Virginia solar installation & market data
The Virginia solar market at a glance.
Virginia has about 74,191 solar systems totalling 759.0 MW, as reported by its utilities through July 2026. 98 MW of residential solar was added in the trailing twelve months, up 35.5% on the twelve months before. 3.3% of owner-occupied homes have gone solar and 1.3% of solar customers have a battery. SolarDNA tracks 7,406 individual installations here, from 0 installers.
Virginia's SolarDNA Market Score: 56 out of 100.
Virginia scores 56 out of 100 on SolarDNA's Market Score, a 0-to-100 scale benchmarked against every other state market. That is higher than 88% of U.S. states. Grade B (Great).
The score combines 5 subscores, each computed from observed market data:
- Velocity (86): trailing-12-month growth in solar added versus the prior twelve months, so accelerating markets score higher.
- Cost (50): median installed $/W relative to the national median (a cheaper market scores higher).
- Incentives (55): net-metering coverage, RECs a new system can earn, state tax credit, rebate program and tax exemptions (components listed below).
- Resource (23): annual solar irradiance, so the same system produces more where this score is high.
- Depth (62): proven demand: how many systems are already installed, with a bonus for markets that show adoption without being saturated.
SREC market; property tax exemption is a local option.
Federal: Federal residential credit (25D) ended for systems placed in service after Dec 31, 2025. Third-party-owned systems can still use the commercial credit (48E) through 2027 under construction-start rules.
State-level averages hide wide variation. Here's how to go deeper in the app:
- 1Narrow to a zip codeZip metrics give a far more accurate picture of the exact neighborhoods you are considering.
- 2Apply filtersFilter by score, growth, $/W, adoption and permits to reach the markets that actually match your model.
- 3Benchmark the installersSee who already wins there, how fast they are growing, and what they charge per watt.
How SolarDNA defines these metrics
Solar systems
Solar systems is the market-size figure: the systems utilities report on their lines, plus an estimate (sized from reported capacity) for systems outside net metering. It is current for every state.
How SolarDNA calculates solar systems →Tracked installations
Tracked installations are the individual residential, commercial and utility-scale systems SolarDNA holds a record for. SolarDNA de-duplicates the same system across records. Pricing, installers, equipment and every zip-level figure come from these records.
How SolarDNA calculates tracked installations →Median installed cost
Median installed cost is the middle price per watt (DC) that homeowners paid for a residential system in the trailing twelve months, before incentives. Quartiles show the spread.
How SolarDNA calculates median installed cost →Adoption rate
Adoption rate is the share of owner-occupied homes with a residential solar system. It measures how saturated a market is, not how fast it is growing.
How SolarDNA calculates adoption rate →12-month growth
For a state, growth compares the residential solar capacity added in the trailing twelve months with the twelve months before, from utility-reported totals with one-off reporting corrections smoothed out. For cities and zip codes it compares tracked installations.
How SolarDNA calculates 12-month growth →Battery share
Battery share is the portion of a state's solar customers whose system includes a battery, as reported by utilities.
How SolarDNA calculates battery share →Permits
Permits count the solar building permits filed in the last twelve months. They lead installations by several months, which makes them the earliest read on demand.
How SolarDNA calculates permits →Market Score
SolarDNA's Market Score grades each market from 0 to 100 on solar sales potential, weighing velocity, cost, incentives, solar resource and installer depth. Markets are benchmarked against every other market in the country, and the letter grade is set on a curve: A is the top 10% of markets, C the middle 40%, F the bottom 10%.
How SolarDNA calculates market score →See what a specific Virginia zip code looks like
Drop in any Virginia zip code and SolarDNA opens its market card: score, installs, median $/W, growth and permits, benchmarked against the state.
Dive deeper into the Virginia market
Market size & momentum
Systems, capacity, monthly additions, battery share and solar customers by utility.
- •How many solar systems are there in Virginia?
- •Is solar still growing in Virginia?
- •Which utility territories are adding the most?
Pricing & economics
Installed $/W, quartiles, system sizes and simple payback.
Growth & adoption
Installs by year, adoption, TAM penetration and battery attach.
Installers
The league table: volume, momentum, system size and pricing per installer.
- •Who installs the most in Virginia?
- •Which installers are growing fastest?
- •What do they charge per watt?
Utilities & incentives
Retail rates by utility, net metering, SREC value and the planned utility pipeline.
- •What are electricity rates in Virginia?
- •Which utilities offer net metering?
- •How big is the utility-scale pipeline?
How big Virginia's solar market is, and where it is heading
Totals reported by Virginia's utilities through July 2026 (latest months are preliminary)
Trailing-12-month residential capacity added carried forward at half the observed growth rate (capped at ±30%), with a ±15% band. Not a forecast of permits or policy.
Solar customers by utility in Virginia
Net-metered solar customers through July 2026
| Utility | Solar customers | Capacity | Added, 12 mo | Growth | With battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | 59,215 | 539 MW | 6,832 | ▼ 5.0% | — |
| Appalachian Power Co | 8,538 | 90 MW | 2,654 | ▲ 91.0% | 10.8% |
| Rappahannock Electric Coop | 4,316 | 42 MW | 460 | ▼ 17.0% | — |
| Shenandoah Valley Elec Coop | 1,664 | 23 MW | 161 | ▼ 5.8% | — |
What solar costs in Virginia
Residential systems, trailing twelve months
How fast Virginia is going solar
From SolarDNA's installation records, which run through January 1, 2023; current momentum is in the market totals above
Top installers in Virginia
Ranked by installations in this state
| # | Installer | Installs | 12-mo | Avg kW | $/W |
|---|
Top zip markets in Virginia
Ranked by installations · click for the zip market
| Zip | Installs | $/W | Growth | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22902 Charlottesville | 194 | — | — | 44.4 C |
| 22903 Charlottesville | 183 | — | — | 44.4 C |
| 22901 Charlottesville | 174 | — | — | 44.3 C |
| 22932 Crozet | 125 | — | — | 44.1 C |
| 22980 Waynesboro | 120 | — | — | 44 C |
| 24401 Staunton | 114 | — | — | 44 C |
| 23231 Henrico | 112 | — | — | 44 C |
| 22911 Charlottesville | 108 | — | — | 44 C |
| 23456 Virginia Beach | 85 | — | — | 43.9 C |
| 23464 Virginia Beach | 81 | — | — | 43.9 C |
| 23322 Chesapeake | 73 | — | — | 43.8 C |
| 22003 Annandale | 72 | — | — | 43.8 C |
| 23454 Virginia Beach | 69 | — | — | 43.8 C |
| 23323 Chesapeake | 68 | — | — | 43.8 C |
| 22205 Arlington | 64 | — | — | 43.8 C |
Counties in Virginia
Zip markets grouped by county · click for the county market
| County | Zip markets | Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | 40 | 954 |
| Albemarle County | 12 | 472 |
| Virginia Beach (city) County | 8 | 397 |
| Charlottesville (city) County | 2 | 377 |
| Loudoun County | 18 | 326 |
| Arlington County | 11 | 304 |
| Henrico County | 12 | 284 |
| Chesterfield County | 12 | 284 |
| Chesapeake (city) County | 6 | 249 |
| Rockingham County | 16 | 216 |
| City of Richmond County | 9 | 170 |
| Augusta County | 15 | 156 |
Utilities and retail rates
Implied residential rate per utility
| Utility | Type | Res. customers | ¢/kWh | Net metering |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | 2,383,548 | 14.1 | ✓ |
| Appalachian Power Co | Investor Owned | 465,283 | 17.0 | ✓ |
| Rappahannock Electric Coop | Cooperative | 169,489 | 14.9 | ✓ |
| Northern Virginia Elec Coop | Cooperative | 167,274 | 11.6 | ✓ |
| Shenandoah Valley Elec Coop | Cooperative | 85,281 | 13.8 | ✓ |
| Adjustment 2024 | 70,076 | 14.6 | ✓ | |
| Southside Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 56,846 | 15.5 | ✓ |
| City of Danville - (VA) | Municipal | 37,781 | 15.0 | ✓ |
Other solar markets in Virginia
Three ways to slice Virginia's 7.4K installations
See how the market splits by sector, by battery attach and by installer, updated with every refresh.
See all breakdownsWhen demand peaks in Virginia
Quick answers about Virginia's market
🛡 Why trust SolarDNA data?
How many solar installations are there in Virginia?
How much does solar cost in Virginia?
Is the Virginia solar market growing?
What is the solar adoption rate in Virginia?
Is Virginia a good market for solar sales?
How many solar installers work in Virginia?
How many solar permits were filed in Virginia?
How current is Virginia's solar data?
There's a lot more inside the SolarDNA app.
- ◇Zip and city market pages
- ◇Installer league tables
- ◇Territory builder
- ◇Solarizer deal estimates
- ◇Permit activity where reported
- ◇Export the data