Complete Guide to Solar Energy in West Virginia
Your complete resource for solar energy. Everything you need to know about solar laws, solar costs, solar financing, and solar installation in West Virginia.
Why Solar Makes Sense in West Virginia
Net Metering Is Still Available
West Virginia continues to allow customer-generators to use net metering, which gives homeowners and businesses a way to offset part of their electric use with on-site solar.
HOA Solar Restrictions Are Limited by State Law
West Virginia law voids and makes unenforceable housing association covenants recorded after the effective date of the statute if they effectively prohibit or restrict the installation or use of a solar energy system.
Moderate Power Prices Make Good System Design Important
West Virginia electricity prices are not among the highest in the country, so the best solar projects are usually sized carefully around on-site usage, roof conditions, and long-term bill reduction.
State Rules Support Residential and Commercial Solar
West Virginia law sets clear customer-generator size limits and requires utilities to offer net metering through a standard tariff, which gives residential and commercial customers a defined framework for solar interconnection.
Quick Solar Facts
Explore Solar Topics
Laws & Regulations
West Virginia net metering law, customer-generator size limits, utility participation caps, HOA solar protections, and interconnection standards.
Residential Solar
A guide for West Virginia homeowners covering roof suitability, shading, inverter choices, battery storage, and how to size a solar system around actual household usage.
Costs & Savings
Electricity pricing, self-consumption value, net metering economics, and the factors that shape long-term solar savings in West Virginia.
Financing Options
Cash purchase, solar loans, home-equity financing, and commercial financing options for larger projects.
Installation Guide
How to choose an installer, review site conditions, understand utility requirements, and move from quote to interconnection.
Solar 101
How grid-tied solar works, what net metering means in West Virginia, and how solar production interacts with monthly electricity use.
Community Solar
Special considerations for businesses, nonprofits, schools, and larger facilities that may qualify for larger customer-generator limits.
Solar Calculator
Estimate your solar savings and system requirements.
Quick Solar Savings Calculator
Important 2026 Updates
Net Metering Remains Part of West Virginia Law
West Virginia law continues to require utilities to offer net metering through a standard tariff, with participation offered on a first-come, first-served basis and total enrolled capacity capped at 3% of the utility’s aggregate customer peak demand from the previous year.
HOA Solar Restrictions Remain Limited
West Virginia continues to protect solar access by making certain housing association covenants, restrictions, or conditions that effectively prohibit or restrict solar installations void and unenforceable, subject to reasonable restrictions and common-area limits.
West Virginia Solar Laws & Regulations
Residential Net Metering Limits
West Virginia sets individual customer-generator size limits for on-site photovoltaic systems at 50 kW for residential customers, 1,000 kW for commercial customers, and 2,000 kW for industrial customers.
Utility Participation Limits
Utilities may offer net metering on a first-come, first-served basis as long as the total installed generation capacity of all customer-generators does not exceed 3% of the utility’s aggregate customer peak demand in the state during the previous year, with no less than 0.5% reserved for residential customer-generators.
Solar Energy Covenants
West Virginia law states that certain housing association governing documents executed or recorded after the law’s effective date cannot effectively prohibit or restrict the installation or use of solar energy systems, although reasonable restrictions may still apply.