Solar power in Virginia

Solar power in Virginia on rooftops is estimated to be capable of providing 32.4% of electricity used in Virginia using 28,500 MW of solar panels.^[1] Installing solar panels provides a 6.8% return on investment in Virginia, and a 5 kW array would return a profit of $16,041 over its 25 year life.^[2]

Solar panels at a vineyard in Louisa

U.S. solar potential

A feed-in tariff is available from the Tennessee Valley Authority, which pays $1,000 for signing up, plus the current rate for electricity plus $0.12/kWh for all generation. Systems are limited to from 0.5 kW to 50 kW. Payment is for 10 years. Payments are in the form of monthly credits to the consumers regular monthly bill and are paid monthly or annually at TVA's choice. Payments are for 10 years, and payment at retail can be extended for an additional 10 years.^[3] A standard offer program is available for systems from 50 kW to 1 MW, which pays from 4 to 6 cents/kWh above retail for the first 10 years.^[4] Net metering is available.

Virginia's largest solar array in 2014 was the 504 kW rooftop array located in Woodbridge.^[5]

Amazon has partnered with Dominion Virginia Power to construct the largest solar facility in the Mid-Atlantic in Accomack County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Amazon Solar Farm US East is an 80 MW facility developed by a solar energy company and purchased by Dominion.^[6]

The Virginia Clean Economy Act of 2020 directs the construction of 16,100 MW of solar power and onshore wind by 2035, bringing the state's utility-delivered power to 100% renewable energy by 2045.^[7]

The Spotsylvania Solar project is the largest in the state, with four phases completed in 2020 and 2021 totaling 617 MWdc capacity.^[8]

Statistics

Source: NREL[9]

Grid-Connected PV Capacity (MW)[10][11][12][13]
Year	Capacity	Installed	% Change
2007	0.4
2008	0.4
2009	0.7	0.3	75%
2010	2.6	1.9	271%
2011	4.5	1.8	73%
2012	10.5	5.2	116%
2013	12.6	2.2	21%
2014	11	6	120%
2015	21	10	91%
2016	217	196	933%
2017	613	396	126%
2018	758	145	23%
2019	898	140	18%
2020	2,310.5	1,412.5	157%
2021	3,760.9	1,450.4	%
2022	4,286	525.1	%

Utility-scale solar generation in Virginia (GWh)^[14]

Year	Total	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
2016	19	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	9	9
2017	313	15	19	23	25	28	24	29	26	25	26	36	37
2018	764	48	44	69	79	72	80	77	78	61	67	47	42
2019	950	54	51	83	94	105	93	102	90	88	70	62	58
2020	1,482	70	79	101	128	146	156	174	138	123	126	117	124
2021	2,200	137	130	248	278	313	317	371	406

See also

• Renewable energy portal
• Energy portal
• United States portal
• Virginia portal

• Wind power in Virginia
• List of power stations in Virginia
• Solar power in the United States
• Renewable energy in the United States