Switching to solar power can be a confusing process full of unfamiliar terms and details that make it hard to plan for as a homeowner. Our goal in this guide is to equip you with everything you need to understand solar costs, savings, and even financing incentives unique to West Virginia.
We‘ll analyze the details as a data-focused expert would, but without the jargon and complexity. You‘ll get transparency on pricing estimates, system size recommendations, expected long-term profits, top-rated local installers, and all available money-saving solar incentives. Consider us your friendly neighborhood solar analysts!
Here‘s a quick overview of everything we‘ll cover:
- Cost per watt to install solar panels in West Virginia and what impacts pricing
- How much electricity the average solar setup could offset for a home there
- Calculating your custom system size based on utility bill data
- Projected solar profits over 20+ years factoring in incentives
- Our top 2 solar company recommendations for WV, key traits to look for
- Summary table of vital statistics covered for easy reference
Let‘s get into the details!
Calculating Your Potential Solar Costs in West Virginia
You‘ll typically hear about "solar panel costs per Watt" as the main pricing metric. This refers to how much you‘d pay to install solar equipment with a capacity to generate one Watt of electricity.
According to the most recent market data nationwide, the average is $2.50 per Watt right now. But your cost implications really come into focus when looking at full solar array sizes…
The standard home setup uses 18-30 panels ranging between 300 and 400 Watts each. That equals roughly a 6 kilowatt (6kW) system once the panels are combined.
For that 6 kW solar array at today‘s $2.50 per Watt price, you would spend approximately $15,000 before incentives or deductions.
But here‘s where your situation in West Virginia differs a bit…
Due to the mountainous terrain and average sunlight levels lower than almost every state, solar equipment rates you‘ll pay are $2.64 per Watt – higher than the U.S. baseline.
That‘s why for the same 6 kW set of panels, West Virginians end up spending around $15,840 compared to the $15,000 we referenced earlier.
And realistically, you‘ll likely need more than 6 kW anyway (but more on properly sizing later).
Beyond geographic and weather factors largely outside your control, a few other variables also nudge West Virginia‘s solar panels costs higher for residents:
Solar Panel Types
With lots of cloudy days, monocrystalline solar panels make the most sense because of their sunlight conversion efficiencies. But these come at a premium over less efficient panel variants.
Slim In-State Installer Options
Having fewer than ten solar companies serving your entire state means less competition and transparency around pricing. Limited options make careful research imperative.
Utility Electricity Prices
On the bright side, paying more than the national average per kilowatt-hour for traditional electricity here means your baseline costs are higher. Offsetting those with solar delivers more dramatic savings.
We know looking at per Watt solar costs only tells part of the financial story. Let‘s shift our focus to use your West Virginia home specifics to estimate savings.
First, we‘ll cover why oversizing your solar system is so critical given the state‘s challenges…
Calculating the Ideal Solar System Size for Your West Virginia Home
The "right" number of solar panels for your house depends primarily on two factors specific to West Virginia – your historical electricity usage and hours of local peak sunlight.
Let‘s quickly walk through the solar size formula together:
Average Electricity Usage (kWh per day) ÷ Peak Hours of Sunlight = Minimum Solar System Size (Watts)
You‘ll find your average daily electricity usage on previous utility bills. As for peak sunlight hours, this table has data for 10 WV cities as a starting point.
When using the state residential average electricity consumption of 35 kWh per day and dividing by the overall peak sunlight hours of 3.65 hours, we get 9.6 kW as a baseline system size.
But solar experts actually recommend OVERSIZING your system by 25-30% for West Virginia specifically to account for sunlight inconsistencies on cloudier than average days.
For a typical home there, that would mean a 12-13 kW solar panel system makes the most financial sense long-term.
With your electricity usage and local sunlight data, you can now appropriately right-size a solar array for your exact scenario to maximize savings.
Properly accounting for West Virginia‘s unique climate challenges is the key to ensuring your solar panels produce adequate electricity year-round.
Next let‘s explore who we recommend partnering with for your solar panel installation…
Top 2 Solar Installation Firms to Call in West Virginia
While super important for return on investment, correctly sizing your solar equipment represents just half the equation. The quality of the installation itself also determines system performance and savings down the road.
With fewer than ten certified solar firms serving all of West Virginia currently, assessing experience and expertise levels becomes vital for homeowners considering adding panels.
We evaluated the background of each company operating locally based on:
- Years in solar industry
- Reviews and complaints
- Equipment quality offerings
- Warranty durations
- Licenses and certifications held
Here are the two installers that passed our extensive vetting process:
Elysium Solar Energy
Our #1 recommendation for 2023 is Pennsylvania-based Elysium Solar Energy. In over a decade installing panels already across multiple states, their team has established elite credentials:
- Diamond Certified status from EnergySage (top 2% of firms evaluated)
- A+ Better Busines Bureau rating after 0 complaints
- In-house professional oversight from quote to install
- 25-year labor warranty on all residential work
For West Virginians, Elysium brings the ideal blend of solar expertise to handle your state‘s one-of-a-kind landscape paired with an outstanding reputation built over 10,000+ installations nationally.
Key Takeaway: Our analysis shows Elysium offers the best combination of experience, equipment quality, and workmanship guarantees if you want maximum peace of mind.
Solar Holler
If supporting a local company based right in West Virginia carries more weight for you or your family, Solar Holler is a great option.
As a smaller installer only serving customers inside state lines, they compete via hyper-focused solar knowledge specific to WV regulations, incentives, terrain, and much more.
We would give them high marks for customer service and transparent pricing. Just keep in mind that as a newer, leaner operation you may face drawbacks like:
- More limited solar panel equipment selection
- Shorter 5-year workmanship warranty period
But if you value the goodwill and convenience aspects of a homegrown West Virginia solar firm, definitely give them strong consideration alongside our top recommendation Elysium.
Key Takeaway: For some homeowners, Solar Holler‘s community-focused approach and local expertise outweigh scaling advantages of larger national companies.
How Much Can You Actually Save by Going Solar?
Now for the part you probably care about most – projected solar panel ROI and profit estimates!
Even dealing with more overcast days and higher equipment costs, generating a meaningful return on your panel investment IS very realistic in West Virginia.
Without any solar incentives included, here is how the financial breakdown shakes out:
6 kW System Cost: $15,840
Annual Electricity Bill Savings: $1,603 (average)
Breakeven Timeframe: 9.8 years
What this shows is by offsetting your current home energy bills with solar, you could recoup your initial panel costs in under 10 years – then keep saving $1,603 or more each following year!
And remember that 9.8 year payback duration was calculated for just a 6 kW system. With proper solar sizing for West Virginia‘s conditions, you may double or triple kWh production and slash time-to-profitability.
Over the 25 year average lifespans of today‘s solar options, your total energy COST SAVINGS range from $16,350 on the low end up to $24,365.
And we STILL haven‘t factored in the federal or local incentives!
West Virginia Solar Incentives – Save 30% or More Off Your System
Surprisingly for a state lagging so far behind in solar adoption, West Virginia offers homeowners big perks for adding panels:
Federal Solar Tax Credit
The nationwide government incentive lets you deduct 26% of total panel and installation costs directly from your tax bill.
On a $15,840 system, that works out to $4,118 in immediate savings!
Just note this credit starts phasing out nation-wide pretty soon, so act fast.
Net Metering
WV boasts a very solar-friendly net metering policy. When your panels overproduce, you bank energy credits to offset future bills for full retail value. No cap, no expiration.
This credit rollover effect turbocharges solar savings for years on end!
Between slashing nearly 30% off upfront via Uncle Sam and accruing long-run utility offsets through net metering, you start to see why solar works even where the sun doesn‘t always shine.
Run the numbers for your house, pick one of our recommended 5-star installers to handle the project start-to-finish, and simply sit back taking in the solar savings for decades to come!
Key Solar Statistics – West Virginia Cheat Sheet
Without further ado, here‘s a condensed view of all the vital data points covered surrounding home solar panel adoption in WV:
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Avg System Cost | $15,840 (before incentives) |
| Avg Electricity Offset | 35 kWh/day |
| Req‘d System Size | 12-13 kW |
| Payback Term | 9.8 years |
| Incentives | 26% Federal Tax Credit, Net Metering |
| Top Installers | Elysium Solar Energy, Solar Holler |
| Long-term Profit | $16,350 to $24,365 |
Hopefully breaking down the analysis into easy-to-understand segments has eliminated any financial anxiety or uncertainty standing in the way of your solar plans in West Virginia!
You‘re now equipped with all the specialized insight needed to benefit from panels as much as residents anywhere across the country.
Our team makes this level of personalized solar consulting accessible to homeowners in a way no electricity company or installer ever could on their own. We‘re here to ensure YOU get the facts and tools to decide if and how pursuing solar works for your unique family.
And if you have any other questions pop up along your journey with panels, don‘t hesitate to reach back out! Here‘s to many sunny days (literally plus financially) ahead…
