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Isle of Wight County DominionPGEC

Solar panels in Smithfield, Virginia: 1,407 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Smithfield makes about 1,407 kWh a year, 3% above the Virginia median. Power here comes from Dominion or PGEC; the numbers below use the Dominion rate of 15.20¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill shows which one serves you.

1,407

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

5.11

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

11,256

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

15.20¢

Dominion price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Smithfield, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in Jun, low in Dec.050100150Jan89Feb100Mar119Apr134May138Jun139Jul139Aug132Sep119Oct114Nov99Dec86
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. Jun makes about 1.6× Dec.

Seasonality

Monthly solar production in Smithfield

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: 16.1%. Elevation about 8 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Smithfield

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Smithfield

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

8.9 kW

System size

$24,742

Est. cost

$2,073

Year-1 savings

10.9 yrs

Break-even

$62,281

25-yr savings

$37,539

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Isle of Wight County

Isle of Wight 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*
Prince George Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative13.521,3942025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Smithfield

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Smithfield?
About 1,407 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 11,256 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Smithfield?
EIA's service-territory data lists Dominion Energy and Prince George Electric Cooperative for Isle of Wight 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 Smithfield?
For an average Dominion home (1,038 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 8.9 kW system costing about $24,742 with a break-even around 10.9 years and $37,539 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 1158254.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1158254, 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 Smithfield

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.