Solar Power: A Future So Bright

Solar isn’t just smart — it’s a step toward a cleaner, more sustainable way of living. Making the switch doesn’t just brighten your space; it lightens your expenses, supports healthier communities and helps protect the planet for the future.

Why switch to solar power?

Solar energy reduces pollution from fossil fuels, leading to fewer health issues, cleaner air and a higher quality of life. Renewable energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions, benefiting the environment and helping tackle climate change. Cheaper power means lower electricity bills for families.

“Electricity bills keep going up. Once a solar system is bought, it makes your power,” says Jared Jackson, who lives in Decatur. His family switched to solar energy in 2020. “With rising utility rates, solar panels can be paid off that much faster. Every day, every second, it’s making power.”

Homeowners can optimize their electrical output by running high-energy appliances during the day.

Rachael Hunter’s family installed solar panels on their Decatur home in December 2025. “We had pretty high energy bills. We wanted more energy independence and financial relief, and this was something else we could add to our sustainability bucket. We’re using 33% less power so far, and we haven’t changed many of our daily habits.”

While the number of solar system providers in Georgia has increased, financial and regulatory barriers persist for homeowners. Still, it might be worth looking into the feasibility of your family switching to solar power.

“Pricing is good right now. Every day you don’t put solar power on your home, you’re losing a little bit of money,” says Malik Watson, a senior representative at Better Tomorrow Solar, an Atlanta company providing solar panel installation and battery storage. “With prices going up every year, you can be energy independent and not dependent on power companies.”

How does a home switch to solar power?

In less than one day, the sun delivers enough solar energy to power the entire planet for a year. Solar systems can help homeowners increase their energy independence and do their part for a cleaner future.

“Once we’ve identified how optimal your home is for solar, there are different configurations for it depending on what direction the home sits. A south-facing home is the most optimal situation for solar,” says Watson. “We can show you this is how much money you’ll save each month, and in this amount of time, the system will pay itself off.”

The average residential solar system can save $100-$150 monthly on electric bills, with estimates that Georgia residents will save $120 monthly, according to EcoFlow. Actual savings depend on solar array size, energy usage, weather conditions and electricity costs. Watson estimates the system will pay itself off in 7-15 years, depending on how much equipment you have.

Watson recommends going with a local company. “A lot of companies are national, but if they’re coming from out of state, they may end up contracting work out to people who don’t have the right experience with the equipment. If you go with a local company and one of the panels isn’t performing the way it should be, you have peace of mind. We’ll come out to make sure everything’s functioning properly.”

Solar CrowdSource facilitates community-based group purchase programs to help reduce the cost of solar, with residential campaigns in Georgia.

The Jacksons’ shift was due, in part, to the Solarize Decatur-DeKalb campaign. “It started mostly from an environmental standpoint. The tax credits at the time weren’t going to live forever. There are environmental and financial benefits, so it’s a win-win in my mind.”

Shade and trees can impact the productivity of your system, so Jackson removed some of the trees on his property.

Your solar company should help you with any of the paperwork necessary, but it will take a while for your power company to switch your power to solar. Hunter’s installation took one day, but the power didn’t switch to solar until the beginning of 2026.

With solar energy, a home is often still connected to a power grid. During a blackout, professionals will be working hard to restore power, so for their safety, homes with solar energy will also not have power. If a homeowner is interested in an off-grid system, a battery pack can be installed. “With global warming, we’ve seen harsher storms, and we’re able to provide homeowners with battery backup to help with storms,” Watson says. “You wouldn’t even know the power went out. You have a system where you don’t have to worry about that.”

Along with helping to power a home, solar energy can be stored for future use and even returned to the larger electric grid for incentives, such as bill credits. Georgia Power’s RNR Instantaneous Netting program reduces the customer’s total monthly bill for excess solar production sent to the power grid.

Tips for Families

• Removing and reinstalling a solar system can be costly, so repair your roof first. “Know the age of your roof,” Jackson says. “It’d definitely be worth it to replace that if you need to. The panels work better when they’re a little cooler versus when they’re hot, so with a lighter color roof, they might not get as hot.”
• Like with any other home maintenance service, research multiple companies to find the right match for your needs.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. “Estimates are based on the ideal settings on the panel. You don’t live in a lab, so there is no way you’re getting the perfect output,” Jackson says. “Check with them on the perfect scenario versus the more real scenario. What is really going to be the output?”
• Check with your insurance about the installation. “It’s connected to your house, so it should be considered covered, but you may want to double check,” Jackson says.
• Be honest about your finances. Currently, there are no state or federal tax incentives. “It doesn’t make sense if you can’t pay these off within seven years. It doesn’t seem like something you should do unless you can pay them off quickly and independently,” Hunter says.