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Montgomery County APCoVTES

Solar panels in Riner, Virginia: 1,373 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Riner makes about 1,373 kWh a year, 0.5% above the Virginia median. Power here comes from APCo or VTES; the numbers below use the APCo rate of 17.16¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill shows which one serves you.

1,373

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

5.14

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,984

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

17.16¢

APCo price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Riner, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in Jun, low in Dec.050100150Jan94Feb100Mar119Apr127May130Jun133Jul130Aug133Sep117Oct104Nov98Dec87
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 Riner

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: 15.7%. Elevation about 642 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Riner

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Riner

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

9.5 kW

System size

$26,410

Est. cost

$2,442

Year-1 savings

9.9 yrs

Break-even

$73,777

25-yr savings

$47,367

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Montgomery County

Montgomery 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*
Virginia Tech Electric ServiceUniversity-owned utility18.438012025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Riner

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Riner?
About 1,373 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 10,984 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Riner?
EIA's service-territory data lists Appalachian Power and Virginia Tech Electric Service for Montgomery 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 Riner?
For an average APCo home (1,084 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 9.5 kW system costing about $26,410 with a break-even around 9.9 years and $47,367 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 1054150.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1054150, about 3 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 Riner

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.