Solar in Salem, VA
With City of Salem's electricity at about 16.7¢ per kWh and 1,307 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Salem home today: about a 12.8-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 12.8 yrsVirginia: 12.3 yrs
- 25-year net
- $32,339after paying $24,815
- Sun
- 1,307kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 16.7¢7% below U.S. average
A typical Salem home, by the numbers
| Utility | City of Salem |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 947 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 8.7 kW, about 20 panels, 11,369 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $24,815 |
| First-year savings | $1,848 |
| Payback | 12.8 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (Virginia rule) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Salem
- Owner-occupied homes
- 63%
- Single-family detached
- 70%
- Median home value
- $259k
- Median year built
- 1971
- Population
- 25,618
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 87%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 9,010 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 Salem
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 Salem
Is solar worth it in Salem, VA?
For a typical home in Salem, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 8.7 kW system costs about $24,815 after state incentives, saves about $1,848 in year one and pays back in about 12.8 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Salem?
About 1,307 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 5% less than the Virginia average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Salem?
Most homes in Salem are served by City of Salem, at about 16.7¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Appalachian Power.
How much do solar panels cost in Salem?
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
- Cave Spring 11.4 yrs
- Roanoke 11.7 yrs
- Blacksburg 11.6 yrs
- Lynchburg 11.4 yrs
- Danville 10.8 yrs
- Staunton 12.6 yrs
- Charlottesville 12.9 yrs
- Harrisonburg 12.6 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.