Cost Of Solar Panels In Virginia
A roughly 11-KW solar system is needed to meet the average monthly energy consumption of Virginia residents. With an average cost of $2.75 per watt for solar in Virginia, youd pay a total of about $30,250 for an 11-kW home solar system. This is reduced to $22,385 after applying the federal solar tax credit.
If your household uses more or less energy than the state average, youll need a bigger or smaller system size. Most residents see pre-tax-credit solar costs between $22,000 and $38,500 in Virginia.
Solar Financing In Texas
Texas energy economy is decentralized, meaning there are no state-wide policies affecting cost. Rather, policies like net metering and solar rebates are left up to the jurisdiction of cities, counties and specific electricity providers.
However, many energy companies still offer net metering to their customers, and all Texas residents are eligible for the federal solar credit. These can help reduce the expenses surrounding a solar installation.
Check with your municipality or electricity provider to learn more about local rebates or financing programs available in your area. Solar rebates can lower the cost of purchasing your solar PV system by 10%-20%.
Additionally, your county may offer Property Assessed Clean Energy lending programs, which offer affordable, long-term financing options to property owners looking to upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes. Learn more about Texas PACE programs here.
Keep An Eye On Trade Policy
Changes in government trade policy also impact prices. There have been varying levels of tariffs on imported solar cells and panels over the last decade affecting costs and supply. For example, tariffs resulted in a 16 cent per watt increase for the average consumer in 2018, which translated to an overall increase of $960 for a six-kW system, according to EnergySage.
President Biden placed a two-year pause on new tariffs in June 2022.
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Is Solar Power Worth It For A 3000 Square Foot House
Here, calculations are made to justify cost of solar panel installation for a 3000 square feet house while taking average values of electricity bills in different cities of Texas is:
These projected electricity bills are ESTIMATED using the average square footage and energy consumption of homes in Texas overall, and in various Texas cities.| Sq Footage |
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Average for monthly household electricity bill in USA comes out to be $210.76. We have calculated the average cost of solar panel installation as $30,500. We are ignoring cost of other components in the system as well as incentives assuming that both will compensate for each other. This way, cost of solar system will be recovered in 30,500 / = 12.06 years.
Having been said that a solar system will last for around 20 to 25 years in case of regular use. But it can be made to work for 40 to 45 years if maintained well. So you will have opportunity to recover the cost and then make profit from solar panel installations.
How To Save Money On Solar Panel Cost With Local Rebates
Although Texas doesnt have a state-led solar tax credit or solar rebate program, unlike Colorado and Florida, plenty of utility companies and local governments offer their own rebates and other incentives including net metering to encourage more homeowners to go solar.
Depending on where you live in the Lone Star, Centennial, or Sunshine state, you can take advantage of the following rebates and incentives.
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How Much Do Solar Panels Save
Switching to a solar energy system could potentially cut your energy bill by 75%. The savings you and your family see will depend greatly on where you live, what the climate is like and your particular energy needs. For instance, an average homeowner in Portland, Oregon, will see total savings of $38,000, whereas a homeowner in Los Angeles could save as much as $90,000 over 20 years.
Many solar energy companies provide a free calculator tool to help you easily estimate the cost and savings of installing solar panels on your home. Different solar calculators may estimate electricity costs in different ways. Numbers can be based on the national average, regional averages or other information you provide.
The average American electric bill is between $100 and $200 per month, and the average yearly energy cost is about $1,500. Depending on how much you pay out-of-pocket for the solar panel system, it could take five to 15 years to break even. To calculate how long it will take you to break even on savings versus the cost of your solar panels, first subtract your incentives and rebates from your costs. Divide that number by the amount you are saving on utility bills per year.
Even if your solar panels generate 100% of your electricity needs, you may still receive a utility bill. However, instead of asking for payments, you will get net metering credits for the month.
Average Cost To Install Solar Panels In Texas Per Square Foot
In some cases, the system size can be loosely tied to your home size. Larger homes generally have higher electrical needs than smaller homes. This means you are more likely to need a larger system than if you lived in a smaller home.
This is not always the case because you can have high energy needs in a small home or a larger home where you partially off-set your energy needs with solar, relying on the grid or other systems to meet the rest of your needs. For this reason, there can be a wide range of costs for each home size, based on the system that is right for you.
Below are the average cost ranges for the system sizes most commonly used in the corresponding home sizes.
| House Size |
|---|
| $14,280 – $37,680 |
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Solar Panel Cost In Florida By Cell Type
Solar panels come in different cell types. Polycrystalline and thin film are the least expensive, while monocrystalline is more costly. Polycrystalline panels are made of many small pieces of silicone crystals. The panels are blue, making them stand out more but they are less costly to purchase and install. They do not generate as much energy as a monocrystalline panel.
Thin-film panels are also less costly and available in many subtypes. Thin- film panels have a lower profile but are better in low-light areas than the other types. Due to the amount of sunlight Florida receives, thin-film panels are much less common in this state. You can find them and polycrystalline panels if you like, but they are generally not as common.
Monocrystalline panels are the most common that you will find in Florida. These panels use individual silicone crystals, so they are more efficient at producing energy. They can be thinner than polycrystalline panels and have a sleek black finish. They also come in a few types, which may help achieve your energy goals with fewer panels than the polycrystalline or thin-film types. Below are the average costs to install a 6 kW system in Florida using the different panels.
| Cell Type |
|---|
| $13,000 – $18,000 |
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost For A 3000 Square Foot House
For a 3000 square feet house, installation of monocrystalline panels would cost between $19,000 and $42,000.
According to the Energy Information Administration , a house in the United States sizing around 3,000 square feet requires around 14,214 kWh annually, or 1,185 kWh per month. It further adds if that house has ample roof space such that there is no shading during the day, it would need between 19 and 30 premium solar panels to produce required electricity. Here, premium refers to a solar panels which has output wattage rating of about 400 watts . If we go with previous per kilowatt price , then installation cost range can be determined as follows:
19 panels * 400 kW per panel * 2.5 dollars per Watt = $19000
30 panels * 400 kW per panel * 3.5 dollars per Watt = $42000
So it can be said that installation cost of solar panels for a 3000 square feet house can range between $19,000 and $42,000. Average cost, thus, comes out to be / 2 = $30,500.
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Saving Money On Utilities
- Utility bills: Say goodbye to high electricity costs. Going solar can dramatically reduce or even completely eliminate your monthly utility bill.
- Net metering:Get paid for any excess or unused energy your solar system generates. You can potentially save thousands of dollars in electricity costs over the lifetime of your solar energy system.
Take a look at our solar potential calculator to get an idea of how much energy your panels could generate as well as how much money you could save based on your utility bill.
Your Homes Average Utility Costs And Energy Usage
The amount of energy used by your household will dictate the number of solar panels you will need to install to compensate for your energy costs. Homeowners can look at their electrical bills to calculate their daily average of energy usage and compare it to how many panels would be necessary to generate all of their energy needs.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Cost Of Solar
Solar energy cost has plummeted in the past decade. The average cost of solar panels is less than half what it was ten years ago.
As of the time we updated this page , most solar panel prices fall in the range of 60 cents to 70 cents per watt. Premium panels can climb above $1 per watt depending on their size, quality, and where they are manufactured. Our solar panel calculator uses standard size panels to estimate the cost of your system.
Solar panel installation cost varies by provider. A turnkey solution will charge 100-200% the cost of equipment to perform the installation.
If your 6.6 kW system costs $10k in equipment, they may charge you $20k for the installation, bringing the grand total for the project to $30,000.
The other option is to buy direct from a distributor and either install it yourself or hire a local contractor to do it for you. If you choose the self-install solar panels, we have instructional videos and a brilliant tech support team to walk you through the project. Some people spend less than $1000 installing their own system .
Even if you hire a local contractor, theyll charge you somewhere between 75 cents and $1.25 per watt. Theyd install the system above for around $6000-$7000, which is less than half the amount youd pay to a turnkey installer.
Thats why youre here! Our solar power calculator takes the information you provide about your energy usage patterns and returns our best guess about how much solar energy you might need to generate.
Solar Financing In Virginia
The type of financing you use to acquire your solar panels can also raise or lower your total system price by thousands.
Paying with cash, for example, comes with the highest up-front cash outlay, but youll save quite a lot on interest. Paying with a solar loan requires far less money or none at all up front, but your all-in price will be higher because of the interest.
Virginia offers homeowners financing via the Property Assessed Clean Energy program. PACE financing can cover 100% of your equipment costs and helps homeowners get a low APR to make solar more affordable overall. C-PACE is Virginias commercial PACE program, which helps businesses convert to solar affordably.
Virginia also offers the Low-to-Moderate Income Solar Loan and Rebate Fund and Program.1 The Virginia Clean Economy Act, which was passed in 2020, also helps low-income households by requiring energy companies to purchase Solar Renewable Energy Certificates from low-income homes with solar panels installed.
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Which Direction Should Solar Panels Face In Virginia
In most cases, the recommended direction for solar panels to face in Virginia is to the south. However, you can install the panels to the southwest or southeast without a noticeable drop in energy production if your roof is not facing south. You can also install your panels facing the west with adequate results. Your installer can help determine the best direction for your panels to face and potential adjustments you may need in the system type or size for the best energy output.
How Many Solar Panels Will You Need
To know how many solar panels you will need, you will want to determine how much electricity you use in your home daily.
Modernize recommends discussing these factors with a trusted solar contractor. For ease, bring your electric bills with you to a consultation or calculate how much energy you use per day ahead of time by taking your monthly kilowatt usage and dividing it by 30. For context, the average house in the United States uses about 900-kilowatt hours a monthroughly 11,000 kWh a year.
Ultimately, the number of panels you purchase matters because it contributes toward the amount of kW of electricity produced each day. In turn, the more of your electricity costs you want absorbed by solar energy, the more panels you will need. If you only want a portion of your power to be produced by solar panels, you wont need as many panels.
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Saving Money With Net Metering
A solar panel system is a workhorse and can often generate more electricity than you need for your daily use. This is where net metering is beneficial it serves as a billing agreement between you and your utility provider as a solution for any excess, unused energy. You can program your solar panel system to send any unused electricity to your citys grid, and in return youll receive credits on your electricity bill.
Net metering is especially useful since its rare that someone is at home using electricity all day and night. When youre out of the house, your solar panels will continue to generate energy and store it as backup power in a generator or battery. Or even when youre sleeping at night and not using electricity, you can tap into those net metering credits to offset your electricity bill.
This means that youre not only in control of your own energy, but youre able to give electricity back to your city, making sustainable efforts and also saving money in return. Triple win!
Solar Panel Cost For A 2000 Sqft Home
The average cost range for installing solar panels for a 2,000 sq.ft. home is between $15,000 and $40,000. Your costs are determined by how much electricity you use each day. They are also determined by how much you want to reduce your dependency on the grid. While the average cost of installing solar panels on a home this size is around $18,000, your costs can be much higher or lower. Having any type of electric HVAC system raises the number of panels you need. In addition, the amount of time people spend each day using electricity in the home also impacts total installation costs.
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How Much Energy Can I Get From Solar Panels In Texas
The amount of energy your solar panels will generate in Texas depends heavily on the amount of sunlight your solar panels receive. Shading, angle and orientation of your panels will factor into this as well.
Bear in mind that your roof can only fit so many solar panels if you have a small roof, or one with skylights, chimneys or other obstructions, you wont be able to generate as much energy.
Take a look at your energy bill to see how much energy youre using each month. A smaller 3 kW solar panel system can generate between 3,600 and 4,800 kWh in a year, while a larger 10 kW system may generate between 12,000 and 16,000 kWh per year.
Seeing as the average home in Texas uses around 15,000 kWh per year, its possible to completely offset their high electricity bills in Texas with solar.
Cost Of Solar Panels For A 3
The cost range for installing solar panels on a 3-bedroom home ranges from $15,000 to $40,000. The average 3-bedroom home in the U.S. comes in at around 2,000 sq.ft., but some homes may be larger or smaller. With three bedrooms, it can be assumed that 2 to 4 people occupy the house. At this size and occupancy, your costs will be similar to that of any other 2,000 sq.ft. home. Your costs can be higher or lower, depending on your total energy usage.
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Are Solar Panels Worth The Investment
Thanks to the lower-than-ever cost of solar panels and various solar incentives, solar panels are a cost-effective investment for the majority of homeowners that will provide an excellent return on investment.
Not only do they lower your energy bills, but you also get to power your home with clean renewable energy and reduce your dependence on your local utility company.
Even though spending up to $20,000 is daunting, federal incentives eliminate 26% of solar system costs after 1 year. There are also various ways to finance a solar system – from solar loans and leases to PPAs – so you can pick whichever option that works best for you.
Plus, solar panels provide significant utility bill savings in most areas. An average home solar panel system can save between $1,000 and $1,600 per year on electricity bills depending on the states net metering policy and the homes energy consumption.
Actual solar savings will depend on the system size, the cost of electricity, home energy usage, and what net metering policies are in place, but the average solar homeowner can expect their solar payback period to be between 8 and 11 years. After that, theyll be enjoying completely free solar electricity for at least 15 more years!
If youre still not convinced, you can use our solar panel calculator to find out how much solar costs and can save you for your specific home based on your average electric usage and prices in your area.
