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Lee County ODPPVEC

Solar panels in Pennington Gap, Virginia: 1,286 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Pennington Gap makes about 1,286 kWh a year, 5.9% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from ODP or PVEC; the numbers below use the ODP rate of 15.32¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill shows which one serves you.

1,286

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

4.82

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,288

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

15.32¢

ODP price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Pennington Gap, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in May, low in Dec.050100150Jan84Feb83Mar103Apr126May128Jun126Jul128Aug127Sep121Oct102Nov87Dec70
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. May makes about 1.8× Dec.

Seasonality

Monthly solar production in Pennington Gap

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: 14.7%. Elevation about 511 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Pennington Gap

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Pennington Gap

Assumes 1,238 kWh a month (≈ $190) at Old Dominion Power (Kentucky Utilities)'s 2025 average price, Pennington Gap'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

11.6 kW

System size

$32,248

Est. cost

$2,516

Year-1 savings

11.7 yrs

Break-even

$75,941

25-yr savings

$43,693

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Lee County

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

UtilityTypeAvg price ¢/kWhAvg kWh / monthData year
Old Dominion Power (Kentucky Utilities)Investor-owned utility15.321,2382025*
Powell Valley Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative11.421,0952024

Questions

Questions about solar in Pennington Gap

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Pennington Gap?
About 1,286 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 10,288 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Pennington Gap?
EIA's service-territory data lists Old Dominion Power (Kentucky Utilities) and Powell Valley Electric Cooperative for Lee County. Boundaries run through the locality; your bill shows which one serves you. ODP's 2025 average residential price was 15.32¢ per kWh.
Is solar worth it in Pennington Gap?
For an average ODP home (1,238 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 11.6 kW system costing about $32,248 with a break-even around 11.7 years and $43,693 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 999003.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 999003, 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 Pennington Gap

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.