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Independent city Dominion Installer core area

Solar panels in Buena Vista, Virginia

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Buena Vista makes about 1,332 kWh a year, 4.1% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from Dominion Energy at 15.20¢ per kWh (2025 average).

1,332

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

4.99

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,656

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

15.20¢

Dominion price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Buena Vista, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in May, low in Dec.050100150Jan92Feb97Mar110Apr122May134Jun129Jul127Aug126Sep112Oct106Nov92Dec84
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. May makes about 1.6× Dec.

Seasonality

Summer surplus pays for winter.

Virginia net metering carries excess credits forward for 12 months, so May's overproduction offsets Dec's shortfall. That's why systems here are sized against annual usage, not the worst month. How the calculator models net metering; the current rules by utility are on Virtue Solar's incentives page.

Capacity factor: 15.2%. Elevation about 356 m. Compare every town on the production map, or see what moves the number in roof direction, tilt and shade.

Payback in Buena Vista

An average home here, solar-sized.

Assumes 1,038 kWh a month (≈ $158) at Dominion Energy's 2025 average price, Buena Vista's PVWatts production, 3% annual rate growth and $2.75/W installed, no federal credit. Dollars are nominal. Change any of it in the calculator, or see how every utility compares in Is solar worth it in Virginia?

Run it with your bill

9.4 kW

System size

$25,850

Est. cost

$2,073

Year-1 savings

11.4 yrs

Break-even

$62,274

25-yr savings

$36,424

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utilities serving Buena Vista

Who sends the bill

UtilityTypeAvg price ¢/kWhAvg kWh / monthData year
Dominion EnergyInvestor-owned utility15.201,0382025*

Questions

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Buena Vista?
About 1,332 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 10,656 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Buena Vista?
Dominion Energy serves Buena Vista, per EIA's service-territory data. Dominion's 2025 average residential price was 15.20¢ per kWh.
Is solar worth it in Buena Vista?
For an average Dominion home (1,038 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 9.4 kW system costing about $25,850 with a break-even around 11.4 years and $36,424 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 1080123.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1080123, 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.

Nearby places

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.