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Frederick County RECSVEC

Solar panels in Stephens City, Virginia: 1,303 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Stephens City makes about 1,303 kWh a year, 4.6% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from REC or SVEC; the numbers below use the REC rate of 15.49¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill shows which one serves you.

1,303

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

4.80

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,424

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

15.49¢

REC price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Stephens City, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in Jul, low in Dec.050100150Jan78Feb85Mar119Apr131May135Jun130Jul136Aug130Sep107Oct98Nov84Dec68
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. Jul makes about 2× Dec.

Seasonality

Monthly solar production in Stephens City

Virginia net metering carries excess credits forward for 12 months, so Jul'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: 14.9%. Elevation about 235 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Stephens City

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Stephens City

Assumes 1,195 kWh a month (≈ $185) at Rappahannock Electric Cooperative's 2025 average price, Stephens City'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

11.0 kW

System size

$30,580

Est. cost

$2,460

Year-1 savings

11.4 yrs

Break-even

$73,606

25-yr savings

$43,026

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Frederick County

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

UtilityTypeAvg price ¢/kWhAvg kWh / monthData year
Rappahannock Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative15.491,1952025*
Shenandoah Valley Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative14.491,2002025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Stephens City

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Stephens City?
About 1,303 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 10,424 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Stephens City?
EIA's service-territory data lists Rappahannock Electric Cooperative and Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative for Frederick County. Boundaries run through the locality; your bill shows which one serves you. REC's 2025 average residential price was 15.49¢ per kWh.
Is solar worth it in Stephens City?
For an average REC home (1,195 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 11.0 kW system costing about $30,580 with a break-even around 11.4 years and $43,026 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 1107893.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1107893, about 0 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 Stephens City

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.