Federal solar credit ended Dec 31, 2025
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Solar costs · West Virginia

Solar Panel Cost in West Virginia

Fact-checked by Sorted & Saved data desk
Updated Data verified Nov 5, 2026

A typical West Virginia home uses 1,027 kWh a month[1] of electricity. Covering that with solar takes a system of about 10.1 kW est.[1,2], which costs roughly $31,000 to $42,000 est.[1,2,3] before incentives at the state's median installed price. With West Virginia's average residential price of 15.58¢ per kWh[4], our model puts payback at about 16 years est.[1,2,3,4,5]. Your quote, roof and utility plan will move these numbers, so treat them as a starting point.

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West Virginia solar at a glance

Average electricity price15.58¢/kWh[4]Jan–Aug 2026 average (preliminary)
Average home use1,027 kWh/mo[1]2024 average
Solar output per kW1,219 kWh/yr[2]PVWatts estimate for Charleston
Median installed price$3.60/W[3]Estimate, before incentives
Typical system10.1 kWSized to cover 100% of use
Typical price$36,400Estimate, before incentives
Year-1 savings$1,920Estimate
Payback16 yearsEstimate, cash purchase

Estimates use the inputs above and the assumptions in our methodology: West Virginia net metering: exports credited at the retail rate (statewide rule; your utility's tariff may differ). Prices rise 2.5% a year; panels lose 0.5% a year.

Solar cost in West Virginia by system size

Same assumptions as the typical home above; only the system size changes. Prices are the state median before incentives and include the incentives our calculator applies by default in West Virginia.

SystemPrice before incentives[3]After incentiveskWh in year 1[2]Year-1 savings[4][5]Payback (years)
4 kW$14,400$14,4004,880$76016
6 kW$21,600$21,6007,310$1,14016
8 kW$28,800$28,8009,750$1,52016
10 kW$36,000$36,00012,190$1,90016
12 kW$43,200$43,20014,630$1,92018

Incentives that lower the price in West Virginia

Federal · tax creditEnding soon

Business credit for leased and PPA systems (48E)

Claimed by the system owner, not the homeowner; solar must begin construction by July 4, 2026 or be in service by December 31, 2027[6]

If a company owns the panels on your roof (a lease or power purchase agreement), that company may claim the business clean electricity investment credit and can reflect it in your price. You cannot claim it yourself.

Who
Third-party-owned systems (leases and PPAs). Ask the provider whether the price assumes this credit.
Deadline
December 31, 2027
Checked
November 5, 2026

All West Virginia incentives, including utility and local programs →

How West Virginia utilities credit your solar

State law (W. Va. Code 24-2F-8) requires net metering, but export credit terms are set utility by utility in PSC rate cases. For Mon Power/Potomac Edison (FirstEnergy), a PSC-approved 2024 settlement gives new residential customers from January 1, 2025 an export credit of about 9 cents/kWh instead of the retail rate, while existing customers keep retail-rate offsets for 25 years; Appalachian Power/Wheeling Power proposed similar cuts in 2024-2025. Appalachian Power customers: a Public Service Commission order in case 24-0854-E-42T (August 2025) is reported to end retail-rate credits for new customers; we have not yet read the order itself, so check Appalachian Power's current tariff.[5]

We have not added every West Virginia utility yet, so the estimates on this page use the state-level rule: West Virginia net metering: exports credited at the retail rate (statewide rule; your utility's tariff may differ).

Full West Virginia net metering and export-credit rules →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much do solar panels cost in West Virginia?

At the state median installed price of $3.60 per watt est.[3], a 10.1 kW est.[1,2] system that covers a typical home's use costs about $36,400 est.[1,2,3] before incentives. Quotes vary with roof, equipment and installer.

How long does solar take to pay for itself in West Virginia?

For a cash purchase at the state's average electricity price of 15.58¢ per kWh[4], our model estimates about 16 years est.[1,2,3,4,5]. Your utility's export credit and rate plan matter a lot; see the export-credit table above.

Is there still a federal solar tax credit?

Not for homeowners who buy. The Federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D)[7] does not apply to systems whose installation is completed after December 31, 2025. Leased and PPA systems are different: the company that owns the system may still claim a business credit.

sources

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Every number on this page links to one of these sources. Dates show when we last checked each one.

  1. EIA Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price 2024, Table 5A: Residential average monthly bill by stateeia.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  2. NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)pvwatts.nlr.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  3. U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage 2026 Data Update (Barbose, Darghouth, O'Shaughnessy, Forrester), Berkeley Labeta-publications.lbl.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  4. EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B: Average price of electricity by state, year-to-date (August 2026, preliminary)eia.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  5. FirstEnergy - Mon Power and Potomac Edison Reach Settlement to Adjust Energy Metering Creditsfirstenergycorp.com · checked Nov 5, 2026
  6. Public Law 119-21 - Sec. 70513(a) and (g)(5) (48E); Sec. 70512(a) and (l)(4) (45Y)govinfo.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026
  7. IRS FS-2025-05: FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W, and 179D under Public Law 119-21 (OBBB)irs.gov · checked Nov 5, 2026

State data last re-checked November 5, 2026.

Change log

  1. Monthly output per kW in Charleston updated to [65.5, 75.8, 96.4, 114.5, 126.1, 136.4, 129.4, 127.5, 108.6, 93.8, 80.2, 65.3] kWh/kW/month (NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)).
  2. Average solar radiation on the panels in Charleston updated to 4.57 kWh/m2/day (NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)).
  3. Solar output per kW in West Virginia (PVWatts, Charleston) updated to 1219.3 kWh/kW/yr (NREL/NLR PVWatts v8 (1 kW-DC, fixed roof mount, 20° tilt, south-facing, 14% losses, TMY weather)).