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Independent city BVUDominion

Solar panels in Bristol, Virginia

A south-facing kilowatt of panels in Bristol makes about 1,370 kWh a year, 1.4% below the Virginia median. Power here comes from BVU or Dominion; the numbers below use the BVU rate of 11.62¢ per kWh (2025 average). Your bill says which one you have.

1,370

kWh / kW / year

PVWatts, south-facing

5.04

Peak sun hours / day

annual average irradiance

10,960

kWh / yr from 8 kW

a common home system

11.62¢

BVU price

2025 residential avg

Monthly solar production per kW in Bristol, VirginiaKilowatt-hours per month for a 1 kW south-facing system. Peak in May, low in Dec.050100150Jan89Feb91Mar113Apr130May143Jun131Jul134Aug128Sep118Oct116Nov93Dec84
NREL PVWatts v8, 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, azimuth 180°, tilt 25°, 14% losses. May makes about 1.7× Dec.

Seasonality

Summer surplus pays for winter.

Virginia net metering carries excess credits forward for 12 months, so May's overproduction offsets Dec's shortfall. That's why systems here are sized against annual usage, not the worst month. How the calculator models net metering; the current rules by utility are on Virtue Solar's incentives page.

Capacity factor: 15.6%. Elevation about 571 m. Compare every town on the production map, or see what moves the number in roof direction, tilt and shade.

Payback in Bristol

An average home here, solar-sized.

Assumes 1,239 kWh a month (≈ $144) at Bristol Virginia Utilities's 2025 average price, Bristol's PVWatts production, 3% annual rate growth and $2.75/W installed, no federal credit. Dollars are nominal. Change any of it in the calculator, or see how every utility compares in Is solar worth it in Virginia?

Run it with your bill

10.9 kW

System size

$29,975

Est. cost

$1,968

Year-1 savings

14.1 yrs

Break-even

$57,186

25-yr savings

$27,211

Net benefit

undiscounted

Utilities serving Bristol

Who sends the bill

Bristol is split between utilities. Rates are calendar-year averages; see all Virginia utilities for the full table.

UtilityTypeAvg price ¢/kWhAvg kWh / monthData year
Bristol Virginia UtilitiesMunicipal utility11.621,2392025*
Dominion EnergyInvestor-owned utility15.201,0382025*

Questions

How much electricity does a solar system produce in Bristol?
About 1,370 kWh per year for every kilowatt of panels on a south-facing roof, according to NREL's PVWatts. An 8 kW system would make roughly 10,960 kWh a year. East- or west-facing roofs make less; the calculator applies those factors.
Who is the electric utility in Bristol?
EIA's service-territory data lists Bristol Virginia Utilities and Dominion Energy for Bristol. Boundaries run through the locality, so your bill is the tiebreaker. BVU's 2025 average residential price was 11.62¢ per kWh.
Is solar worth it in Bristol?
For an average BVU home (1,239 kWh a month), the default assumptions give a 10.9 kW system costing about $29,975 with a break-even around 14.1 years and $27,211 net benefit (nominal) over 25 years. Your bill, roof and shade change that; the calculator lets you enter them. The statewide picture is in “Is solar worth it in Virginia?”.
Where does the sun data come from?
NREL PVWatts v8 (8.5.0), using the 1016916.csv typical-year weather dataset for grid cell 1016916, about 2 km from the town center. Inputs: 1 kW DC, fixed roof mount, 180° azimuth, 25° tilt, 14% system losses. Typical-year data doesn't change year to year.

Nearby places

Sources: NREL PVWatts v8 (8.5.0, typical-year weather); EIA Form 861 2025 utility data and service territories; U.S. Census Bureau place coordinates. Formulas and assumptions on the methodology page.