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Editor: Katerine G., Editor & Data Researcher · Research & publishing: Electric Consumer Editorial Team · Data retrieved · Sources named on this page: EIA-861, EIA retail sales, EIA-860/923, NREL PVWatts · How we got these numbers · Report an error

Solar in West Virginia: payback, sun by city and utility-scale capacity

1,199 kWha year from 1 kW of panels in West Virginia, rank 48 of 51 (1 = sunniest), PVWatts at the state's population centre

Across 5 West Virginia cities, yearly output runs from 1,191 kWh per kW in Wheeling to 1,240 in Parkersburg. May is the best month at 131 kWh per kW and Dec the worst at 56. West Virginia pays back in 16.2 years at $3.00 a watt (rank 42 of 51), 2.7 years longer than the middle state. 1,199 kWh per kW (rank 48) at 15.41 ¢ (rank 25 from the top): price of power drives it. Utility-scale solar in West Virginia: 259 MW in 6 plants, 0.4% of 2025 generation; 120 MW more under construction or planned.

Sun inside West Virginia: 5 cities, 4% apart

Solar output in 5 cities of West Virginia
West Virginia citykWh per kW a yearAgainst state pointSun, kWh/m2 a dayPayback at $3.00Residents
Charleston1,219+1.7%4.5716.047,918
Huntington1,228+2.4%4.6115.946,189
Morgantown1,197-0.2%4.4416.330,273
Parkersburg1,240+3.5%4.6315.729,461
Wheeling1,191-0.6%4.4216.326,670

West Virginia state point 38.85, -80.91; city points Charleston 38.35, -81.63; Huntington 38.41, -82.44; Morgantown 39.64, -79.95; Parkersburg 39.26, -81.54; Wheeling 40.07, -80.70. Panel and method: solar method.

Output by month in West Virginia cities: 12 rows
West Virginia monthCharlestonHuntingtonMorgantownParkersburgWheeling
Jan65.566.665.566.966.5
Feb75.877.272.681.176.0
Mar96.4102.9112.6105.5104.3
Apr114.5123.1111.8113.9110.8
May126.1129.8126.4134.3130.2
Jun136.4130.3126.8131.2123.8
Jul129.4131.4126.2135.1131.3
Aug127.5123.4124.5129.4126.4
Sep108.6115.8111.4115.4117.8
Oct93.891.395.197.684.4
Nov80.275.265.572.565.3
Dec65.360.958.257.754.5

West Virginia: 5 cities, best month 136 and worst 54 kWh per kW across them.

CSV

Best and worst month in West Virginia: May 131, Dec 56 kWh per kW

West Virginia output and value by month
West Virginia monthkWh per kWPrice ¢Value per kWkWh per kW per sun unit
Jan60.314.47$8.730.82
Feb79.514.82$11.780.80
Mar102.415.89$16.270.78
Apr114.116.05$18.310.73
May130.916.18$21.180.71
Jun128.315.82$20.300.70
Jul130.915.43$20.200.69
Aug126.515.65$19.800.70
Sep106.716.14$17.220.71
Oct97.816.19$15.830.74
Nov65.515.65$10.250.78
Dec55.914.61$8.170.81

West Virginia: December to February give 16% of a year (rank 14 of 51, 1 = most winter); the best month is 2.3 times the worst. Output per unit of sun is highest in Jan (0.82) and lowest in Jul (0.69); 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 West Virginia is not modelled separately.

West Virginia: payback 16.2 years, rank 42 of 51

Solar measures for West Virginia
MeasureValueRank of 51Median state
Output of 1 kW a year, kWh1,199481,372
Home price, ¢ per kWh15.412515.37
Value of 1 kW a year$18542$222
Payback at $3.00 a watt16.2 years4213.5 years

EIA-861 (2024): 979 home net-metered systems in West Virginia, 1.1 per 1,000 accounts (rank 47), average 8.5 kW.

Sizes and prices per watt in West Virginia

Systems of 4 to 12 kW in West Virginia
West Virginia kWkWh a yearValue a yearCost at $2.50At $3.00At $3.50t CO2
44,795$739$10,000$12,000$14,0004.3
67,193$1,108$15,000$18,000$21,0006.4
89,590$1,478$20,000$24,000$28,0008.5
1011,988$1,847$25,000$30,000$35,00010.6
1214,386$2,217$30,000$36,000$42,00012.8
Payback in West Virginia by price and retail share
West Virginia $ per watt100% retail75%50%25%
$2.0010.814.421.743.3
$2.5013.518.027.154.1
$3.0016.221.732.565.0
$3.5018.925.337.975.8
$4.0021.728.943.386.6

West Virginia: 1,199 kWh/kW × 15.41 ¢ = 185 a year per kW; the 30% column (11.4 years at $3.00) is arithmetic only.

CSV

Utility-scale solar in West Virginia: 259 MW

West Virginia: 259 MW of operable utility-scale solar in 6 plants across 6 counties (EIA-860, 2025), rank 41 of 51; 145 W per resident, rank 38. Solar made 0.4% of West Virginia's net generation in 2025 (EIA-923), rank 48, -6.3 points against the national share. Biggest plants: BHER Ravenswood Solar 1 in Jackson County, 113 MW (2025); Blake Solar Plant in Jefferson County, 96 MW (2024); Capon Bridge Solar LLC in Hampshire County, 20 MW (2024). By county: Jackson 113 MW, Jefferson 96 MW, Hampshire 20 MW, Monongalia 19 MW. Proposed: 0 MW under construction (0 plants) and 120 MW planned (3 plants); batteries 110 MW running and 150 MW proposed.

Utility-scale solar added in West Virginia by year
West Virginia yearMW addedCumulative share of today's MW
201900%
202000%
202100%
202200%
202300%
202414054%
2025119100%

Net metering and CO2 in West Virginia

EIA-861 (2024): 979 home net-metered systems in West Virginia, 1.1 per 1,000 accounts (rank 47), average 8.5 kW.

6 kW in West Virginia: 7,193 kWh a year displaces 6.4 t CO2 at 0.886 kg per kWh, +3.4 t against the average state.

West Virginia utilities and solar payback

Solar payback by utility in West Virginia
West Virginia utilityHomesPrice ¢Value of 1 kWPayback at $3.00
Monongahela Power Co334,58813.97$16717.9 yr
Wheeling Power Co34,39217.41$20914.4 yr
Black Diamond Power Co3,47915.35$18416.3 yr

West Virginia among its neighbours

Closest states to West Virginia
Closest to West VirginiaPayback, yearskWh per kWPrice, ¢Utility-scale solar, points of generationMiles away
West Virginia (this page)16.21,19915.410.4-
Ohio-2.0+45+1.55+5.1151
Virginia-1.6+144-0.13+7.8196
District of Columbia-6.4+193+6.53+17.9209
Maryland-5.1+189+4.07+3.0220
Simple solar payback by state at $3.00 a wattNew Mexico: 11.2 yrTexas: 12.9 yrKentucky: 16.9 yrOhio: 14.2 yrGeorgia: 14.4 yrArkansas: 17.0 yrOregon: 17.3 yrPennsylvania: 12.5 yrMissouri: 16.0 yrNorth Carolina: 15.2 yrUtah: 14.9 yrVirginia: 14.6 yrWyoming: 14.5 yrWest Virginia: 16.2 yrNew York: 8.9 yrIndiana: 13.5 yrKansas: 13.9 yrIdaho: 18.5 yrNevada: 12.6 yrIllinois: 13.0 yrVermont: 10.7 yrNew Jersey: 10.0 yrMinnesota: 14.0 yrMaryland: 11.1 yrIowa: 15.9 yrHawaii: 4.3 yrNew Hampshire: 9.7 yrRhode Island: 7.9 yrConnecticut: 8.0 yrMontana: 17.6 yrArizona: 11.2 yrNebraska: 16.9 yrWashington: 21.6 yrSouth Dakota: 16.0 yrCalifornia: 5.5 yrAlabama: 13.5 yrWisconsin: 12.5 yrMississippi: 15.6 yrColorado: 12.3 yrOklahoma: 15.3 yrTennessee: 16.4 yrLouisiana: 16.1 yrMichigan: 11.7 yrMassachusetts: 7.7 yrFlorida: 12.7 yrAlaska: 11.3 yrNorth Dakota: 19.2 yrSouth Carolina: 13.7 yrMaine: 8.5 yrDelaware: 12.7 yrDistrict of Columbia: 9.8 yr

West Virginia against its neighbours in the payback ranking

  • -1 places, Missouri -0.2 years against West Virginia
  • +0 places, Louisiana -0.2 years against West Virginia
  • West Virginia, rank 42: 16.2 years
  • +2 places, Tennessee +0.2 years against West Virginia
  • +3 places, Nebraska +0.7 years against West Virginia

Your numbers for West Virginia

    Limits in West Virginia

    West Virginia: with the old 30% credit (IRS, ended 2025) payback would be 11.4 years instead of 16.2, so the calculator starts at 0%. No West Virginia export rates in our data: output counts at 15.41 ¢. All limits.

    Sources for West Virginia

    More about West Virginia

    West Virginia electricity hub, West Virginia EV charging: 181 stations, where West Virginia ranks for rooftop solar, 16.2 years against 51 states, West Virginia calculators.

    Questions

    West Virginia sunshine for solar panels?

    1,199 kWh per kW a year at the state point, rank 48 of 51; from 1,191 in Wheeling to 1,240 in Parkersburg.

    West Virginia electricity from solar, what share?

    0.4% of 2025 net generation, rank 48 of 51, -6.3 points against the nation.

    Net metering in West Virginia?

    979 systems, 1.1 per 1,000 accounts, rank 47.

    Solar payback in West Virginia?

    16.2 years at $3.00 a watt; 13.5 at $2.50; 18.9 at $3.50; 1,199 kWh per kW at 15.41 ¢.

    Where in West Virginia is solar best?

    Yes: 4% between Wheeling and Parkersburg in yearly output.

    Winter cut in West Virginia solar output?

    December to February give 16% of the year; May makes 131 kWh per kW and Dec 56.

    West Virginia utility-scale solar capacity?

    259 MW in 6 plants (EIA-860), 145 W per resident, rank 38; 120 MW proposed.

    West Virginia pays half price for exports?

    Payback 32.5 years at a 50% retail share.

    CO2 displaced in West Virginia?

    6.4 t a year on 6 kW at 0.886 kg per kWh.

    Federal solar credit in West Virginia: still available?

    Ended 2025 (IRS 25D); with it West Virginia payback would be 11.4 years, not 16.2.

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    1,199 kWh a year from 1 kW of panels in West Virginia, rank 48 of 51 (1 = sunniest), PVWatts at the state's population centre