Is a home battery worth it in Virginia?
Virginia keeps near-retail net metering, so solar alone already pays well; a battery mainly adds storm backup rather than extra bill savings. There is no state battery rebate, and the federal Section 25D purchase credit expired Dec 31 2025, so a 2026 cash buyer gets $0 federal.
Virginia at a glance
- Average residential rate
- 17 cents per kWh
- Net metering
- Net metering is available; Dominion Energy customers are credited near the retail rate (about $0.14/kWh). A 2025 utility proposal to cut the credit was rejected. Confirm current terms with your utility.
- State battery incentive
- None we can source for 2026
- Time-of-use plans
- Less central here
What drives battery value here
Hurricane and severe-storm exposure, especially in eastern Virginia, drives periodic multi-hour outages. With retail-rate net metering intact, backup during storms is the primary battery benefit rather than storage arbitrage.
The federal picture in 2026
The federal residential purchase credit (Section 25D) expired on December 31, 2025, so a 2026 cash buyer gets nothing federal. The only surviving federal pathway is Section 48E, which a company claims on a lease or PPA. State and utility programs, where they exist, now do the heavy lifting.
Sources
- https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a
- https://solarunitedneighbors.org/news/net-metering-win-in-virginia/
- http://www.dominionenergy.com/en/Virginia/Renewable-Energy-Programs/Net-Metering
Rates and incentive amounts change; always confirm current terms with your utility or program administrator.
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