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Independent city Dominion Installer core area

Solar panels in Charlottesville, Virginia

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Charlottesville makes about 1,350 kWh a year, 2.8% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from Dominion Energy at 15.20¢ per kWh (2025 average).

1,350

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

5.01

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,800

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

15.20¢

Dominion price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Charlottesville, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in Jul, low in Dec.050100150Jan89Feb95Mar124Apr117May127Jun131Jul133Aug127Sep119Oct107Nov93Dec88
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. Jul makes about 1.5× Dec.

Seasonality

Summer surplus pays for winter.

Virginia net metering carries excess credits forward for 12 months, so Jul'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: 15.4%. Elevation about 170 m. Compare every town on the production map, or see what moves the number in roof direction, tilt and shade.

Payback in Charlottesville

An average home here, solar-sized.

Assumes 1,038 kWh a month (≈ $158) at Dominion Energy's 2025 average price, Charlottesville'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

9.2 kW

System size

$25,300

Est. cost

$2,068

Year-1 savings

11.2 yrs

Break-even

$61,751

25-yr savings

$36,451

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utilities serving Charlottesville

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 Charlottesville?
About 1,350 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 10,800 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Charlottesville?
Dominion Energy serves Charlottesville, per EIA's service-territory data. Dominion's 2025 average residential price was 15.20¢ per kWh.
Is solar worth it in Charlottesville?
For an average Dominion home (1,038 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 9.2 kW system costing about $25,300 with a break-even around 11.2 years and $36,451 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 1100751.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1100751, 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.