Charlottesville, VA Solar Panels

Created under the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) of 2020, Virginia’s SREC program allows residential solar owners to earn one Solar Renewable Energy Certificate for every 1,000 kWh (1 MWh) of electricity their solar panels produce. Utilities are required to purchase these certificates to meet their Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) obligations, creating a real market for your solar generation.

Current SREC prices in Virginia range from approximately $22.50 to $35 per certificate, with a state-mandated price cap of $75 per SREC. Each SREC is valid for 5 years from the year it is generated, giving you flexibility in when to sell. You do not need to be a Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power customer to participate — any Virginia solar owner is eligible.

To start earning SRECs, you must complete the utility interconnection process and then register your system with an SREC aggregator or broker (such as SRECTrade) within the same calendar year as your interconnection date. Once registered, your system will typically begin generating SRECs within two months, and your broker will sell them on the market on your behalf automatically.

Virginia’s net metering program, governed by Virginia Code §56-594, allows residential solar customers to earn credits on their electricity bills for excess power their solar panels send to the grid. Both Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company (APCo) currently offer net metering at the full retail rate — a one-to-one credit — for residential systems up to 20 kW. Credits roll over month to month, and any remaining credits at the end of a 12-month billing cycle can be carried forward or paid out at the avoided-cost rate.

Important 2026 Update: Both Dominion Energy and APCo have proposed changes to net metering compensation for new customers. Dominion’s NEM 2.0 proposal would shift to real-time (half-hourly) netting and base credit rates on distributed solar PPA rates rather than the full retail rate. APCo has already received SCC approval to compensate net excess generation fed back to the grid at the avoided-cost rate. An SCC evidentiary hearing was scheduled for January 20, 2026, and a final order is expected mid-2026.

Grandfathering Protection: Customers who install solar and connect to the grid before the SCC issues its final order on net metering changes will be grandfathered under the existing full retail-rate rules. The aggregate capacity limit for net metering is 6% of each utility’s prior-year peak-load forecast (1% reserved for low-income customers, 5% for all others), and enrollment is first-come, first-served.

Virginia’s Shared Solar (Community Solar) Program allows utility customers to benefit from solar energy without installing panels on their own property. Residents of Charlottesville can subscribe to a portion of a larger, shared solar facility and receive credits on their electricity bills based on their share of the energy produced by that facility.

There are two subscription options: the Block Option, where customers purchase fixed blocks of solar energy (each block = 100 kWh, costing $2.013/month, with residential customers able to buy up to 5 blocks); and the 100% Match Option, which allows participants to match all of their electricity use with solar energy at an additional $0.02013 per kWh. Participants receive a guaranteed 10% savings on the subscribed portion of their utility bill.

This program is ideal for renters, homeowners with shaded or unsuitable roofs, or anyone who wants to support solar energy without the upfront cost of installation. No equipment purchase or installation is required — simply sign up through your utility. Contact the Virginia Department of Energy or your utility provider for current availability and enrollment details.

The Virginia Solar for All program was established after the Virginia Department of Energy was selected to receive more than $156 million through the U.S. EPA’s Solar for All grant competition. The program is specifically designed to expand access to solar energy for low-income and disadvantaged communities across the Commonwealth.

The funding is being used to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable qualifying households to deploy and directly benefit from distributed residential solar. This may include financial assistance, subsidized installations, community solar subscriptions, and other mechanisms to reduce or eliminate the upfront cost barrier for eligible residents.

Eligibility is targeted toward low-income households and residents of disadvantaged communities. Interested residents of Charlottesville should contact the Virginia Department of Energy for the latest information on program availability, eligibility requirements, and how to apply as funds are deployed.

The VirginiaSAVES Green Community Program provides low-cost, low-interest financing to private commercial and industrial businesses, nonprofits, and local governments to fund a wide range of renewable energy and energy projects in Virginia. Solar panel installations are among the eligible project types under this program.

The program is designed to remove the financial barrier of upfront capital costs for organizations looking to invest in solar and clean energy. Financing terms and interest rates are structured to make projects economically viable, with the goal of shortening payback periods and improving the return on investment for participating organizations.

This program is not available to individual residential homeowners but is an excellent resource for business owners, nonprofits, and local government entities in Charlottesville seeking affordable financing for solar installations. Contact the Virginia Department of Energy for current program terms, interest rates, and application details.

Virginia’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program provides an innovative financing mechanism for commercial, industrial, and nonprofit property owners to fund solar energy and battery storage installations with no upfront costs. Project costs are repaid through a special assessment on the property’s tax bill, with repayment terms extending up to 30 years.

C-PACE financing can cover 100% of eligible project costs, including solar panels, battery energy storage systems, and related equipment. Because the financing is tied to the property rather than the borrower, it can offer more favorable terms than traditional loans and transfers to the new owner if the property is sold.

Availability is limited to localities in Virginia that have adopted the PACE enabling legislation. Commercial property owners in Charlottesville should verify whether their locality participates before pursuing this option. C-PACE is particularly valuable for battery storage projects, which currently have no dedicated state or utility incentive programs in Virginia.