta-away-from-its-50-canopy-goal/
  8. https://www.georgiapower.com/content/dam/georgia-power/pdfs/residential-pdfs/residential-rate-plans/RNR-11.pdf
  9. https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1828492
  10. https://psc.ga.gov/utilities/electric/
  11. https://www.georgiapower.com/residential/solutions/solar/rooftop-installations/faqs.html
  12. https://www.jacksonemc.com/my-cooperative/rates/commercial-rates/net-metering-rider

Researched September 30, 2026.

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