Solar panel payback in West Virginia

15.1 years for a typical home solar system in West Virginia to pay for itself, with no federal tax credit.

A 11.0 kW system sized for the average home here, which uses 1,070 kWh a month, costs about $30,800 at $2.80 per watt. It saves about $1,815 in its first year, and after 25 years it is $29,310 ahead. That is slow. The system still ends up ahead, but a higher quote or a shaded roof could erase most of the gain.

Prices updated October 2026 from EIA, AAA and BLS data.

Your state

Electricity price

¢/kWh

Monthly electricity use

kWh

System size

Installed cost

$/W

2026 quotes average $2.60 to $3.00.

State and local incentives

Rebates or state tax credits.

Export credit

% of retail

Output, rate increases and upkeep

Yearly output per kW

kWh/kW

Output used as it is made

The rest goes to the grid. Higher if you are home by day.

Yearly electricity price rise

U.S. prices rose 5% in the past year.

Panel output loss per year

Inverter replacement in year 12

Set to 0 if your inverter warranty runs 25 years.

How West Virginia compares

West Virginia ranks 45th of 51 for solar payback, fastest first. The fastest is Hawaii at 5.9 years. At U.S. average figures, payback is 12.3 years.

Two things set payback: what each kWh is worth and how many the panels make. West Virginia ranks 31st for electricity price, most expensive first, at 15.78¢/kWh, and 47th for sunshine, at an estimated 1,200 kWh a year per kW of panels. Power below the U.S. average price and less sun than average both stretch the payback.

The calculator assumes power sent to the grid earns 75% of the retail price, typical of net metering. Your utility's tariff sets the real rate, and a lower credit slows payback.

Four of its five neighbors pay back faster: Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, led by Maryland at 10.2 years.

State	Electricity	Sun, kWh/kW	Payback
Maryland	21.41¢	1,300	10.2 yrs
Pennsylvania	21.72¢	1,250	10.5 yrs
Virginia	17.55¢	1,350	12.6 yrs
Ohio	19.45¢	1,200	12.8 yrs
West Virginia	15.78¢	1,200	15.1 yrs
Kentucky	13.81¢	1,250	16.3 yrs

More for West Virginia

EV charging cost in West Virginia vs gas: an EV saves $1,171 a year on fuel.
Heat pump vs gas in West Virginia: a heat pump saves $131 a year.

What these numbers assume

A 11.0 kW system, sized to cover about 100% of a typical home's yearly use.
$2.80 per watt installed, paid in cash, with no state or local incentives entered.
No federal tax credit: Section 25D ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025.
Half the output used in the home as it is made; the rest credited at 75% of the retail price.
Electricity prices rising 3% a year, panels losing 0.5% of output a year, and a $2,000 inverter replacement in year 12.

Change any of them in the calculator above to match your own bills. The formulas are on the main solar payback calculator.

Sources

Electricity price: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data).
Household use: EIA 2025 retail sales divided by customers.
Installed cost: 2026 residential marketplace averages.
Output per kW: MeterMath estimate for a south-facing fixed roof system, rounded.
Export credit: MeterMath assumption for typical net metering.
Tax credit status: Public Law 119-21.