Roanoke County APCo Salem Installer core area

Solar panels in Cave Spring, Virginia: 1,334 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Cave Spring makes about 1,334 kWh a year, 2.3% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from APCo or Salem; the numbers below use the APCo rate of 17.16¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill shows which one serves you.

1,334

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

4.96

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,672

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

17.16¢

APCo price

2025 residential avg

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 Cave Spring

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: 15.2%. Elevation about 393 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Cave Spring

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Cave Spring

Assumes 1,084 kWh a month (≈ $186) at Appalachian Power's 2025 average price, Cave Spring'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

9.8 kW

System size

$27,244

Est. cost

$2,442

Year-1 savings

10.2 yrs

Break-even

$73,962

25-yr savings

$46,718

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Roanoke County

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

Utility	Type	Avg price ¢/kWh	Avg kWh / month	Data year
Appalachian Power	Investor-owned utility	17.16	1,084	2025*
City of Salem Electric Department	Municipal utility	15.51	947	2025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Cave Spring

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Cave Spring?

About 1,334 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 10,672 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.

Who is the electric utility in Cave Spring?

EIA's service-territory data lists Appalachian Power and City of Salem Electric Department for Roanoke 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 Cave Spring?

For an average APCo home (1,084 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 9.8 kW system costing about $27,244 with a break-even around 10.2 years and $46,718 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 1063853.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1063853, 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 Cave Spring

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.