Solar Panels in Virginia

What Does a Solar System Cost in Virginia in 2026?

A typical Virginia home solar system costs about $2.55 per watt before incentives, according to EnergySage marketplace data from October 2026, which works out to about $20,400 for 8 kW. Other published datasets report between $2.54 and $3.67 per watt, mostly because they use different quote samples and methods.

Source: EnergySage Virginia marketplace data, October 2026. Costs include installation. Your quote will differ.

Chart summary: Three of the four sources cluster between $2.54 and $2.76 per watt, while one reports $3.67. The spread is a reminder that no single average describes your home. At 8 kW, the gap between $2.55 and $3.67 per watt is about $9,000, so itemized quotes from at least three installers matter more than any published average.

What moves your price: system size, roof complexity and pitch, panel and inverter choice, whether you add a battery, and local permitting. Ask each installer for a price per watt, the equipment model numbers, the production estimate in kWh per year, and the warranty terms, so quotes can be compared on the same basis. To estimate your own numbers, use the solar savings calculator.

How Net Metering Works With Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power

Net metering lets your solar system send surplus power to the grid and receive bill credits for it. In Virginia, surplus is credited at the retail rate and netted over a 12-month period, so summer production can offset winter bills.

Dominion Energy Virginia. Dominion asked the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to replace retail-rate credits with a lower export rate. In its final order on April 30, 2026, the SCC kept the existing energy-based, annual netting structure. Credits still carry forward month to month at full value. The main change is for excess left at the end of the 12-month period, which is now credited at about 5.8 cents per kWh. The SCC also rejected a proposed application fee and Dominion’s claim on customers’ SRECs, according to published summaries of the order.

Appalachian Power (APCo). The SCC rejected APCo’s proposal to cut the value of exported solar in 2025 and left the current net metering structure in place. The 6% statutory cap on participation was also kept, and APCo is currently well below it.

What this means for system size. Because year-end surplus is worth far less than a retail-rate credit, the best-value system usually offsets about 100% of your annual usage, not more. Net metering rules also limit system size relative to your past usage and set a residential size cap, so confirm the current limits with your utility before design. To model how netting applies to your usage, try the solar net metering calculator.

Virginia receives roughly 4.5 to 5.0 peak sun hours per day depending on location and panel tilt, based on NREL-derived data. That is close to the U.S. average, which means Virginia’s solar economics depend more on electricity rates and net metering than on exceptional sunshine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there still a federal solar tax credit in Virginia in 2026?

No, not for homeowners who buy with cash or a loan. The 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Homeowners who finished an installation by that date can still claim it on their 2025 return and carry forward unused amounts. Companies that own leased or PPA systems may still claim a separate commercial credit.

How much do solar panels cost in Virginia in 2026?

Roughly $2.54 to $3.67 per watt before incentives, with EnergySage marketplace quotes averaging about $2.55 per watt in October 2026. That is about $20,400 for 8 kW and about $25,500 for 10 kW. With no federal credit, that is generally close to your net cost. Compare at least three itemized quotes.

Does Virginia still have net metering after the 2026 SCC ruling?

Yes. The SCC’s April 30, 2026 order kept Dominion’s retail-rate, 12-month netting structure. Excess left at year-end is credited at roughly 5.8 cents per kWh, so size your system to your annual usage. The SCC also rejected Appalachian Power’s proposed cuts in 2025.

How long is the solar payback period in Virginia without the federal credit?

About 10 to 12 years for many homes. Our 8 kW model gives 12.4 years at flat rates, 11.2 years with 2% annual rate growth, and 10.2 years with 4%. EnergySage reports an average of about 12 years. Your usage, roof, financing and installed price will move the result.

What Virginia solar incentives are left in 2026?

Virginia has no state income tax credit for residential solar. What remains is net metering, the property tax exemption for residential and agricultural systems up to 25 kW (Va. Code § 58.1-3661), and ownership of your SRECs. The EPA’s Solar for All funding for Virginia was cancelled in 2025.