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Smyth County APCo

Solar panels in Saltville, Virginia: 1,280 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Saltville makes about 1,280 kWh a year, 6.3% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from Appalachian Power at 17.16¢ per kWh (2025 average).

1,280

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

4.77

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,240

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

17.16¢

APCo price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Saltville, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in Jul, low in Feb.050100150Jan87Feb76Mar109Apr119May124Jun121Jul129Aug125Sep113Oct108Nov89Dec81
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. Jul makes about 1.7× Feb.

Seasonality

Monthly solar production in Saltville

Virginia net metering carries excess credits forward for 12 months, so Jul's surplus offsets Feb'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: 14.6%. Elevation about 729 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Saltville

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Saltville

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

10.2 kW

System size

$28,356

Est. cost

$2,442

Year-1 savings

10.6 yrs

Break-even

$73,842

25-yr savings

$45,486

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Smyth County

UtilityTypeAvg price ¢/kWhAvg kWh / monthData year
Appalachian PowerInvestor-owned utility17.161,0842025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Saltville

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Saltville?
About 1,280 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 10,240 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Saltville?
Appalachian Power serves Saltville, per EIA's service-territory data. APCo's 2025 average residential price was 17.16¢ per kWh.
Is solar worth it in Saltville?
For an average APCo home (1,084 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 10.2 kW system costing about $28,356 with a break-even around 10.6 years and $45,486 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 1024622.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1024622, 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 Saltville

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.