Solar in West Virginia: cost, payback & incentives

West Virginia ranks #48 of 51 with a composite solar score of 18/100 (Marginal). The score blends inputs from NREL and EIA: average irradiance of 4.2 kWh/m²/day, residential electricity at 12¢/kWh, a turnkey 6 kW installed cost of $17,100 ($2.85/W), and 2 tracked state and utility incentive programs.

On those inputs, a 6 kW array here is modeled to generate roughly 7,358 kWh/year and offset about $883 in annual utility spending at the state's average rate, an estimated 19.4-year simple payback (#49 of 51 for speed to break-even) and a projected +$4,975 net position over a 25-year horizon before utility-rate escalation. This figure values all production at the full retail rate; because West Virginia's net-metering policy is none, exported (not self-consumed) generation is typically credited at a lower rate in practice, so the real payback for a grid-heavy export profile here will usually run longer than this estimate.

Policy matters as much as physics. West Virginia's net-metering framework is classified as none, which governs how exported generation is credited, and its renewable portfolio standard is: Mandatory (30% by 2030). The 2 active programs tracked in DSIRE include tax exemption and net metering types, each can stack to compress payback. Note that the 30% federal residential solar tax credit (§25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so state and utility incentives now carry more of the economics, confirm current federal rules with the IRS and your tax advisor.