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Montgomery County VTESAPCo

Solar panels in Blacksburg, Virginia: 1,319 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Blacksburg makes about 1,319 kWh a year, 3.4% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from VTES or APCo; the numbers below use the VTES rate of 18.43¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill shows which one serves you.

1,319

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

4.92

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,552

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

18.43¢

VTES price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Blacksburg, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in Jul, low in Dec.050100150Jan91Feb92Mar106Apr126May129Jun126Jul130Aug121Sep113Oct114Nov91Dec81
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. Jul makes about 1.6× Dec.

Seasonality

Monthly solar production in Blacksburg

Virginia net metering carries excess credits forward for 12 months, so Jul'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: 15.1%. Elevation about 649 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Blacksburg

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Blacksburg

Assumes 801 kWh a month (≈ $148) at Virginia Tech Electric Service's 2025 average price, Blacksburg'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

7.3 kW

System size

$20,294

Est. cost

$1,861

Year-1 savings

9.9 yrs

Break-even

$57,048

25-yr savings

$36,754

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Montgomery County

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

UtilityTypeAvg price ¢/kWhAvg kWh / monthData year
Virginia Tech Electric ServiceUniversity-owned utility18.438012025*
Appalachian PowerInvestor-owned utility17.161,0842025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Blacksburg

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Blacksburg?
About 1,319 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 10,552 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Blacksburg?
EIA's service-territory data lists Virginia Tech Electric Service and Appalachian Power for Montgomery County. Boundaries run through the locality; your bill shows which one serves you. VTES's 2025 average residential price was 18.43¢ per kWh.
Is solar worth it in Blacksburg?
For an average VTES home (801 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 7.3 kW system costing about $20,294 with a break-even around 9.9 years and $36,754 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 1054572.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1054572, 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 Blacksburg

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.