Guides
Virginia solar guides, with the receipts.
Everything here is either arithmetic you can check, public data you can download, or Virginia law you can look up. Where a number can go stale, we link to someone who keeps it current instead of guessing.
- Data
Is solar worth it in Virginia?
Payback by utility, computed from this year's EIA prices and NREL sun data. Updated automatically.
- Data
Why Virginia electricity rates keep rising
What the EIA series shows, and the three forces behind it.
- Calculator
How the calculator models net metering
Why 1:1 retail crediting lets annual production offset annual usage, and what the model leaves out.
- Basics
How to read your Virginia electric bill
Customer charge, distribution, generation, riders and the co-op power-cost adjustment.
- Basics
kW vs. kWh: the only solar unit lesson you need
Why a 10 kW system does not make 10 kWh, and how to size from your bill.
- Basics
Roof direction, tilt and shade
What actually moves the production number, with PVWatts numbers for Virginia.
- Equipment
Panel degradation and warranties
What 0.5% a year means over 25 years, and what the warranty actually promises.
- Calculator
How SREC income enters the payback math
One certificate per megawatt-hour, sold on a market. Small money, real money, deliberately conservative.
- Basics
How to estimate solar savings yourself
The five-line calculation behind every solar calculator, including this one.