Solar in Richmond, VA
With Dominion Energy Virginia's electricity at about 16.3¢ per kWh and 1,344 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Richmond home today: about a 12.7-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 12.7 yrsVirginia: 12.3 yrs
- 25-year net
- $34,803after paying $26,285
- Sun
- 1,344kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 16.3¢10% below U.S. average
A typical Richmond home, by the numbers
| Utility | Dominion Energy Virginia |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 1,038 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 9.3 kW, about 22 panels, 12,501 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $26,285 |
| First-year savings | $1,971 |
| Payback | 12.7 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 Richmond
- Owner-occupied homes
- 44%
- Single-family detached
- 44%
- Median home value
- $353k
- Median year built
- 1959
- Population
- 229,359
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 69%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 47,145 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 Richmond
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 Richmond
Is solar worth it in Richmond, VA?
For a typical home in Richmond, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 9.3 kW system costs about $26,285 after state incentives, saves about $1,971 in year one and pays back in about 12.7 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Richmond?
About 1,344 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 3% less than the Virginia average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Richmond?
Most homes in Richmond are served by Dominion Energy Virginia, at about 16.3¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Richmond?
A fair cash price is around $2.95 per watt before incentives, so about $26,285 for a 9.3 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Tuckahoe 12.6 yrs
- Mechanicsville 12.5 yrs
- Short Pump 12.6 yrs
- Petersburg 12.8 yrs
- Fredericksburg 12.8 yrs
- Newport News 12.3 yrs
- Charlottesville 12.9 yrs
- Cherry Hill 12.9 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.