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Washington County APCoBVU

Solar panels in Damascus, Virginia: 1,312 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Damascus makes about 1,312 kWh a year, 4% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from APCo or BVU; the numbers below use the APCo rate of 17.16¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill shows which one serves you.

1,312

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

4.83

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,496

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

17.16¢

APCo price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Damascus, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in Jul, low in Dec.050100150Jan87Feb85Mar110Apr120May125Jun131Jul135Aug127Sep115Oct110Nov93Dec75
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. Jul makes about 1.8× Dec.

Seasonality

Monthly solar production in Damascus

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: 15.0%. Elevation about 643 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Damascus

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Damascus

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

9.9 kW

System size

$27,522

Est. cost

$2,409

Year-1 savings

10.4 yrs

Break-even

$73,458

25-yr savings

$45,936

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Washington County

Washington 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*
Bristol Virginia UtilitiesMunicipal utility11.621,2392025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Damascus

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Damascus?
About 1,312 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 10,496 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Damascus?
EIA's service-territory data lists Appalachian Power and Bristol Virginia Utilities for Washington 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 Damascus?
For an average APCo home (1,084 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 9.9 kW system costing about $27,522 with a break-even around 10.4 years and $45,936 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 1024495.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1024495, 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 Damascus

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.