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Nelson County DominionAPCoSVECCVEC Installer core area

Solar panels in Nellysford, Virginia: 1,385 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Nellysford makes about 1,385 kWh a year, 1.4% above the Virginia median. Power here comes from Dominion or APCo or SVEC or CVEC; the numbers below use the Dominion rate of 15.20¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill shows which one serves you.

1,385

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

5.06

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

11,080

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

15.20¢

Dominion price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Nellysford, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in May, low in Dec.050100150Jan97Feb103Mar123Apr129May134Jun130Jul133Aug127Sep119Oct108Nov98Dec84
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. May makes about 1.6× Dec.

Seasonality

Monthly solar production in Nellysford

Virginia net metering carries excess credits forward for 12 months, so May'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 817 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Nellysford

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Nellysford

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

9.0 kW

System size

$25,020

Est. cost

$2,073

Year-1 savings

11.0 yrs

Break-even

$61,990

25-yr savings

$36,970

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Nelson County

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

UtilityTypeAvg price ¢/kWhAvg kWh / monthData year
Dominion EnergyInvestor-owned utility15.201,0382025*
Appalachian PowerInvestor-owned utility17.161,0842025*
Shenandoah Valley Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative14.491,2002025*
Central Virginia Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative16.161,2382025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Nellysford

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Nellysford?
About 1,385 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 11,080 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Nellysford?
EIA's service-territory data lists Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power and Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative and Central Virginia Electric Cooperative for Nelson County. Boundaries run through the locality; your bill shows which one serves you. Dominion's 2025 average residential price was 15.20¢ per kWh.
Is solar worth it in Nellysford?
For an average Dominion home (1,038 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 9.0 kW system costing about $25,020 with a break-even around 11.0 years and $36,970 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 1090134.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1090134, about 1 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 Nellysford

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.