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Solar panels in Winchester, Virginia: 1,306 kWh per kW per year

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Winchester makes about 1,306 kWh a year, 4.4% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative at 14.49¢ per kWh (2025 average).

1,306

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

4.79

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,448

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

14.49¢

SVEC price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Winchester, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in Jul, low in Dec.050100150Jan80Feb86Mar115Apr124May132Jun128Jul133Aug130Sep119Oct99Nov85Dec75
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. Jul makes about 1.8× Dec.

Seasonality

Monthly solar production in Winchester

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 245 m. Compare every town on the city list, or see how roof direction, tilt and shade change the number.

Payback in Winchester

Solar cost and payback for an average home in Winchester

Assumes 1,200 kWh a month (≈ $174) at Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative's 2025 average price, Winchester'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

$2,322

Year-1 savings

12.1 yrs

Break-even

$68,924

25-yr savings

$38,344

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utility

Electric utilities serving Winchester

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

Questions

Questions about solar in Winchester

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Winchester?
About 1,306 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 10,448 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Winchester?
Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative serves Winchester, per EIA's service-territory data. SVEC's 2025 average residential price was 14.49¢ per kWh.
Is solar worth it in Winchester?
For an average SVEC home (1,200 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 11.0 kW system costing about $30,580 with a break-even around 12.1 years and $38,344 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 1110030.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1110030, 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 Winchester

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.