Solar in Portsmouth, VA
With Dominion Energy Virginia's electricity at about 16.3¢ per kWh and 1,432 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Portsmouth home today: about a 12.1-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 12.1 yrsVirginia: 12.3 yrs
- 25-year net
- $36,542after paying $24,815
- Sun
- 1,432kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 16.3¢10% below U.S. average
A typical Portsmouth home, by the numbers
| Utility | Dominion Energy Virginia |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 1,038 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 8.7 kW, about 20 panels, 12,457 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $24,815 |
| First-year savings | $1,964 |
| Payback | 12.1 years |
| Exported power | 15¢/kWh (Dominion Energy Virginia) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Portsmouth
- Owner-occupied homes
- 58%
- Single-family detached
- 62%
- Median home value
- $247k
- Median year built
- 1967
- Population
- 97,190
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 77%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 27,151 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Older housing stock. Many homes here were built before 1975. Have the roof and electrical panel checked before signing; a roof or panel upgrade can add thousands. Roof first?
Installers working in Portsmouth
Public installation records for Virginia don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Virginia.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Portsmouth
Is solar worth it in Portsmouth, VA?
For a typical home in Portsmouth, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 8.7 kW system costs about $24,815 after state incentives, saves about $1,964 in year one and pays back in about 12.1 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Portsmouth?
About 1,432 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 4% more than the Virginia average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Portsmouth?
Most homes in Portsmouth are served by Dominion Energy Virginia, at about 16.3¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Portsmouth?
A fair cash price is around $2.95 per watt before incentives, so about $24,815 for a 8.7 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Norfolk 12.1 yrs
- Chesapeake 12.3 yrs
- Hampton 12.1 yrs
- Newport News 12.3 yrs
- Suffolk 12.2 yrs
- Virginia Beach 12.1 yrs
- Petersburg 12.8 yrs
- Mechanicsville 12.5 yrs
- All of Virginia
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.