Solar power in West Virginia

Electricity from sunlight in one U.S. state

US solar potential

Solar power in West Virginia on rooftops can provide 23% of all electricity used in West Virginia from 6,300 MW of solar panels,[1] 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.[2] Solar power's favorable carbon footprint compared to fossil fuels is a major motivation for expanding renewable energy in the state,[3] especially when compared to coal to generate electrical power.[4]

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.[5] 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.[6]

## Installations

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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.[7]

In Moorefield, West Virginia, Malcolm Farms had generated 35,000 kWh annually as of January 2014 from a solar installation on a poultry house.[8]

## Statistics

[edit]

Source: NREL[9]

Grid-connected PV capacity (MW)[10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

Year  | Capacity  | Installed  | % 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

[edit]

* Renewable energy portal
* Energy portal

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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Technical Potential in the United States
2. ^ Reaching Grid Parity
3. ^ Top 10 Reasons To Use Solar Energy At Home
4. ^ Energy Resources: Fossil Fuels
5. ^ West Virginia - Net Metering Archived 2012-04-17 at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ West Virginia
7. ^ SolarWorld Solar Panels Power Largest Solar Installation in West Virginia
8. ^ "Moorefield Poultry Farm Invests in Solar Power". USDA Rural Development. 2015-01-13. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
9. ^ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
10. ^ Sherwood, Larry (August 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2011" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 17\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
11. ^ Sherwood, Larry (June 2011). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2011-06-29.
12. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2010). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2009" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-25. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
13. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2009). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-11-23. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
14. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
15. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2014). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2013" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2014-09-26.
16. ^ West Virginia Solar

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