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Solar In Virginia

Jessica PirroNovember 6, 2019 3202 0

Virginia is known for a lot of things, history, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and all sorts of natural beauty. One thing that most homeowners can agree on, is they are all looking for ways to protect the natural beauty of their state.

Homeowners in the state of Virginia are finding that now it is easier than ever to get a solar panel installation, with solar incentives, such as the federal ITC, solar energy tax benefits and net metering that are available in the state.

Solar Panels in Virginia

The average cost of a solar-powered system in Virginia is going to range from $12,240 to $16,560. When looking at the cost of solar panels on a cost per watt ($/W) basis, a solar panel installation is going to range in price from $2.45 to $3.31.

How long is it going to take to earn back the initial investment in solar power in Virginia? A solar panel installations payback period is the amount of time it is going to take for the owner of the solar-powered system to recover their initial investment through solar electricity savings. In Virginia, the average payback period for solar panels in Virginia is 11.38 years.

For the homeowners who can’t afford to purchase a solar-powered system with cash, there are financing options for solar panels. Homeowners will also have the option of getting a loan for solar panels or a lease for solar panels.

2019 Cost of Solar Panels in Virginia for a 5-kW Solar-Powered System

County

Out-Of-Pocket Costs

Net 20-Year Savings

Payback Period

Electricity Bill Offset

Albemarle County

$12,410 - $16,790

$24,088 - $32,589

9.3 - 12.5 Years

75 - 101 %

Amherst County

$12,835 - $17,365

$37,746 - $51,068

9 - 12.1 Years

80 - 108%

Arlington County

$12,962 - $17,537

$15,539 - $21,023

9.9 - 13.4 Years

70 - 95%

Augusta County

$12,537 - $16,962

$23,845 - $32,261

9.3 - 12.6 Years

79 - 107%

Bedford County

$11,924 - $16,157

$31,242 - $42,269

8.9 - 12 Years

79 - 107%

Campbell County

$12,027 - $16,272

$27,764 - $37,563

8.7 - 11.7 Years

76 - 103 %

Clarke County

$12,452 - $16,847

$35,031 - $47,395

9.8 - 13.2 Years

74 - 100 %

Fairfax County

$12,537 - $16,962

$20,324 - $27,497

9.7 - 13.1 Years

71 - 96%

Frederick County

$12,707 - $17,192

$21,690 - $29,345

9.7 - 13.1 Years

73 - 98 %

Hanover County

$12,410 - $16,790

$26,790 - $36,246

9.4 - 12.7 Years

75 - 102 %

Henrico County

$12,750 - $17,25

$21,226 - $28,718

9.6 - 12.9 Years

77 - 104%

James City County

$12,962 - $17,537

$20,265 - $27,418

9.8 - 13.3 Years

72 - 98 %

Lancaster County

$12,792 - $17,307

$21,564 - $29,175

10.1 - 13.6 Years

80 - 108%

Loudoun County

$12,495 - $16,905

$21,298 - $28,815

9.7 - 13.2 Years

73 - 99%

Montgomery County

$12,665 - $17,135

$23,119 - $31,278

9.3 - 12.6 Years

78 - 106%

New Kent County

$13,472 - $18,227

$27,196 - $36,795

9.4 - 12.8 Years

68 - 93 %

Powhatan County

$12,665 - $17,135

$25,752 - $34,841

9.2 - 12.5 Years

71 - 96 %

Shenandoah County

$12,410 - $16,790

$23,673 - $32,029

9.6 - 12.9 Years

75 - 102 %

Washington County

$12,877 - $17,422

$27,553 - $37,227

9.7 - 13.1 Years

86 - 117%

Solar Energy in Virginia

Solar energy isn’t just for sunny states such as California and Arizona, Virginia is ranked 18th in terms of megawatts of solar power installed. Virginia has 802.75 MW of solar power installed, which is enough solar power to provide solar electricity for 90,428 homes. The state currently uses solar electricity for 1.07% of the states electricity needs. The solar energy industry has created 3,890 solar power jobs in Virginia, with 257 solar power companies (32 manufacturers, 109 solar-powered system installers/developers, 116 other solar energy jobs). Thus far, the state has invested $1,064.36 million in solar power. It is projected that in the next 5 years, Virginia will add 2,968 MW of solar power, moving the state into 7th place. Currently Virginia has 7,322 active solar panel installations.

Notable Solar Panel Installations in Virginia

The Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most visited national parks in the United States. Visitors come from all over the world to see the tree-filled mountains, especially in the fall. To help preserve the beauty of this national landmark, a 1,560 kW solar-powered system was installed back in 2012 that cost them $56,000. The savings that these solar panels provide is $19,000/year in materials and labor hours, vehicle maintenance, and the hazardous waste from alkaline batteries.

Amazon

Amazon’s Eastern Shore Solar LLC was completed in 2016. The solar panel installation can generate 80 MW of solar electricity, which is enough solar power for over 8,097 Virginia homes.

Solar Incentives in Virginia

When it comes to getting a solar panel installation in Virginia, one way that customers are saving by switching to solar panels is through solar incentives.

The Federal ITC

The ITC allows you to deduct 30% off the total solar-powered system cost from your federal taxes. If you are interested in getting a solar-powered system that costs $15,000 out of your pocket, you will qualify for a $4,500 tax deduction. But the 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit only lasts until the end of 2019, at the start of 2020, the tax credit is going to drop down to 26%. If you want to see how much solar panel installation will cost you before the end of 2019, you can go to HaHaSmart and use a price checker tool.

Net Metering in Virginia

One of the top solar incentives is going to net metering. With the solar incentive net metering, you get credits on your electricity bill for every extra kWh of solar electricity that is sent back to the grid. Then when you need more electricity than your solar-powered system is producing, you can use your net metering credits to make up the difference, helping you balance out your electricity production and use.

Solar system price checker

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