Commercial solar · Midlothian, VA

Commercial solar in Midlothian, VA

Commercial solar in Midlothian is sized to daytime load: a business on Dominion Energy at an average 14.1¢ per kWh uses most of its output on site, which is where the value is.

Why the numbers favour business · as of August 2026

Dominion Energy Virginia credits exported power at credited one-for-one at retail against your own annual usage against the applicable residential retail rate, confirmed against your own bill rate, so the value sits in consuming your own production. A Midlothian business that runs through daylight hours self-consumes most of what it generates, which is exactly what the current net energy metering under §56-594 structure rewards. That is a structural advantage over a typical home.

Looking for a solar company in Midlothian? See solar companies in Midlothian: our local team, costs and a free assessment.

Written by , Owner & CEO Reviewed by Drew Taylor, Owner & Sales Director Updated August 2026

Free roof and bill assessment

Takes under a minute. No pressure, and no guaranteed-savings math.

We use your address to look at your roof before we call.

FreeNo obligationLocal Daniel Island team

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Need the detailed version? Use the full assessment form.

30+ yrscombined team experience
~450combined experienced installs
Lifetimefull-system + roof-penetration warranty
StatewideSC-based crews, callbacks within the hour

Local commercial reality

The commercial picture in Midlothian

Non-residential net metering in Virginia is capped at 100 kW, and on the commercial stock around Midlothian that ceiling rather than roof area usually shapes the design. Below it the economics are unusually clean, because retail crediting means the building does not need to consume its own production to capture its value.

Written for Midlothian specifically.

How we work

Engineering first for Midlothian buildings

We start from interval data and the Dominion Energy tariff, then check roof structure and service capacity before quoting a size.

How we scope a building

Engineering first, sales second

  1. 01

    Load profile and bill analysis

    Your Dominion Energy Virginia interval data and tariff, read before anything is sized.

  2. 02

    Roof, structure and electrical review

    Low-slope membrane, standing-seam metal or ballasted, plus service capacity and switchgear. Inland Piedmont. No salt exposure, with snow loading a modest but real racking input and freeze-thaw a genuine consideration in penetration detailing.

  3. 03

    Permits and interconnection

    Building and electrical permits with plan review, structural sign-off, and Dominion Energy Virginia interconnection.

  4. 04

    Install, commission, monitor

    Sequenced around your operations, then Chesterfield County inspection and monitoring handover.

Commercial systems carry our lifetime full-system and roof-penetration warranty alongside manufacturer coverage, so one contractor stands behind the roof and the array.

Midlothian specifics

What commercial work involves here

The constraints that actually shape a Midlothian commercial design.

  • 01

    Structural review

    Inland Piedmont. No salt exposure, with snow loading a modest but real racking input and freeze-thaw a genuine consideration in penetration detailing.

  • 02

    Interconnection timing

    Dominion Energy Virginia approval precedes energising, and the queue rather than the install usually sets your date.

  • 03

    Architectural review

    Chesterfield County reviews the work. Under SB 686 the property-tax exemption for residential systems of 25 kW or less has been mandatory statewide since 1 January 2023, so for a typical rooftop system there is no local ordinance question to research. Above 25 kW the locality’s own position governs, and it is worth knowing that published county-by-county lists disagree: the Weldon Cooper Center found some localities answering yes were in fact describing the statutory mandate rather than an adopted ordinance. Under SB 504 an association may impose only reasonable restrictions on rooftop solar, unreasonable being a cost increase above 5% or a generation loss above 10%.

Tax

Where we stop and your CPA starts

We build and document a Midlothian system for your CPA; Virginia commercial tax treatment depends on your entity, so it is theirs to call.

Permits and approvals

What approval takes in Midlothian

5 approvals for a Midlothian system. We file every one.

  1. 01A building permit and a separate electrical permit from Chesterfield County
  2. 02An interconnection application to Dominion Energy Virginia on its own forms
  3. 03Written confirmation of the standby-charge position for any system above 15 kW AC
  4. 04HOA architectural review where the community has one, subject to the SB 504 limits
  5. 05An additional electrical permit where battery storage is included

Standing monthly charge:about $1 a month for customers connecting under NEM 2.0, included in our payback figures.

Local factors

What shapes commercial solar in Midlothian

  • 01

    Shade around Midlothian sites

    Established Midlothian neighbourhoods carry substantial mature hardwood; the newer development further out is more open. This is one of the more shaded parts of the metro.

  • 02

    Who has to approve it

    Chesterfield County reviews the work. Under SB 686 the property-tax exemption for residential systems of 25 kW or less has been mandatory statewide since 1 January 2023, so for a typical rooftop system there is no local ordinance question to research. Above 25 kW the locality’s own position governs, and it is worth knowing that published county-by-county lists disagree: the Weldon Cooper Center found some localities answering yes were in fact describing the statutory mandate rather than an adopted ordinance. Under SB 504 an association may impose only reasonable restrictions on rooftop solar, unreasonable being a cost increase above 5% or a generation loss above 10%.

  • 03

    Weather and outages

    Hot humid Richmond summers with cooling load peaking alongside production, and lower winter output. Retail net metering smooths that across the year in a way an export-credit state cannot.

Your utility decides payback

Commercial solar in Midlothian: what your utility pays

Your utility sets what exported power is worth, which shapes the right system size more than any panel choice.

Dominion Energy Virginia

Average home rate (2024)
14.09¢/kWh
Paid for exported solar
credited one-for-one at retail against your own annual usage
Net-metered home solar, utility-wide
53,368

For comparison: Virginia average 14.41¢ · U.S. average 16.48¢. Virginia had 69,553 net-metered home solar systems at the end of 2024.

Rates: US EIA Form EIA-861, 2024 averages incl. fixed charges, not tariffs. Export terms as of August 2026.

Midlothian sun, month by month

Commercial solar in Midlothian, month by month

About 12,560 kWh a year from a south-facing roof with no shade. July is the strongest month at about 1,251 kWh and December the weakest at about 713 kWh.

Your roof will differ. Established Midlothian neighbourhoods carry substantial mature hardwood; the newer development further out is more open.

Estimate: NASA POWER sun data for Midlothian, PVWatts model, south-facing, no shade.

  1. 861 Jan
  2. 948 Feb
  3. 1,091 Mar
  4. 1,108 Apr
  5. 1,228 May
  6. 1,241 Jun
  7. 1,251 Jul
  8. 1,160 Aug
  9. 1,076 Sep
  10. 982 Oct
  11. 898 Nov
  12. 713 Dec
Estimated kWh per month, 9.5 kW system in Midlothian

Our work

Real systems our crews have installed

Our own job photos, not stock or renders. Inland Piedmont.

  • Aerial view of an off-grid cabin above a South Carolina lake with a roof solar array; commercial solar by Sunburst Solar's own crews
    Off-GridOff-grid lake cabinGround-tilt metal roof array
  • Single-story home with a full black-on-black rooftop solar array beside a pool; commercial solar by Sunburst Solar's own crews
    ResidentialFull black-on-blackPoolside single-story home
  • Rows of tilt-mounted solar panels on a commercial building rooftop; commercial solar by Sunburst Solar's own crews
    CommercialCommercial rooftopTilt-mounted rooftop system
  • Aerial view of solar panels on a green standing-seam metal roof by a lake; commercial solar by Sunburst Solar's own crews
    ResidentialStanding-seam metal roofLakeside multi-facet install
  • Black solar panels on the roof of a modern farmhouse detached garage; commercial solar by Sunburst Solar's own crews
    ResidentialDetached garage arrayFarmhouse-style home
  • Solar panels on an asphalt-shingle roof under a clear blue sky; commercial solar by Sunburst Solar's own crews
    ResidentialShingle rooftop arrayBackyard-facing slope

Photo locations are not published.

Free assessment · Midlothian, VA

Get a straight answer for your Midlothian roof

We read your bill, confirm your Dominion Energy Virginia export terms, and tell you what your roof in Chesterfield County will actually carry, and say so if it will not pay.

  • Most addresses here are on Dominion Energy Virginia, but Dominion Energy Virginia serves the Richmond metro; cooperative territory begins outside it. We confirm yours from your bill before we quote anything
  • A building permit and a separate electrical permit from Chesterfield County: we pull it and manage the inspections
  • Chesterfield County reviews the work.

Prefer to talk? (843) 310-1128

We use your address to look at your roof before we call.

FreeNo obligationLocal Daniel Island team

By sending this you agree to be contacted by call, text or email about your request. Consent isn’t a condition of purchase. Privacy Policy · Terms

Need the detailed version? Use the full assessment form.

Midlothian commercial solar FAQ

Questions from Midlothian business owners

Does commercial solar make more sense than residential in Midlothian?

Often yes, for a structural reason. Dominion Energy Virginia credits exported power at credited one-for-one at retail against your own annual usage against the applicable residential retail rate, confirmed against your own bill, so the value is in consuming your own production. A business that operates through daylight hours self-consumes most of what it generates, which is precisely what the current net energy metering under §56-594 structure rewards.

What permits does a commercial system need in Chesterfield County?

A building permit and an electrical permit, with standard plan review for systems of roughly 10 kW and above, which covers essentially all commercial work. Inland Piedmont. No salt exposure, with snow loading a modest but real racking input and freeze-thaw a genuine consideration in penetration detailing. Dominion Energy Virginia interconnection approval is required before energising.

How big is a typical commercial solar system in Midlothian?

It is sized to the building's daytime load rather than to the roof. Each kW here makes about 1,322 kWh a year unshaded, so a 50 kW array makes roughly 66,100 kWh. Dominion Energy households paid about 14.1¢ per kWh on average in 2024.

Does commercial solar in Midlothian need its own permits?

Yes. A building permit and a separate electrical permit from Chesterfield County; An interconnection application to Dominion Energy Virginia on its own forms. We pull all of it through Chesterfield County.

What does commercial solar in Midlothian pay on Dominion Energy?

Dominion Energy households paid about 14.1¢ per kWh on average in 2024. A 100 kW array in Midlothian makes roughly 132,000 kWh a year; the share used on site is worth the retail rate, exports earn credited one-for-one at retail against your own annual usage.

Free, no-pressure assessment

Find out what your Midlothian building can carry

We will read your interval data and tariff, review your roof structure and service capacity, and give you an honest scope, with no guaranteed-savings math.

Mon–Sat, 10am–6:30pm ET · We typically follow up within the hour.

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