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Sussex County DominionSECPGEC

Solar panels in Wakefield, Virginia: 1,412 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Wakefield makes about 1,412 kWh a year, 3.4% above the Virginia median. Power here comes from Dominion or SEC or PGEC; the numbers below use the Dominion rate of 15.20¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill shows which one serves you.

1,412

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

5.13

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

11,296

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

15.20¢

Dominion price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Wakefield, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in May, low in Dec.050100150Jan100Feb96Mar124Apr130May143Jun140Jul134Aug130Sep119Oct112Nov97Dec87
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. May makes about 1.6× Dec.

Seasonality

Monthly solar production in Wakefield

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: 16.1%. Elevation about 29 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Wakefield

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Wakefield

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

8.8 kW

System size

$24,464

Est. cost

$2,069

Year-1 savings

10.8 yrs

Break-even

$61,777

25-yr savings

$37,313

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Sussex County

Sussex 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*
Southside Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative15.481,1622025*
Prince George Electric CooperativeElectric cooperative13.521,3942025*

Questions

Questions about solar in Wakefield

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Wakefield?
About 1,412 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 11,296 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Wakefield?
EIA's service-territory data lists Dominion Energy and Southside Electric Cooperative and Prince George Electric Cooperative for Sussex 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 Wakefield?
For an average Dominion home (1,038 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 8.8 kW system costing about $24,464 with a break-even around 10.8 years and $37,313 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 1147081.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1147081, 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 Wakefield

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.