2026 incentives · Chesapeake, VA
Solar incentives in Chesapeake, VA
Chesapeake solar incentives start with Dominion Energy: it pays credited one-for-one at retail against your own annual usage for exported power. After that comes the property-tax rules, since Virginia has no state solar tax credit.
The 30% federal credit ended on December 31, 2025, and Virginia has no state solar income-tax credit.
The short answer · as of August 2026
Chesapeake homeowners cannot claim a Virginia state tax credit, because Virginia does not offer one. What applies instead is the property-tax exemption for residential systems of 25 kW or less, any further exemption your locality has adopted, and retail net metering. Dominion Energy Virginia credits exported power at credited one-for-one at retail against your own annual usage under net energy metering under §56-594. The 30% federal credit is no longer available.
Looking for a solar company in Chesapeake? See solar companies in Chesapeake: our local team, costs and a free assessment.
Free roof and bill assessment
Takes under a minute. No pressure, and no guaranteed-savings math.
Local incentive reality
The incentive picture in Chesapeake
Retail net metering is the economics, and the property-tax exemption for residential systems of 25 kW or less has been mandatory statewide since January 2023 rather than depending on a local ordinance. Virginia offers no state income tax credit for residential solar and the federal residential credit expired for systems placed in service on or after 1 January 2026. What exists instead is the property-tax exemption, which SB 686 made mandatory statewide for residential systems of 25 kW or less from 1 January 2023, and the retail net metering the State Corporation Commission preserved in April 2026.
Written for Chesapeake specifically.
Start here, it matters most
What Dominion Energy Virginia pays you for solar in Chesapeake
In Chesapeake, Dominion Energy Virginia's export terms are worth more over 25 years than any one-off credit: 12,830 kWh a year from a 9.5 kW system, every year.
| Item | Current position (August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Programme | net energy metering under §56-594 |
| Retail rate you avoid | the applicable residential retail rate, confirmed against your own bill for power you use as you generate it |
| Export credit | credited one-for-one at retail against your own annual usage for power you send back |
| Monthly rider | about $1 a month for customers connecting under NEM 2.0 |
| Upfront utility rebate | None. There is no residential cash-back programme in this territory. |
| Who confirms your territory | We do, at the assessment. In and around Chesapeake, Dominion Energy Virginia serves the city, and terms differ. |
The practical consequence: the gap between the retail rate you avoid and the export credit decides whether a kilowatt-hour you export is worth as much as one you use yourself. We read both off your own bill and size to your consumption rather than to your roof area.
Rebates
Why Chesapeake has no utility rebate, and who does
There is no upfront residential solar rebate in Dominion Energy Virginia territory around Chesapeake.
Quoted a rebate for Chesapeake? Check it on Dominion Energy Virginia's own site first.
Statewide rules
The parts that are the same everywhere in Virginia
Statewide, the strongest remaining incentive is one-for-one retail net metering.
Virginia solar incentives in full →
Eligibility depends on your circumstances and none of this is tax advice, so confirm with a tax professional. Property-tax treatment is administered locally, see City of Chesapeake (independent city) below.
City of Chesapeake (independent city)
Property tax on solar in City of Chesapeake (independent city)
Residential solar of 25 kW or less is exempt from state and local property tax under §58.1-3661 as amended by SB 686, and many localities have adopted further exemptions by ordinance.
Confirm your own position with City of Chesapeake (independent city) and a tax professional, since eligibility depends on your circumstances. We do not publish a tax figure for City of Chesapeake (independent city) that we cannot stand behind.
Adding it up
What a Chesapeake homeowner actually nets in 2026
With no Virginia credit and no Dominion Energy Virginia rebate, a 9.5 kW system's net cost is its installed price, about $27,550; the value comes from the export terms above.
Businesses
Incentives for Chesapeake businesses
Commercial projects in Chesapeake follow different rules from homes, including federal commercial provisions that your CPA, not an installer, should confirm. Daytime business load on Dominion Energy uses most solar output on site.
Permits and approvals
What approval takes in Chesapeake
6 approvals for a Chesapeake system. We file every one.
- 01A building permit and a separate electrical permit from the city
- 02Coastal wind-load documentation, which is more demanding here than inland Virginia
- 03An interconnection application to Dominion Energy Virginia on its own forms
- 04Written confirmation of the standby-charge position for any system above 15 kW AC
- 05HOA architectural review where the community has one, subject to the SB 504 limits
- 06An additional electrical permit where battery storage is included
Local factors
What changes the net value of Chesapeake solar incentives
- 01
Shade in Chesapeake
Chesapeake spans open suburban development and heavily wooded areas toward the south of the city, so shading varies far more than in a uniform market.
- 02
Approvals that shape the layout
Chesapeake is an independent city issuing its own permits, and it is geographically large enough that conditions differ substantially across it. Coastal wind loading applies, and low-lying areas bring flood-zone considerations into equipment placement. 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 the local ordinance question does not arise. Above that capacity it does, and the answer is the locality’s own. 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
When incentives will not rescue it
Mature canopy shades your best roof planes for much of the day, which is common across the older neighbourhoods.
- 04
Also worth knowing
Your roof needs replacing within about five years, which on a coastal roof is more common than inland.
Chesapeake sun, month by month
What Chesapeake solar incentives are worth on real output
About 12,830 kWh a year from a south-facing roof with no shade. May is the strongest month at about 1,259 kWh and December the weakest at about 751 kWh.
Your roof will differ. Chesapeake spans open suburban development and heavily wooded areas toward the south of the city, so shading varies far more than in a uniform market.
Estimate: NASA POWER sun data for Chesapeake, PVWatts model, south-facing, no shade.
Homes in Chesapeake
Who can claim Chesapeake solar incentives
- 68,140owner-occupied homes (74% of 92,361)
- 1989median year homes were built
- 67%of homes are single-family detached
- $359kmedian owner-occupied home value
- Half of Chesapeake homes are more than 37 years old, so the roof check matters here: a roof with under ten years left should be replaced before solar goes on, or at the same time.
- Only 67% of homes are single-family detached; in the other 33% the association or shared roof decides first.
- 68,140 Chesapeake households own their home, the ones who can install and claim the system as an asset.
- A 9.5 kW system at about $27,550 is roughly 8% of the median $359k Chesapeake home value.
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates for Chesapeake city. Estimates, rounded.
Our work
Real systems our crews have installed
Our own job photos, not stock or renders. Coastal.
ResidentialShingle rooftop arrayBackyard-facing slope
CommercialDowntown flat roofLow-slope membrane rooftop
ResidentialClean rooftop layoutBlack-framed panels
ResidentialMulti-facet metal roofWooded aerial view
Off-GridCabin porch viewFull-slope roof array
Off-GridOff-grid lake cabinGround-tilt metal roof array
Photo locations are not published.
Free assessment · Chesapeake, VA
Get a straight answer for your Chesapeake roof
We read your bill, confirm your Dominion Energy Virginia export terms, and tell you what your roof in City of Chesapeake (independent city) 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 city. We confirm yours from your bill before we quote anything
- A building permit and a separate electrical permit from the city: we pull it and manage the inspections
- Chesapeake is an independent city issuing its own permits, and it is geographically large enough that conditions differ substantially across it.
Prefer to talk? (843) 310-1128
Chesapeake incentives FAQ
Common questions about solar incentives in Chesapeake
What solar incentives can I get in Chesapeake, VA in 2026?
Virginia has no state income tax credit for residential solar, and the federal residential credit expired for systems placed in service on or after 1 January 2026. Residential solar of 25 kW or less is exempt from state and local property tax under §58.1-3661 as amended by SB 686, and many localities have adopted further exemptions by ordinance. Virginia has no general solar sales-tax exemption for residential systems; confirm your own position with a tax professional. The 30% federal credit expired for systems placed in service on or after January 1, 2026.
Does Chesapeake still have net metering?
Virginia still credits exported power one-for-one at retail against your annual usage; the State Corporation Commission preserved that for Dominion Energy Virginia customers in its 30 April 2026 NEM 2.0 ruling. Confirm current terms with Dominion Energy Virginia before deciding.
Is there a Dominion Energy Virginia rebate for solar in Chesapeake?
No. Dominion Energy Virginia does not offer an upfront residential solar rebate, so there is no cash-back programme to stack here. Rebates in Virginia are set by individual providers rather than statewide, so the answer genuinely depends on which utility serves your meter.
Will solar panels increase my property taxes in Chesapeake?
Residential solar of 25 kW or less is exempt from state and local property tax under §58.1-3661 as amended by SB 686, and many localities have adopted further exemptions by ordinance. Confirm your own position with City of Chesapeake (independent city) and a tax professional, since eligibility depends on your circumstances.
What Chesapeake solar incentives can a homeowner claim in 2026?
There is no Virginia solar tax credit. What applies is the City of Chesapeake property-tax treatment covered below. Dominion Energy Virginia runs no upfront residential rebate.
Do Chesapeake solar incentives include net metering?
Virginia still credits exported power one-for-one at retail against your annual usage; the State Corporation Commission preserved that for Dominion Energy Virginia customers in its 30 April 2026 NEM 2.0 ruling. Dominion Energy households paid about 14.1¢ per kWh on average in 2024.
Do Chesapeake solar incentives cover batteries?
Virginia has no state credit for batteries either. In Chesapeake, a 9.5 kW system's afternoon surplus (up to about 1,259 kWh in its best month) is what a battery would hold.
Nearby
Solar incentives near Chesapeake
Free, no-pressure assessment
See which incentives you actually qualify for in Chesapeake
We confirm whether Dominion Energy Virginia serves your meter, size to your real usage, and show what applies to you.
Mon–Sat, 10am–6:30pm ET · We typically follow up within the hour.