Solar panels in Richmond: what they cost and what they make
A typical Richmond home needs 23 solar panels. They would make about 12,870 kWh a year and cost $24k to $36k before incentives. At today's electricity prices they pay for themselves in about 13.1 yrs.
See panels on your own Richmond roof
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What solar costs in Richmond
At $3.00 a watt, the median price cash buyers pay nationally, a 9.7 kW system costs about $29,100. Quotes in Richmond will usually fall between $24,250 and $36,375. Complex roofs, main-panel upgrades and financing push prices up.
The 30% federal tax credit no longer applies to systems homeowners buy. This estimate includes no state or utility incentives; check with your utility before you buy.
The number that decides whether solar pays in Richmond is what your utility pays for the power you send back. Under full payback is about 13.1 yrs. Under net billing it is about 21.5 yrs, because only the ~42% of solar a typical home uses as it is made saves the full retail price.
Cash purchase, prices rising 2.5% a year, panels losing 0.5% a year, $25/kW a year for upkeep. No federal credit for homeowner-owned systems.
Every way to pay for a 9.7 kW system in Richmond
Change any number →| Way to pay | Day one | Monthly payment | Monthly net, year 1 | Ahead after 25 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay cash Full price on install day | $29,100 | $0 | +$160 | $34k |
| Credit-union loan 8% APR, 20 years, no dealer fee | $0 | $243 | −$83 | $4,800 |
| “1.99%” solar loan 1.99% APR, 25 years, 25% dealer fee | $0 | $154 | +$6 | $17k |
| Lease $155/mo, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $155 | +$26 | $2,300 |
| Power purchase (PPA) 14.3¢/kWh, +2.9%/yr | $0 | $153 | +$27 | $7,300 |
Under net metering, at 16.8¢/kWh rising 2.5% a year. The “1.99%” loan’s $7,275 dealer fee is included in its payments. Lease and PPA prices are typical offers, not quotes.
How much sunshine Richmond gets
kWh per kW, 25° southJul is the best month for solar in Richmond, and Dec the weakest: a Dec day makes 61% of a Jul day. A 6 kW system would make about 478 kWh in Dec and 787 kWh in Jul.
On June 21 the sun rises at 5:48 am and sets at 8:34 pm, 14 hours 46 minutes of daylight. On December 21 it is up from 7:21 am to 4:55 pm, just 9 hours 34 minutes.
Peak sun hours in Richmond, month by month
| Month | Flat ground | Panels at 35° | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.3 | 3.9 | 88 |
| Feb | 3.1 | 4.4 | 92 |
| Mar | 4.1 | 5.0 | 118 |
| Apr | 5.2 | 5.5 | 126 |
| May | 5.8 | 5.5 | 131 |
| Jun | 6.4 | 5.7 | 130 |
| Jul | 6.1 | 5.6 | 131 |
| Aug | 5.5 | 5.4 | 125 |
| Sep | 4.5 | 5.1 | 112 |
| Oct | 3.5 | 4.8 | 106 |
| Nov | 2.7 | 4.4 | 93 |
| Dec | 2.1 | 3.6 | 80 |
| Year | 4.3 | 4.9 | 1,332 |
A peak sun hour is one hour of sunlight at 1,000 W per m². Why sites disagree.
The best angle and direction for panels in Richmond
| Roof faces (6/12 pitch) | Output vs south | kWh per kW |
|---|---|---|
| South | 100% | 1,332 |
| Southeast | 96% | 1,279 |
| Southwest | 95% | 1,265 |
| East | 84% | 1,119 |
| West | 83% | 1,106 |
| North | 62% | 826 |
Face panels south and tilt them 35° for the most energy over a year. East and west roofs keep about 84% of that. A north-facing roof keeps 62%, which is rarely worth the money. Try other angles.
Where the sun goes over Richmond
The noon sun is lower in winter, which is why the best winter tilt (60°) is steeper than the best summer tilt (8°).
Richmond's homes
Richmond has 104,321 households. 43.5% own their home, and 42,084 of those owners live in single-family houses, the kind of home that usually gets rooftop solar.
The median home here was built in 1959. Many roofs that age are due for replacement. Replace the roof first, then add solar: taking panels off and putting them back later costs thousands.
59.6% of homes heat with electricity and 34.2% with gas. Electric heat raises winter use, so size solar to your own bills rather than the state average.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
If the power goes out in Richmond
Solar panels alone shut off in a blackout. Add a battery and they keep going. One Tesla Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh) running a fridge, freezer, furnace fan, lights, Wi-Fi, TV and microwave (6.9 kWh a day):
Change the appliances, the battery and the weather in the battery calculator.
Questions people ask about solar in Richmond
How much do solar panels cost in Richmond?
A 9.7 kW system — enough for the average Virginia home — costs about $24,250 to $36,375 before incentives, based on $2.50–$3.75 per watt. The 30% federal credit no longer applies to systems homeowners buy.
How many solar panels does a house in Richmond need?
About 23 panels of 420 watts for a home using 1,032 kWh a month, the Virginia average. Each kilowatt of panels here makes about 1,332 kWh a year on a south-facing roof.
Is solar worth it in Richmond?
Over 25 years, solar power here costs about 11.6¢ per kWh, against 16.8¢ from the grid today. Payback is about 13.1 yrs if your utility credits exported power at the full retail rate, and 21.5 yrs if it pays about 30% of retail.
How many peak sun hours does Richmond get?
4.9 a day on panels tilted to 35°, and 4.3 on flat ground. The best month is Jun; the weakest is Dec.
What is the best angle for solar panels in Richmond?
35° for the most energy over a year, facing south. 60° is best in winter and 8° in summer. On a normal pitched roof, anything within 15° of 35° gives you about 95% of the maximum.
How long would a home battery last in a Richmond power outage?
A Tesla Powerwall 3 running a fridge, freezer, furnace fan, lights, Wi-Fi, TV and microwave (6.9 kWh a day) lasts about 43 hours with no sun. With 7 kW of solar to recharge it, it gets through a three-day outage even in overcast January.
Solar near Richmond
| City | Miles | kWh per kW | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport News, VA | 61 | 1,396 | 4.9 |
| Hampton, VA | 73 | 1,399 | 4.9 |
| Suffolk, VA | 74 | 1,398 | 5.0 |
| Portsmouth, VA | 77 | 1,399 | 4.9 |
| Norfolk, VA | 80 | 1,398 | 4.9 |
Cities with the same sunshine as Richmond
These far-away cities get almost exactly as much solar energy per panel.
- Spring Hill, TN 1,347 kWh per kW
- Dubuque, IA 1,347 kWh per kW
- La Crosse, WI 1,349 kWh per kW
Snow: NASA records about 8 cm of snow on the ground here in an average January. Covered panels make little until it slides off, and these figures (like PVWatts') don't subtract that.
Sources: NASA POWER 2001–2020 monthly climatology (grid cell 4 km from Richmond's Census point), our PV model (within 1.6% of NLR PVWatts® on average), U.S. EIA prices and use, U.S. Census 2025 population estimates and ACS 2020–2024. Estimates for an average home, not a site survey. How we calculate.