Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative and solar
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 169,027 homes in Virginia. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 13.6¢18% below Virginia average
- Typical bill
- $1551,142 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 15.1 yrs10.2 kW, cash
Export rules for Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative customers
Full retail net metering (Virginia rule).
Virginia keeps 1:1 net metering with annual netting for Dominion and Appalachian Power. Solar offsets your usage at retail and credits roll over for 12 months; only surplus left at year end is paid at a low rate (Dominion ~5.8 c/kWh under the 2026 'NEM 2.0').
Solar for a typical Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative home
| System | 10.2 kW (100% of 1,142 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $28,490 |
| First-year savings | $1,793 |
| Payback | 15.1 years |
| 25-year net | $25,792 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 3,981
- Share of customers
- 2.4%
- Residential solar capacity
- 32 MW
- Residential customers
- 169,027
EIA-861, 2025.
Cities served
Questions about Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative and solar
Does Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative have net metering?
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative follows Virginia's rules: Virginia keeps 1:1 net metering with annual netting for Dominion and Appalachian Power. Solar offsets your usage at retail and credits roll over for 12 months; only surplus left at year end is paid at a low rate (Dominion ~5.8 c/kWh under the 2026 'NEM 2.0').
How much does electricity cost with Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 12.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 13.6¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,142 kWh a month, a bill of about $155.
Is solar worth it with Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 10.2 kW system costing about $28,490 pays back in about 15.1 years, with $25,792 net over 25 years.
How many Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative customers have solar?
About 3,981 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 2.4% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Northern Virginia Elec Coop (EIA ID 13640). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.