Solar power in Virginia on rooftops is estimated to be capable of providing 32.4% of electricity used in Virginia using 28,500 MW of solar panels.[1] Installing solar panels provides a 6.8% return on investment in Virginia, and a 5 kW array would return a profit of $16,041 over its 25 year life.[2]
Afeed-in tariff is available from the Tennessee Valley Authority, which pays $1,000 for signing up, plus the current rate for electricity plus $0.12/kWh for all generation. Systems are limited to from 0.5 kW to 50 kW. Payment is for 10 years. Payments are in the form of monthly credits to the consumers regular monthly bill and are paid monthly or annually at TVA's choice. Payments are for 10 years, and payment at retail can be extended for an additional 10 years.[3] A standard offer program is available for systems from 50 kW to 1 MW, which pays from 4 to 6 cents/kWh above retail for the first 10 years.[4] Net metering is available.
Virginia's largest solar array in 2014 was the 504 kW rooftop array located in Woodbridge.[5]
Amazon has partnered with Dominion Virginia Power to construct the largest solar facility in the Mid-Atlantic in Accomack County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Amazon Solar Farm US East is an 80 MW facility developed by a solar energy company and purchased by Dominion.[6]
The Virginia Clean Economy Act of 2020 directs the construction of 16,100 MW of solar power and onshore wind by 2035, bringing the state's utility-delivered power to 100% renewable energy by 2045.[7]
The Spotsylvania Solar project is the largest in the state, with four phases completed in 2020 and 2021 totaling 617 MWdc capacity.[8]
|
| Grid-Connected PV Capacity (MW)[10][11][12][13] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Capacity | Installed | % Change |
| 2007 | 0.4 | ||
| 2008 | 0.4 | ||
| 2009 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 75% |
| 2010 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 271% |
| 2011 | 4.5 | 1.8 | 73% |
| 2012 | 10.5 | 5.2 | 116% |
| 2013 | 12.6 | 2.2 | 21% |
| 2014 | 11 | 6 | 120% |
| 2015 | 21 | 10 | 91% |
| 2016 | 217 | 196 | 933% |
| 2017 | 613 | 396 | 126% |
| 2018 | 758 | 145 | 23% |
| 2019 | 898 | 140 | 18% |
| 2020 | 2,310.5 | 1,412.5 | 157% |
| 2021 | 3,760.9 | 1,450.4 | % |
| 2022 | 4,286 | 525.1 | % |
| Year | Total | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9 |
| 2017 | 313 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 28 | 24 | 29 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 36 | 37 |
| 2018 | 764 | 48 | 44 | 69 | 79 | 72 | 80 | 77 | 78 | 61 | 67 | 47 | 42 |
| 2019 | 950 | 54 | 51 | 83 | 94 | 105 | 93 | 102 | 90 | 88 | 70 | 62 | 58 |
| 2020 | 1,482 | 70 | 79 | 101 | 128 | 146 | 156 | 174 | 138 | 123 | 126 | 117 | 124 |
| 2021 | 2,200 | 137 | 130 | 248 | 278 | 313 | 317 | 371 | 406 |
