A solar plant in Georgia earns the most when its power replaces electricity that a business would otherwise buy at the retail tariff. There are four ways to sell solar power to companies: supply on site, group net metering for plants up to 500 kW, a direct contract through the wholesale market, or selling to the market and contracting financially. This guide explains how each route works, what it is worth and what to put in the contract. Rules and prices are as of October 2026.
Four ways to sell solar power to a business
| Route | Plant size | What the buyer pays for | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-site supply | Any size that fits the roof or land | Power used on site, or a lease of the plant | Buyer's consumption drops |
| Group or remote net metering | Up to 500 kW per plant | kWh credited on the buyer's bill | Connection after 1 January 2027 loses net metering |
| Direct contract (bilateral) | Usually above 500 kW | Contracted volume at an agreed price | Balancing and market access |
| Market sale plus financial contract | Utility scale | Price difference against the market | Price and counterparty risk |
1. On-site supply
The simplest route: the plant sits on the buyer's roof or next to its building, and the buyer uses the power directly. Under GNERC's rules, the plant can be owned by the consumer, leased or held under another contract (source). This allows an investor to own the plant and lease it to the business for a fixed monthly fee, or to charge per kWh produced.
Every kWh used on site replaces a kWh bought from the grid. For a small business in Tbilisi that is worth 35.261 tetri per kWh including VAT between July 2026 and January 2027 (source). See our electricity tariffs guide for every customer group.
2. Group and remote net metering (up to 500 kW)
This is the most common way to sell solar power to several businesses in Georgia. A micro power plant of up to 500 kW can serve a group of consumers, and the plant and the consumers do not need to be at the same address as long as they are on the same distribution network: Telasi in Tbilisi or Energo-Pro Georgia in the regions (source). Each member gets its own two-way or smart meter, and the output is split equally unless the members agree otherwise.
In practice, the investor builds a 500 kW plant on cheaper land, signs contracts with one or more businesses, and the distribution company credits each business's bill with its share of the output. The business pays the investor for the credited kWh, usually at a discount to the tariff it would otherwise pay. Our own 2.5 MW portfolio in Tbilisi is five 500 kW plants built for this model.
The 2027 deadline. Plants connected before 1 January 2027 keep net metering until 1 January 2033. Plants connected later move to net billing, where exported power is paid at a rate set by GNERC instead of offsetting the buyer's consumption kWh for kWh (source). Read our net metering guide for the details.
3. Direct contracts through the wholesale market
Larger plants sell through the wholesale market. Georgia's market rules allow a direct contract: a bilateral agreement between a buyer and a seller that sets the quantity, price, term and other conditions. Both parties must be qualified wholesale market participants, and the contract is registered with the market operator ESCO and the dispatch licensee (source).
Points to plan for:
- The buyer must be able to trade. Large consumers are already wholesale participants: businesses using more than 0.4 GWh a month must register as direct consumers, and a revision to include more companies was planned (source). A smaller business usually buys through a licensed supplier or trader, which then holds the direct contract.
- Solar output does not match a flat profile. Any difference between the contracted and actual volume is settled as balancing electricity. In August 2026 the balancing price was 16.90 tetri per kWh (source).
- The day-ahead market is the reference. Since July 2024 GENEX runs an hourly day-ahead market (source), which gives both sides a transparent benchmark for pricing and indexation. See how the Georgian electricity market works.
4. Market sale with a financial contract
A utility-scale plant can sell all its output on the day-ahead market and sign a separate financial contract with a corporate buyer, so that both sides fix the price without physical delivery. The state contracts for difference awarded in auctions work on the same principle. This route suits plants of several megawatts and buyers with strong credit; see our solar farm development guide.
What the power is worth: an illustration
The gap between the retail and wholesale values is why selling to businesses under net metering pays back much faster than selling to the market. If a business saves 15–20% on its bill, the investor still earns far more per kWh than the wholesale price. These are illustrative figures; actual prices depend on the buyer's tariff group, VAT status and the market price at the time.
Contract checklist
- Price. Fixed tetri per kWh, a discount to the regulated tariff, or a fixed lease fee. Agree how it changes when GNERC changes tariffs.
- Term. Match it to the net-metering period (until 2033 for plants connected before 2027) and to the loan term.
- Volume and allocation. Each member's share of the output under group net metering, and what happens if a member leaves.
- Settlement. Who reads the meters, when invoices are issued, and how the annual May–May true-up is handled.
- Credit support. Guarantees or deposits, especially for buyers with weaker credit.
- Change in law. What happens if the rules change, as they will on 1 January 2027 for new connections.
- Exit. Termination rights, assignment to a new owner and the buyer's right to buy the plant.
Frequently asked questions
Can a solar plant sell electricity directly to a company in Georgia? Yes. Plants up to 500 kW can supply companies through group or remote net metering, and larger plants can sign a direct contract registered with ESCO, usually through a licensed supplier if the company is not a wholesale market participant.
What is the maximum size for net metering in Georgia? 500 kW per micro power plant.
Do the plant and the business need to be in the same place? No. Under remote net metering they can be at different addresses on the same distribution network.
What changes on 1 January 2027? New connections move from net metering to net billing. Plants connected before that date keep net metering until 1 January 2033.
Thinking about supplying businesses with solar power, or buying a plant that already does? See our solar advisory and co-development services, our solar panel price guide, or contact us.
