Solar in Virginia costs about $2.80 per watt, 3.4% below the national average, but the typical 9.03 kW system still runs about $25,284 before incentives. The total is high because Virginia homes use a lot of power, not because installers charge a lot, so the smart move is to size to your own usage.
See what a right-sized Virginia system costs
A Virginia quote should match your usage, not your roof. Your ZIP code shows local prices and installers.
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Big Virginia bills, big Virginia systems: prices from 6 kW to 12 kW
The average Virginia home uses about 1,032 kWh a month, roughly 20% more than the typical American home. Power carries summer cooling and, in much of the state, winter heating too. Installers size systems to that usage, so the total looks big even at a below-average $2.80 per watt. For every other state, see our national solar cost guide.
Gross cost at $2.80 per watt, before incentives. Output uses Virginia’s 1,372 kWh per kW a year, modeled from the Virginia Beach solar resource. Real quotes vary by roof, equipment and installer.
The per-watt price is the fair-bid testDivide any quote by its wattage. Per watt, Virginia prices 3.4% below the national average. A big total is a usage story, not a markup.
The 12 kW row is not a bonusMaking 133% of your usage does not pay in Virginia. Surplus left at year-end is cashed out at a fraction of retail, as the next section shows.
16.19¢ inside the year, 5.829¢ after it: what Virginia’s April 2026 order kept
In its final order of April 30, 2026 (Case PUR-2025-00079), the State Corporation Commission kept full 1-to-1 kilowatt-hour netting for Dominion customers, with monthly rollover and a 12-month carryover. It rejected 30-minute interval netting, new fees of $100 to $750, and utility ownership of renewable energy certificates. Homeowners keep their SRECs.
Power you use or net within the year
Each kWh offsets your full retail rate, modeled here at the 16.19¢ statewide average.
Surplus left after 12 months
Year-end net excess generation is cashed out at this rate, about a third of retail. The only other new cost is a $1 a month administrative fee.
Size to your usage, not your roofThat year-end rate is why oversizing fails. Anyone selling a system on export income is selling against the tariff.
Already have solar?Systems interconnected under the old rules stay on NEM 1.0 indefinitely, so nothing changes for you.
Dominion, Appalachian Power or a co-op: which netting rules cover your address
The April 2026 NEM 2.0 order applies: 1-to-1 netting, 12-month carryover, $0.05829 per kWh for year-end surplus.
In southwest Virginia. Its own 2025 order kept annual netting at retail compensation, with net excess beyond 12 months paid at about 5.6¢ per kWh.
Rappahannock and Northern Virginia electric co-ops are the largest. Net metering terms are set per co-op and deserve a line-item check before you sign.
The first question for any Virginia installer is simply: which utility serves this address, and which netting rules apply to it?
Slow but solid: the 9.03 kW Virginia payback with no federal credit
There is no federal residential credit for host-owned systems whose installation is completed after December 31, 2025. The Virginia math has to work on its own, and for a right-sized system it does.
Typical 9.03 kW system at $2.80 per watt
The 25-year figures assume Virginia’s 5-year average rate growth of 3.61% and 0.5% yearly panel degradation. They are modeled, not a guarantee; your rate plan, shading and roof orientation move them in both directions.
16.19¢ is not your rateThe statewide average is ranking context, not Dominion’s billed rate. Rerun the year-one figure with the rate on your own bill.
Four Virginia homes where a 9 kW quote does not pay
The payback above only holds when production matches consumption. Think twice if one of these fits:
- Your usage is low. If your bill runs well under the state’s $167 monthly average, a 9 kW quote is oversized for you.
- You hoped to lease. Power purchase agreements are restricted in Virginia and limited to certain utilities and customer types, so the lease-style route that carries the remaining federal 48E credit is not broadly available to homeowners here.
- Your roof has under 10 to 12 years of life. A 12-year payback on a roof that needs replacement in 8 forces a mid-life removal and reinstall cost the proposal will not show.
- The pitch counts on surplus income. At $0.05829 per kWh for year-end excess, Virginia pays near-wholesale rates for overproduction.
The per-watt, sizing and license tests for a Virginia bid
Run all three before you pay a deposit:
- The per-watt test. Divide the gross price by the system’s wattage. Against the $2.80 benchmark, a bid at $3.30/W deserves an explanation. Premium equipment and complex roofs can justify it; a brand name cannot.
- The sizing test. Ask the installer to show your last 12 months of kWh usage next to modeled production. Anything above roughly 100% of annual usage needs a reason.
- The license test. Virginia solar work runs under DPOR contractor licensing, with electrical work requiring the ELE classification. Ask for license numbers and check them with the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation.
Get bids that price your actual usage
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More on Virginia solar pricing
Frequently asked questions
How much do solar panels cost in Virginia in 2026?
Virginia’s competitive installed price is $2.80 per watt before incentives as of March 1, 2026. The typical 9 kW system that matches average household usage runs about $25,284 gross.
Does Virginia still have net metering in 2026?
Yes. The State Corporation Commission’s April 2026 order preserved full 1-to-1 net metering for Dominion customers, with monthly rollover, a 12-month carryover, and a $1 monthly administrative fee. Appalachian Power kept annual netting at retail rates under its own order.
Is there a federal tax credit for solar in Virginia?
Not for systems you own. The 25D residential credit is $0 for host-owned systems whose installation is completed after December 31, 2025. The remaining 48E credit reaches only third-party-owned systems, and PPAs are restricted in Virginia, so plan the purchase on the electricity math alone.
What is the payback period for solar in Virginia?
A right-sized system models to a 12 to 13 year simple payback: roughly $2,000 of year-one bill offset against a $25,284 typical cost, with modeled net savings around $48,000 over 25 years as rates rise. Your utility, rate plan, and roof change these numbers.
Should I oversize my solar system in Virginia?
No. Power netted within the year offsets your full retail rate, modeled at the 16.19¢ statewide average, but year-end surplus pays out at only about 5.8¢ per kWh in Dominion territory. Size to your last 12 months of usage, not to your roof’s maximum.
How we calculate these costs
Cost figures use Virginia’s entry in the EcoGen Solar Cost Index (v2 method), $2.80 per watt as of March 1, 2026. Payback and savings are modeled with no federal residential credit for host-owned systems, rate growth at the state 5-year average of 3.61%, 0.5% yearly panel degradation, and a 25-year horizon. Output uses 1,372 kWh per kW a year.
Sources (7)
- Virginia State Corporation Commission, Final Order in Case PUR-2025-00079 (issued April 30, 2026): scc.virginia.gov
- U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (March 2026 edition): eia.gov
- U.S. EIA, Form EIA-861 Annual Electric Power Industry Report, 2024: eia.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024: census.gov
- IRS, One, Big, Beautiful Bill Provisions (Public Law 119-21, Section 25D): irs.gov
- DSIRE, Third-Party Solar PV Power Purchase Agreement Policies (May 2026): ncsolarcen-prod.s3.amazonaws.com
- Virginia DPOR, Contractor Licensing Classifications: dpor.virginia.gov
