Solar in District of Columbia: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity
Utility-scale solar in District of Columbia: 35 MW in 17 plants, 18.4% of 2025 generation; 0 MW more under construction or planned. District of Columbia pays back in 9.8 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 9 of 51), 3.7 years shorter than the middle state. 1,392 kWh per kW (rank 19) at 21.94 ¢ (rank 12 from the top): price of power drives it. Jul is the best month at 147 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 75.
Utility-scale solar in District of Columbia: 35 MW
District of Columbia: 35 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 17 plants across 1 county (EIA-860, 2025), rank 48 of 51; 52 W per resident, rank 47. Solar made 18.4% of District of Columbia's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 3, +11.6 points against the national share. Biggest plants: JBAB - Washington DC in District of Columbia County, 6 MW (2019); V Street Solar in District of Columbia County, 4 MW (2025); DC Water Solar in District of Columbia County, 4 MW (2021). By county: District of Columbia 35 MW. Proposed: 0 MW under construction (0 plants) and 0 MW planned (0 plants); batteries 0 MW running and 0 MW proposed.
| District of Columbia year | MW added | Cumulative share of today's MW |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 8 | 22% |
| 2020 | 3 | 30% |
| 2021 | 9 | 56% |
| 2022 | 1 | 59% |
| 2023 | 1 | 62% |
| 2024 | 6 | 79% |
| 2025 | 7 | 100% |
Net metering and CO2 in District of Columbia
EIA-861 (2024): no home net-metered systems listed for District of Columbia; no data.
6 kW in District of Columbia: 8,349 kWh a year displaces 1.5 t CO2 at 0.179 kg per kWh, -1.5 t against the average state.
District of Columbia: payback 9.8 years, rank 9 of 51
| Measure | Value | Rank of 51 | Median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output of 1 kW a year, kWh | 1,392 | 19 | 1,372 |
| Home price, ¢ per kWh | 21.94 | 12 | 15.37 |
| Value of 1 kW a year | $305 | 9 | $222 |
| Payback at $3.00 a watt | 9.8 years | 9 | 13.5 years |
EIA-861 (2024): no home net-metered systems listed for District of Columbia; no data.
Sun inside District of Columbia: 1 city
| District of Columbia city | kWh per kW a year | Against state point | Sun, kWh/m2 a day | Payback at $3.00 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1,392 | +0.0% | 4.90 | 9.8 | 672,079 |
District of Columbia state point 38.90, -77.02; city points Washington 38.90, -77.02. Panel and method: solar method.
Output by month in District of Columbia cities: 12 rows
| District of Columbia month | Washington |
|---|---|
| Jan | 90.8 |
| Feb | 102.8 |
| Mar | 126.3 |
| Apr | 130.8 |
| May | 133.3 |
| Jun | 140.4 |
| Jul | 147.4 |
| Aug | 131.0 |
| Sep | 119.8 |
| Oct | 108.8 |
| Nov | 84.6 |
| Dec | 75.4 |
District of Columbia: 1 city, best month 147 and worst 75 kWh per kW across them.
CSVBest and worst month in District of Columbia: Jul 147, Dec 75 kWh per kW
| District of Columbia month | kWh per kW | Price ¢ | Value per kW | kWh per kW per sun unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90.8 | 18.83 | $17.10 | 0.85 |
| Feb | 102.8 | 19.71 | $20.26 | 0.83 |
| Mar | 126.3 | 20.40 | $25.77 | 0.81 |
| Apr | 130.8 | 21.32 | $27.89 | 0.79 |
| May | 133.3 | 20.43 | $27.23 | 0.75 |
| Jun | 140.4 | 22.70 | $31.87 | 0.74 |
| Jul | 147.4 | 23.04 | $33.96 | 0.74 |
| Aug | 131.0 | 23.19 | $30.38 | 0.73 |
| Sep | 119.8 | 23.67 | $28.36 | 0.75 |
| Oct | 108.8 | 23.92 | $26.02 | 0.79 |
| Nov | 84.6 | 22.72 | $19.22 | 0.81 |
| Dec | 75.4 | 23.90 | $18.02 | 0.84 |
District of Columbia: December to February give 19% of a year (rank 42 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 2.0 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Jan (0.85) and lowest in Aug (0.73); PVWatts lowers cell output when the panel is hot, and the sun angle changes with the season. Our runs use one fixed 14% loss figure for every place, so snow or soiling in District of Columbia is not modelled separately.
Sizes and prices per watt in District of Columbia
| District of Columbia kW | kWh a year | Value a year | Cost at $2.50 | At $3.00 | At $3.50 | t CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5,566 | $1,221 | $10,000 | $12,000 | $14,000 | 1.0 |
| 6 | 8,349 | $1,832 | $15,000 | $18,000 | $21,000 | 1.5 |
| 8 | 11,132 | $2,442 | $20,000 | $24,000 | $28,000 | 2.0 |
| 10 | 13,915 | $3,053 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $35,000 | 2.5 |
| 12 | 16,698 | $3,664 | $30,000 | $36,000 | $42,000 | 3.0 |
| District of Columbia $ per watt | 100% retail | 75% | 50% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | 6.6 | 8.7 | 13.1 | 26.2 |
| $2.50 | 8.2 | 10.9 | 16.4 | 32.8 |
| $3.00 | 9.8 | 13.1 | 19.7 | 39.3 |
| $3.50 | 11.5 | 15.3 | 22.9 | 45.9 |
| $4.00 | 13.1 | 17.5 | 26.2 | 52.4 |
District of Columbia: 1,392 kWh/kW × 21.94 ¢ = 305 a year per kW; the 30% column (6.9 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.
CSVDistrict of Columbia among its neighbours
| Closest to District of Columbia | Payback, years | kWh per kW | Price, ¢ | Utility-scale solar, points of generation | Miles away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia (this page) | 9.8 | 1,392 | 21.94 | 18.4 | - |
| Maryland | +1.3 | -4 | -2.46 | -14.9 | 19 |
| Virginia | +4.8 | -48 | -6.66 | -10.1 | 74 |
| Delaware | +2.8 | -8 | -4.81 | -15.3 | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | +2.7 | -150 | -2.64 | -17.7 | 105 |
District of Columbia against its neighbours in the payback ranking
- -1 places, New York -0.9 years against District of Columbia
- +0 places, New Hampshire -0.1 years against District of Columbia
- District of Columbia, rank 9: 9.8 years
- +2 places, New Jersey +0.2 years against District of Columbia
- +3 places, Vermont +0.9 years against District of Columbia
Your numbers for District of Columbia
Limits in District of Columbia
District of Columbia: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 6.9 years instead of 9.8, so the calculator starts at 0%. No District of Columbia export rates in our data: output counts at 21.94 ¢. All limits.
Sources for District of Columbia
- PVWatts v8 (NLR), 1 District of Columbia cities and one state point: 1,392 kWh per kW
- EIA-860 2025 and EIA-923 2025: 35 MW of solar in District of Columbia
- EIA-861 2024: no net-metered systems listed for District of Columbia
- EIA retail sales 2025: 21.94 ¢ per kWh in District of Columbia
- IRS 25D (ended 2025): 6.9 years in District of Columbia with it; licences and periods for District of Columbia
More about District of Columbia
District of Columbia electricity hub, District of Columbia EV charging: 309 stations, where District of Columbia ranks for rooftop solar, 9.8 years against 51 states, District of Columbia calculators.
Questions
District of Columbia electricity from solar, what share?
18.4% of 2025 net generation, rank 3 of 51, +11.6 points against the nation.
District of Columbia utility-scale solar capacity?
35 MW in 17 plants (EIA-860), 52 W per resident, rank 47; 0 MW proposed.
Solar payback in District of Columbia?
9.8 years at $3.00 a watt; 8.2 at $2.50; 11.5 at $3.50; 1,392 kWh per kW at 21.94 ¢.
Winter cut in District of Columbia solar output?
December to February give 19% of the year; Jul makes 147 kWh per kW and Dec 75.
District of Columbia sunshine for solar panels?
1,392 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 19 of 51; from 1,392 in Washington to 1,392 in Washington.
District of Columbia pays half price for exports?
Payback 19.7 years at a 50% retail share.
CO2 displaced in District of Columbia?
1.5 t a year on 6 kW at 0.179 kg per kWh.
Federal solar credit in District of Columbia: still available?
Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it District of Columbia payback would be 6.9 years, not 9.8.
6 kW system output in District of Columbia?
8,349 kWh a year, worth $1,832 at the retail price.
Net metering in District of Columbia?
No systems listed (no data).