Discover your exact solar savings potential in West Virginia. We factor in local utility rates, sun hours, and state-specific incentives to give you an accurate ROI estimate.
DISCLAIMER: All estimates are approximations based on regional averages. Actual savings vary by location, roof orientation, utility provider, and installer. This calculator does not guarantee specific savings.
Electricity rates last updated: August 2026 (source: EIA)
Find out how much you can save based on your location and current energy usage.
This is the single most important thing to understand before going solar in West Virginia, because your utility determines your export credit rate. Appalachian Power (AEP) customers currently continue to receive full retail-rate credits for excess solar exported to the grid. A 2025 net-metering proposal raised concerns among solar advocates, but a September 2025 regulatory review found rooftop solar net-metering rules remained mostly unchanged for AEP customers. Monongahela Power (Mon Power) and Potomac Edison customers face a different reality: anyone who installs solar and starts net metering on or after January 1, 2025 earns only 9.3 cents per kilowatt-hour for excess electricity credited at the end of the billing cycle — meaningfully below the full retail rate. If you were already enrolled in net metering with Mon Power or Potomac Edison before December 31, 2024, you are grandfathered into the prior more-favorable full-retail-rate terms for 25 years. Across all WV utilities, net metering credits do not expire, but they cannot offset fixed monthly connection or customer charges — even a fully offset solar system still leaves you owing something on your bill each month.
West Virginia Code Article 13Z, Section 11-13Z-1 ("Residential Solar Energy Tax Credit") provides a credit against WV personal income tax equal to 30% of the cost to purchase and install a solar energy system on residential property owned and used as a residence by the taxpayer, up to a maximum credit of $2,000. It applies to systems generating electricity, heating or cooling a structure, or providing hot water (excluding pools, hot tubs, and storage-only uses; solar hot water systems must derive at least 50% of their energy from the sun). No expiration date appears in the current published statute text. Important nuance: many current online sources and installer marketing materials claim West Virginia has NO state income tax credit for solar — which directly conflicts with this statute's plain text. This conflict is real and you should not ignore it. Before assuming eligibility, confirm current availability, any funding caps, and the claim procedure directly with the West Virginia State Tax Department.
Multiple secondary sources describe an exemption for the added assessed value of a residential solar system from local property tax, commonly cited as lasting up to 10 years. This would mean your property tax bill does not rise simply because solar panels increased your home's assessed value. However, this could not be independently verified against the specific statute text, so the exact mechanism and duration are uncertain. Confirm the current status and any applicable procedures directly with your county assessor's office before counting on this benefit.
Whether solar equipment is exempt from West Virginia's 6% state sales tax is genuinely contested. Some sources claim solar panels and inverters are exempt; others state no such exemption exists and the 6% rate applies. Rather than assert either position, confirm the current sales tax treatment with your installer and with the WV State Tax Department before finalizing your budget. A 6% tax on a $15,000–$25,000 system installation is $900–$1,500 — enough to matter.
Everything you need to know about solar incentives, costs, and savings in your area.