Skip to content
Independent city HECDominion Installer core area

Solar panels in Harrisonburg, Virginia: 1,388 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Harrisonburg makes about 1,388 kWh a year, 1.6% above the Virginia median. Power here comes from HEC or Dominion; the numbers below use the HEC rate of 11.51¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill shows which one serves you.

1,388

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

4.97

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

11,104

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

11.51¢

HEC price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Harrisonburg, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in Jul, low in Dec.050100150Jan96Feb91Mar120Apr132May136Jun134Jul139Aug132Sep112Oct113Nov96Dec87
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 Harrisonburg

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: 15.8%. Elevation about 426 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Harrisonburg

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Harrisonburg

Assumes 974 kWh a month (≈ $112) at Harrisonburg Electric Commission's 2025 average price, Harrisonburg'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

8.4 kW

System size

$23,352

Est. cost

$1,492

Year-1 savings

14.5 yrs

Break-even

$42,929

25-yr savings

$19,577

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Harrisonburg

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

UtilityTypeAvg price ¢/kWhAvg kWh / monthData year
Harrisonburg Electric CommissionMunicipal utility11.519742025*
Dominion EnergyInvestor-owned utility15.201,0382025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Harrisonburg

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Harrisonburg?
About 1,388 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 11,104 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Harrisonburg?
EIA's service-territory data lists Harrisonburg Electric Commission and Dominion Energy for Harrisonburg. Boundaries run through the locality; your bill shows which one serves you. HEC's 2025 average residential price was 11.51¢ per kWh.
Is solar worth it in Harrisonburg?
For an average HEC home (974 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 8.4 kW system costing about $23,352 with a break-even around 14.5 years and $19,577 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 1091393.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1091393, 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 Harrisonburg

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.