Solar power in West Virginia

Solar power in West Virginia on rooftops can provide 23% of all electricity used in West Virginia from 6,300 MW of solar panels,Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Technical Potential in the United States but West Virginia will be the last state in the United States to reach grid parity - the point where solar panels are cheaper than grid electricity - without incentives, due to the low cost of electricity - about $0.062/kWh. The point where grid parity is reached is a product of the average insolation and the average cost of electricity. At $0.062/kWh and 4.3 sun-hours/day, solar panels would need to come down to ~$1,850/kW installed to achieve grid parity. The first state in the US to achieve grid parity was Hawaii.Reaching Grid Parity Solar power's favorable carbon footprint compared to fossil fuels is a major motivation for expanding renewable energy in the state,Top 10 Reasons To Use Solar Energy At Home especially when compared to coal to generate electrical power.Energy Resources: Fossil Fuels

Net metering is available continuously to residential consumers generating up to 25 kW and up to 2 MW for industrial users but is limited to 3% of peak demand the previous year.West Virginia - Net Metering In addition to the 30% federal tax credit, West Virginia has a 30% tax credit, but unlike the federal credit, is limited to $2,000. A $7,000 system can therefore be installed for $2,900.West Virginia

Installations In 2012 the largest solar array in West Virginia was the 407 kW array installed on a carport at the American Public University System financial center in Charles Town, which includes 15 charging stations for electric cars.SolarWorld Solar Panels Power Largest Solar Installation in West Virginia

In Moorefield, West Virginia, Malcolm Farms had generated 35,000 kWh annually as of January 2014 from a solar installation on a poultry house.

Statistics Source: NREL

Grid-connected PV capacity (MW)West Virginia SolarYearCapacityInstalled% change 2010 <0.1 <0.1 2011 0.6 0.6 0% 2012 1.7 1.1 183% 2013 2.2 0.5 29% 2014 2.6 0.4 18% 2015 3.4 0.8 31% 2016 3.8 0.4 11% 2017 5.8 2 52% 2018 6.9 1.1 19% 2019 9.8 2.9 42% 2020 11.2 1.4 14% 2021 18.2 7 63% 2022 30 11.8 65%

See also

Wind power in West Virginia Solar power in the United States Renewable energy in the United States

References

External links