Grayson County APCo

Solar panels in Fries, Virginia: 1,336 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Fries makes about 1,336 kWh a year, 2.2% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from Appalachian Power at 17.16¢ per kWh (2025 average).

1,336

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

4.97

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,688

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. Jun makes about 1.5× Dec.

Seasonality

Monthly solar production in Fries

Virginia net metering carries excess credits forward for 12 months, so Jun'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 744 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Fries

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Fries

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

9.7 kW

System size

$26,966

Est. cost

$2,404

Year-1 savings

10.2 yrs

Break-even

$73,299

25-yr savings

$46,333

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Grayson County

Utility	Type	Avg price ¢/kWh	Avg kWh / month	Data year
Appalachian Power	Investor-owned utility	17.16	1,084	2025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Fries

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Fries?

About 1,336 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 10,688 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.

Who is the electric utility in Fries?

Appalachian Power serves Fries, per EIA's service-territory data. APCo's 2025 average residential price was 17.16¢ per kWh.

Is solar worth it in Fries?

For an average APCo home (1,084 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 9.7 kW system costing about $26,966 with a break-even around 10.2 years and $46,333 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 1042687.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1042687, 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 Fries

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.