Solar in South Riding, VA
With Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative's electricity at about 13.6¢ per kWh and 1,351 kWh of sun per kW, solar is a close call for a typical South Riding home today: about a 15-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 15 yrsVirginia: 12.3 yrs
- 25-year net
- $25,921after paying $28,245
- Sun
- 1,351kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 13.6¢24% below U.S. average
A typical South Riding home, by the numbers
| Utility | Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 1,142 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 10.1 kW, about 23 panels, 13,645 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $28,245 |
| First-year savings | $1,788 |
| Payback | 15.0 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 South Riding
- Owner-occupied homes
- 83%
- Single-family detached
- 49%
- Median home value
- $746k
- Median year built
- 2006
- Population
- 34,352
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 97%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 3,218 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Installers working in South Riding
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 South Riding
Is solar worth it in South Riding, VA?
For a typical home in South Riding, solar is a close call at 2026 prices: a 10.1 kW system costs about $28,245 after state incentives, saves about $1,788 in year one and pays back in about 15 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in South Riding?
About 1,351 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 2% less than the Virginia average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in South Riding?
Most homes in South Riding are served by Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative, at about 13.6¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by Dominion Energy Virginia.
How much do solar panels cost in South Riding?
A fair cash price is around $2.95 per watt before incentives, so about $28,245 for a 10.1 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Centreville 15.1 yrs
- Ashburn 12.8 yrs
- Sterling 12.7 yrs
- Fair Oaks 12.8 yrs
- Reston 12.7 yrs
- Linton Hall 12.7 yrs
- Oakton 12.8 yrs
- Manassas 15.5 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.