We build quality solar & home battery systems that last.
Whether you're in The Fan, Church Hill, or Short Pump, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know—from how much solar costs in Richmond to net metering, solar incentives, and whether your home is a good fit.
If you read this start-to-finish, you’ll be prepared with everything you need to confidently compare quotes, understand your savings, and decide if solar panels are right for your Richmond home.
We've been installing solar panels on homes in the area since 2015, and aim to provide honest, straightforward advice.
Find out how much solar costs with a free solar proposal & design for your home
If you’re tired of unpredictable electricity bills, installing solar panels in Richmond is a smart way to take control of your energy costs.
Dominion Energy has raised rates multiple times in recent years, with more increases expected as grid infrastructure costs rise.
With solar, you lock in a predictable energy rate and avoid these escalating costs.
Most homeowners in Richmond spend $1,000 – $2,000 per year on electricity. A well-designed solar system can cut this down to almost nothing.
Investing in residential solar in Richmond is more than just an energy decision—it’s a financial investment with strong returns.
Homes with solar tend to sell faster and at a premium, and with Richmond’s strong real estate market, installing solar can add long-term value to your home.
Plus, the Federal Solar Tax Credit gives homeowners a 30% tax credit on solar installation costs (batteries too!), reducing the upfront investment significantly.
Combine that with Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) and solar becomes an even better deal.
Last but not least, there’s the environmental impact. By going solar, you reduce your reliance on fossil fuels and lower your carbon footprint—without changing a single habit.
Unlike utility-scale power plants, rooftop solar generates electricity without emissions, waste, or water use. It’s a simple way to make a long-term difference while keeping more money in your pocket.
Modern solar panels offset their embodied energy in about a year and are warrantied to produce for 25.
The City of Richmond is committed to being net-zero by 2050, and has taken steps to make solar installation easy.
The city is a Gold Member of SolSmart, a national program recognizing cities that make it faster, cheaper, and easier for homeowners to go solar. Richmond’s permitting process is streamlined, with many projects approved in just a few weeks.
Solar panels might seem like magic, but they’re actually pretty straightforward. When sunlight hits your solar panels, they generate direct current (DC) electricity.
Since your home runs on alternating current (AC), an inverter converts that DC power into usable AC electricity. This power goes straight into your home, supplying your appliances, lights, and everything else that needs electricity.
When your panels produce more power than you need, the extra energy flows back to the utility company in exchange for energy credits—a system called net metering.
Your solar panels generate electricity, but the inverter is what makes it usable in your home. Choosing the right inverter, in our experience, is even more important than the solar panels. Data has shown that inverters are the cause of most serious failures, meaning reliability is king here.
For roof-mounted systems (which is most common in Richmond), we strongly recommend Enphase microinverters. They have proven to be extremely reliable, with a 0.05% failure rate-- which is incredibly important if roof access is difficult.
If your system is grid-tied (like most residential solar systems), it will shut off during an outage for safety reasons. However, if you want backup power, a battery-backup system can keep essential appliances running when the grid goes down.
Whether it’s keeping the lights on during a storm or powering critical medical equipment, a solar + battery backup system gives you energy security and peace of mind.
If backup power is a priority, we offer free-site visits to assess your home's electric needs, so we can design the right backup solution for your home.
Adding battery storage to your residential solar system provides reliable backup power during outages, keeping essential appliances running even when the grid goes down.
Unlike generators, batteries are silent, require no fuel, and recharge automatically from your solar panels. With increasing grid instability and power outages, battery storage offers peace of mind and energy independence for Virginia homeowners.
We install Enphase IQ Batteries, Tesla Powerwall, and FranklinWH batteries, all of which offer seamless backup power, smart energy management, and reliable performance. These batteries store excess solar energy for later use, allowing homeowners to reduce grid reliance and maximize savings.
Pro Tip: Dominion may be changing their net-metering rules in 2026, but systems installed now will keep the current net-metering terms.
The average cost of a residential solar system (without batteries) ranges from $2.75 to $3.50 per watt before incentives.
That means a typical 8 kW system might cost between $22,000 and $28,000 before incentives, while a larger 12 kW system could be in the $33,000 to $42,000 range.
But here’s the good news—incentives can significantly reduce your net costs.
The federal solar tax credit allows homeowners to deduct 30% of their total solar project cost from their federal taxes. This includes solar panels, inverters, labor, permitting, and even batteries.
For example:
• If your solar installation costs $25,000, your tax credit would be $7,500, bringing your net cost down to $17,500.
• A $35,000 system would see a $10,500 credit, reducing the cost to $24,500.
In addition to the 30% federal tax credit, homeowners in Virginia can earn extra income through Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs).
For every 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) your solar system produces, you earn 1 SREC, which can then be sold on the market. SRECs in Virginia are selling for about $32 each in 2025—which can add up quickly.
For a typical 10 kW solar system, you might generate 12-14 SRECs per year, translating to an extra $384 to $448 annually—essentially another 20% in savings on top of your reduced electricity bill.
Best of all, we handle SREC registration for you, so you can start earning as soon as your system is up and running.
Matt started Virtue Solar in 2015 as a one-man shop with a Subaru Outback and a borrowed trailer. Over the years, Virtue has grown from the smallest company around to one of the top solar companies in Virginia. Our goal has always been to focus on doing the right thing.
This starts with our employees, by providing full benefits for every team member, profit sharing, and a genuine commitment to keeping our team happy. For our customers, we want to provide the best experience possible. Our reviews and testimonials are a glimpse of how we treat others. If you’ve read them and thought, “These are too good to be true,” they’re not. We’ve made mistakes just like anyone else, but we've addressed them by focusing on doing what's right, and working with our customers to make sure that they are satisfied with the end result.
We truly believe that we offer the highest-quality solar installations in the area, and have a 25-year service warranty to back it up. If you’re looking for local solar installers who are passionate about what they do, you’ve found us.
Find out how much solar costs with a free solar proposal & design for your home
Modern solar panels are built to last, with most high-quality panels producing power for 30+ years. While efficiency slightly decreases over time, high quality brands like REC warranty over 90% output after 25 years.
Solar panels require minimal maintenance, as they have no moving parts. If you live in downtown RVA, you don't need to worry about roof access, or cleaning them off. In most cases, rain naturally cleans the panels, and it's unnecessary to clean them yourself.
We start with a quick call or email to understand your energy goals. Using your electric usage, LIDAR data, and satellite imagery, we design a custom solar system tailored to your home. Your proposal includes:
✔ Estimated energy production
✔ Potential savings
✔ Upfront cost and available incentives
✔ Equipment details
The solar assessment & proposal are completely free, with no obligation.
If you like the proposal, the next step is an on-site visit. We’ll take measurements, answer your questions, and confirm that the system will perform as expected. This step ensures a seamless installation with no surprises.
Once you’re ready to move forward, we finalize the design and sign the contract—partnering together to bring clean, affordable energy to your home!
We handle all the red tape, including:
📋 County or city building permits (Henrico vs. Richmond)
📋 Utility interconnection paperwork w/ Dominion
📋 Assistance with HOA approvals
No headaches for you—we take care of it.
Installation typically takes 2-3 days (longer for larger or more complex systems). Our experienced team ensures a clean, professional install, and we coordinate all inspections with the county to ensure compliance.
Before we wrap up, we walk you through the system, showing you exactly how it works. At this stage, we also request Permission to Operate (PTO) from the utility—the final approval before your system goes live.
Once PTO is granted (utilities have up to 30 days in Virginia), it’s time to flip the switch and start generating your own clean energy!
We also take care of your SREC registration, so you can earn income from the renewable energy credits your system produces.
And our commitment doesn’t end there—we provide free system monitoring, service, and technical support to ensure your system operates at peak performance for years to come.
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The actual installation takes 2-3 days, but the full process—including permitting, utility approvals, and inspections—typically takes 2-3 months from start to finish.
While DIY solar kits exist, purchasing a solar kit is a lot like purchasing your own 2x4s for a garage. You should still hire a professional to build it.
Solar is complex, and to properly install, design, and maintain it it's highly recommended to hire a solar installer.
In over a decade of working in solar, I have only seen one DIY install that didn't frighten me, or have countless code issues. Since the name of the game in solar is reliability, it's highly recommended to have your system professionally installed.
Solar panels increase home value, making it easier to sell. As long as you are purchasing with cash or a loan, the system will be sold with the home. Leases can be trickier, and you would need to make sure your buyer is up for taking over the solar lease.
Some insurance providers may slightly increase coverage to protect your system, but the added value often outweighs any cost increase. It’s best to check with your provider, and be sure to get it added so your system is covered in the event of an emergency.
Solar panels still generate power on cloudy days, though at a reduced output. Solar panels still work in winter. Although snow can temporarily block sunlight, but panels naturally shed snow due to their smooth surface and angle.
Without battery backup, grid-tied solar shuts down during outages for safety reasons. A battery backup system allows you to keep essential appliances running when the grid is down.
Yes! If you start with a grid-tied solar system, you can add a battery later. Some inverters only work with certain batteries, so if storage is part of your future plan, it's a good idea to discuss that with us. That way we can design your system to easily add a home battery in the future.
If your roof is older than 10-15 years, it’s worth evaluating its condition before installing solar. We can make a preliminary assessment during our site-visit free of charge, but usually recommend getting a roofer to inspect it if you are unsure of your roofs condition.
All of our home solar systems come with an online monitoring app that lets you track energy production on your phone or computer.
If you see a 0% or ultra-low interest rate loan, be aware that dealer fees are often hidden in the total price. These fees can increase the system cost by 30-40%. We believe in transparency—always ask for the cash price vs. the financed price to understand what you're paying.
Homeowners can pay cash, take out a solar loan, or (less commonly) lease panels. Cash offers the best return, while loans allow savings with little to no upfront cost. We offer loans with no dealer-fees to our customers.
If you can't use the 30% tax credit, then leasing or third-party ownership (TPO) may be a good alternative to loans, since the third-party can absorb the credit.
Very rarely homes may require an electrical panel upgrade to accommodate solar. During our site-visit we can assess the condition of your panel, and make a recommendation.
If you are installing whole-home backup, that can be a great time to upgrade your electrical panels, since there will be less duplicate work. This may be the time to consider a SPAN smart panel as well, to extend your battery life and get more control over your energy.
In Virginia, HOAs cannot prohibit solar, but they may have reasonable restrictions on placement. We help homeowners navigate these regulations to ensure compliance.
This one is tricky, especially since many historic homes in RVA have slate roofs-- We don't install on slate due to the liability & difficulty of installation, but there are products that exist that allow mounting to slate roofs.
We're not aware of a company locally that installs solar on slate roofs, but we recommend making a few calls to other well-established local outfits that can do custom, or high-end solar work.
