Virginia solar calculator
Size a Virginia home solar system from your electric bill — kW, panel count, roof area, true cost with no federal credit for 2026 installs, and payback.
Quick answer: At $0.176/kWh and 4.5 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about 11.07 kW — 27 × 410 W panels covering ~54 m². Gross cost is ~$28,228 with no federal credit for systems installed after 2025, offsetting $2,400 a year for a ~11.8 year payback.
Your details
Ballpark, not gospel. Ballpark, not gospel. Sized at 78% real-world output with the Virginia sun-hour average — confirm shading, roof angle and your utility's NEM 2.0 terms with a local installer before buying. The SCC preserved 1:1 retail-rate net metering, so the savings math valuing all generation at your retail rate is a fair approximation here — year-end excess is paid at ~$0.058/kWh.
The 30% credit ended — what changed
The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) gave homeowners a 30% credit on solar installed from 2022 through 2025. The July 2025 tax law ended it: no credit is available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. That is why every figure on this page is ~30% higher than pre-2026 guides show. If your system went live by the end of 2025, tick the box above to see the credit applied; leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit. Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
Typical Virginia system sizes by monthly bill
| Monthly bill | System size | Panels (410 W) | Net cost (no 2026 federal credit) | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 5.74 kW | 14 | $14,637 | 12.2 years |
| $200 | 11.07 kW | 27 | $28,228 | 11.8 years |
| $300 | 16.40 kW | 40 | $41,820 | 11.6 years |
Computed at $0.176/kWh, 4.5 peak sun hours and $2.55/W installed, with no federal credit for 2026 installs. Run your exact bill above.
Solar in Virginia: the details
Solar cost in Virginia
Solar is cheap to install in Virginia. The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.55 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically landing $2.16–$2.93/W — below the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~11 kW Virginia system grosses around $28,200 before any incentives, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
What moves the number: roof complexity, panel tier, and how competitive the quote market is in your metro. Get at least three quotes — spreads of $0.50/W between installers are common.
Export rules: getting paid for surplus power
Virginia just won the fight to keep retail-rate net metering. The State Corporation Commission's April 30, 2026 NEM 2.0 ruling preserved 1:1 retail-rate net metering for Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power customers. New customers pay a $1/month admin fee, and generation left over at year-end is paid at about $0.058/kWh.
Separately, HB 1255 (effective July 1, 2026) raised Dominion's standby-fee threshold from 15 to 20 kW AC, freeing larger residential designs, and Dominion runs a shared-solar program (~13.2¢/kWh credit) for customers who can't do rooftop. Practical takeaway: because exports earn the full retail rate, the calculator's savings math is nearly exact here — the main risk to check is how your utility handles year-end excess.
Virginia solar incentives
Virginia has no state tax credit, but three durable perks stack: an automatic property tax exemption (systems ≤25 kW), a 5.3% state sales tax exemption on equipment, and tradable SRECs (~$22.50–$35 each) that pay you for every MWh your system generates.
Together with the preserved 1:1 net metering, the policy stack here is genuinely above average.
Is solar worth it in Virginia?
Verdict: solid. The calculator puts a $200/month bill at a ~11.8-year payback with no federal credit, and the SCC's NEM 2.0 ruling means that number is close to reality — exports earn the full retail rate. Add the property and sales tax exemptions plus tradable SRECs, and Virginia has one of the stronger policy stacks in the South. The main watch item is year-end excess, paid at ~$0.058/kWh: size to annual use.
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers, no fluff. Then run your own numbers above.
How many solar panels do I need in Virginia?
It follows your bill. At the Virginia average of $0.176/kWh and 4.5 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about an 11.07 kW system — roughly 27 × 410 W panels covering ~54 m² of roof.
What is the average cost of solar panels in Virginia in 2026?
Solar is cheap to install in Virginia. The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.55 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically landing $2.16–$2.93/W — below the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~11 kW Virginia system grosses around $28,200 before any incentives, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
Does Virginia have net metering?
Yes, and it just survived a fight. The Virginia SCC's April 30, 2026 NEM 2.0 ruling preserved 1:1 retail-rate net metering for Dominion and Appalachian Power customers, with a $1/month admin fee for new customers and year-end excess generation paid at ~$0.058/kWh.
Does Virginia offer any solar tax credit or rebate?
No state tax credit, but homeowners get an automatic property tax exemption (systems ≤25 kW), a 5.3% state sales tax exemption on equipment, and tradable SRECs (~$22.50–$35 each).
Is the 30% federal solar tax credit still available?
Not for homeowner purchases anymore. The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, under the July 2025 tax law (Public Law 119-21). Systems installed by the end of 2025 can still claim 30%, and leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit instead. (Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.)
Is solar worth it in Virginia?
Verdict: solid. The calculator puts a $200/month bill at a ~11.8-year payback with no federal credit, and the SCC's NEM 2.0 ruling means that number is close to reality — exports earn the full retail rate. Add the property and sales tax exemptions plus tradable SRECs, and Virginia has one of the stronger policy stacks in the South. The main watch item is year-end excess, paid at ~$0.058/kWh: size to annual use.
Figures last checked October 2026. Sources: EIA Electric Power Monthly, NREL PVWatts/NSRDB, DSIRE, Virginia State Corporation Commission; IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
More US solar calculators
Compare other states: Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. And the national US solar calculator for country averages.
Comparing quotes? The solar cost calculator breaks down cost per watt and the solar ROI calculator maps your payback year by year. Going deeper: installation cost guide, how net metering works, how much you can save with solar and the solar batteries guide.