2026 incentives · Manassas, VA
Solar incentives in Manassas, VA
Manassas solar incentives start with City of Manassas Utilities: it pays a rate set by the city under its own net metering policy 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
Manassas 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. City of Manassas Utilities credits exported power at a rate set by the city under its own net metering policy under municipal net metering policy, adopted 2015. The 30% federal credit is no longer available.
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Local incentive reality
The incentive picture in Manassas
The statewide position applies in Manassas as anywhere in Virginia: no state income tax credit, the mandatory property-tax exemption for residential systems of 25 kW or less, and whatever further exemption the locality has adopted. What does not automatically apply is the net metering treatment, because that is set by the city rather than by the Commission.
So the incentive question here splits in two. The tax half is settled by statute and we can state it. The utility half is settled by the city and we obtain it in writing. 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 mandatory property-tax exemption for residential systems of 25 kW or less under §58.1-3661 as amended by SB 686, any further exemption your locality has adopted by ordinance, and the retail net metering that survived the SCC proceeding in April 2026.
Written for Manassas specifically.
Start here, it matters most
What City of Manassas Utilities pays you for solar in Manassas
In Manassas, City of Manassas Utilities's export terms are worth more over 25 years than any one-off credit: 12,080 kWh a year from a 9.5 kW system, every year.
| Item | Current position (August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Programme | municipal net metering policy, adopted 2015 |
| Retail rate you avoid | a rate set by the city, confirmed against your own bill for power you use as you generate it |
| Export credit | a rate set by the city under its own net metering policy for power you send back |
| Monthly rider | None specific to this programme, though standard service charges still apply. |
| 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 Manassas, NOVEC serves addresses immediately outside 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 Manassas has no utility rebate, and who does
There is no upfront residential solar rebate in City of Manassas Utilities territory around Manassas.
Quoted a rebate for Manassas? Check it on City of Manassas Utilities'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 Manassas (independent city) below.
City of Manassas (independent city)
Property tax on solar in City of Manassas (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 Manassas (independent city) and a tax professional, since eligibility depends on your circumstances. We do not publish a tax figure for City of Manassas (independent city) that we cannot stand behind.
Adding it up
What a Manassas homeowner actually nets in 2026
With no Virginia credit and no City of Manassas Utilities 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 Manassas businesses
Commercial projects in Manassas follow different rules from homes, including federal commercial provisions that your CPA, not an installer, should confirm. Daytime business load on City of Manassas Utilities uses most solar output on site.
Permits and approvals
What approval takes in Manassas
4 approvals for a Manassas system. We file every one.
- 01A building permit and a separate electrical permit from the City of Manassas
- 02An interconnection application under the city’s own net metering policy, not under a Dominion or SCC process
- 03HOA architectural review where the community has one, subject to the SB 504 limits
- 04An additional electrical permit where battery storage is included
Local factors
What changes the net value of Manassas solar incentives
- 01
Shade in Manassas
Older streets near the historic centre carry mature canopy; the newer development around the city is more open.
- 02
Approvals that shape the layout
Manassas is an independent city running its own electric utility as well as its own permitting, so both the interconnection and the permit are city matters rather than county or Commission ones. 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
The city’s net metering terms turn out not to support the size you had in mind. On a municipal utility there is no Commission tariff to fall back on, so we establish this before designing.
- 04
Also worth knowing
You are outside the city on NOVEC and were quoted against city terms, or the reverse.
Manassas sun, month by month
What Manassas solar incentives are worth on real output
About 12,080 kWh a year from a south-facing roof with no shade. July is the strongest month at about 1,233 kWh and December the weakest at about 658 kWh.
Your roof will differ. Older streets near the historic centre carry mature canopy; the newer development around the city is more open.
Estimate: NASA POWER sun data for Manassas, PVWatts model, south-facing, no shade.
Homes in Manassas
Who can claim Manassas solar incentives
- 10,134owner-occupied homes (72% of 14,041)
- 1985median year homes were built
- 44%of homes are single-family detached
- $435kmedian owner-occupied home value
- Half of Manassas homes are more than 41 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 44% of homes are single-family detached; in the other 56% the association or shared roof decides first.
- 10,134 Manassas 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 6% of the median $435k Manassas home value.
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates for Manassas city. Estimates, rounded.
Our work
Real systems our crews have installed
Our own job photos, not stock or renders. Inland Mid-Atlantic.
CommercialCommercial rooftopTilt-mounted rooftop system
ResidentialStanding-seam metal roofLakeside multi-facet install
ResidentialDetached garage arrayFarmhouse-style home
ResidentialShingle rooftop arrayBackyard-facing slope
CommercialDowntown flat roofLow-slope membrane rooftop
ResidentialClean rooftop layoutBlack-framed panels
Photo locations are not published.
Free assessment · Manassas, VA
Get a straight answer for your Manassas roof
We read your bill, confirm your City of Manassas Utilities export terms, and tell you what your roof in City of Manassas (independent city) will actually carry, and say so if it will not pay.
- Most addresses here are on City of Manassas Utilities, but NOVEC serves addresses immediately outside the city. We confirm yours from your bill before we quote anything
- A building permit and a separate electrical permit from the City of Manassas: we pull it and manage the inspections
- Manassas is an independent city running its own electric utility as well as its own permitting, so both the interconnection and the permit are city matters rather than county or Commission ones.
Prefer to talk? (843) 310-1128
Manassas incentives FAQ
Common questions about solar incentives in Manassas
What solar incentives can I get in Manassas, 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 Manassas still have net metering?
City of Manassas Utilities is a municipal utility that sets its own export credit, which we confirm against your account before modelling anything. Confirm current terms with City of Manassas Utilities before deciding.
Is there a City of Manassas Utilities rebate for solar in Manassas?
No. City of Manassas Utilities 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 Manassas?
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 Manassas (independent city) and a tax professional, since eligibility depends on your circumstances.
What Manassas solar incentives can a homeowner claim in 2026?
There is no Virginia solar tax credit. What applies is the City of Manassas property-tax treatment covered below. City of Manassas Utilities runs no upfront residential rebate.
Do Manassas solar incentives include net metering?
City of Manassas Utilities is a municipal utility that sets its own export credit, which we confirm against your account before modelling anything. City of Manassas Utilities households paid about 11.6¢ per kWh on average in 2024.
Do Manassas solar incentives cover batteries?
Virginia has no state credit for batteries either. In Manassas, a 9.5 kW system's afternoon surplus (up to about 1,233 kWh in its best month) is what a battery would hold.
Nearby
Solar incentives near Manassas
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