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Wise County APCoODP

Solar panels in Appalachia, Virginia: 1,297 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Appalachia makes about 1,297 kWh a year, 5.1% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from APCo or ODP; the numbers below use the APCo rate of 17.16¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill shows which one serves you.

1,297

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

4.84

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,376

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

17.16¢

APCo price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Appalachia, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in May, low in Dec.050100150Jan85Feb87Mar116Apr114May134Jun125Jul125Aug127Sep111Oct108Nov86Dec78
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. May makes about 1.7× Dec.

Seasonality

Monthly solar production in Appalachia

Virginia net metering carries excess credits forward for 12 months, so May's surplus offsets Dec's shortfall. Systems are sized to annual usage rather than to the lowest month. How the calculator models net metering; the current rules by utility are on this Virginia incentives page, maintained by the installer behind this site.

Capacity factor: 14.8%. Elevation about 657 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Appalachia

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Appalachia

Assumes 1,084 kWh a month (≈ $186) at Appalachian Power's 2025 average price, Appalachia's PVWatts production, 3% annual rate growth and $2.78/W installed, no federal credit. Dollars are nominal. Change any of it in the calculator, or compare every utility in Are solar panels worth it in Virginia?

Run it with your bill

10.0 kW

System size

$27,800

Est. cost

$2,406

Year-1 savings

10.5 yrs

Break-even

$73,357

25-yr savings

$45,557

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Wise County

Wise County is split between utilities. Rates are calendar-year averages; see all Virginia utilities for the full table.

UtilityTypeAvg price ¢/kWhAvg kWh / monthData year
Appalachian PowerInvestor-owned utility17.161,0842025*
Old Dominion Power (Kentucky Utilities)Investor-owned utility15.321,2382025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Appalachia

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Appalachia?
About 1,297 kWh per year for every kilowatt of panels on a south-facing roof, according to NREL's PVWatts. An 8 kW system would make roughly 10,376 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Appalachia?
EIA's service-territory data lists Appalachian Power and Old Dominion Power (Kentucky Utilities) for Wise County. Boundaries run through the locality; your bill shows which one serves you. APCo's 2025 average residential price was 17.16¢ per kWh.
Is solar worth it in Appalachia?
For an average APCo home (1,084 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 10.0 kW system costing about $27,800 with a break-even around 10.5 years and $45,557 net benefit (nominal) over 25 years. Your bill, roof and shade change that; the calculator lets you enter them. The statewide picture is in “Is solar worth it in Virginia?”.
Where does the sun data come from?
NREL PVWatts v8 (8.5.0), using the 1003928.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1003928, about 2 km from the town center. Inputs: 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, 180° azimuth, 25° tilt, 14% system losses. Typical-year data doesn't change year to year.

Solar production in towns near Appalachia

Sources: NREL PVWatts v8 (8.5.0, typical-year weather); EIA Form 861 2025 utility data and service territories; U.S. Census Bureau place coordinates. Formulas and assumptions on the methodology page.