2026 incentives · Sterling, VA
Solar incentives in Sterling, VA
Sterling 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
Sterling 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.
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Local incentive reality
The incentive picture in Sterling
The retail net metering preserved in April 2026 is the substance of it, and Loudoun County’s adopted solar equipment tax exemption sits on top, scaled to nameplate capacity in DC watts and processed only once the system is operating and fully permitted.
For Sterling the exemption interacts with roof age in a way it does not elsewhere in Loudoun. If a roof replacement is sequenced with the array, the county will not process the exemption application until the finished system is operating and fully permitted, so the paperwork follows the later of the two jobs.
Written for Sterling specifically.
Start here, it matters most
What Dominion Energy Virginia pays you for solar in Sterling
In Sterling, Dominion Energy Virginia's export terms are worth more over 25 years than any one-off credit: 11,600 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 Sterling, NOVEC serves some Loudoun County addresses, 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 Sterling has no utility rebate, and who does
There is no upfront residential solar rebate in Dominion Energy Virginia territory around Sterling.
Quoted a rebate for Sterling? 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 Loudoun County below.
Loudoun County
Property tax on solar in Loudoun County
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 Loudoun County and a tax professional, since eligibility depends on your circumstances. We do not publish a tax figure for Loudoun County that we cannot stand behind.
Adding it up
What a Sterling 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 Sterling businesses
Commercial projects in Sterling 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 Sterling
6 approvals for a Sterling system. We file every one.
- 01A building permit and a separate electrical permit from Loudoun County, or from the town where the address sits inside one
- 02An interconnection application to whichever utility serves your meter, Dominion Energy Virginia or NOVEC, on that utility’s own forms
- 03Written confirmation of the standby-charge position for any system above 15 kW AC
- 04HOA architectural review, which applies across most of the county’s master-planned communities, subject to the SB 504 limits
- 05An additional electrical permit where battery storage is included
- 06A county application for the solar equipment tax exemption once the system is operating and fully permitted
Local factors
What changes the net value of Sterling solar incentives
- 01
Shade in Sterling
A mix of established neighbourhoods with mature trees and newer open development, decided street by street rather than across the whole area.
- 02
Approvals that shape the layout
Loudoun County has adopted a solar equipment tax exemption, and the terms are worth knowing before you apply: the amount and duration are tied to the system’s nameplate capacity in DC watts, the equipment must be certified by the county as used primarily for collecting or generating energy, and the county will not process an application until the system is operating and has passed all required permits. Under SB 504 a Virginia 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 hardwood shades your best roof planes for much of the day, which is common in the older parts of the county.
- 04
Also worth knowing
Your roof needs replacing within about five years.
Sterling sun, month by month
What Sterling solar incentives are worth on real output
About 11,600 kWh a year from a south-facing roof with no shade. July is the strongest month at about 1,226 kWh and December the weakest at about 593 kWh.
Your roof will differ. A mix of established neighbourhoods with mature trees and newer open development, decided street by street rather than across the whole area.
Estimate: NASA POWER sun data for Sterling, PVWatts model, south-facing, no shade.
Homes in Sterling
Who can claim Sterling solar incentives
- 7,290owner-occupied homes (75% of 9,684)
- 1981median year homes were built
- 51%of homes are single-family detached
- $508kmedian owner-occupied home value
- Half of Sterling homes are more than 45 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 51% of homes are single-family detached; in the other 49% the association or shared roof decides first.
- 7,290 Sterling 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 5% of the median $508k Sterling home value.
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates for Sterling CDP. Estimates, rounded.
Our work
Real systems our crews have installed
Our own job photos, not stock or renders. Inland Mid-Atlantic.
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
ResidentialMulti-facet metal roofWooded aerial view
Photo locations are not published.
Free assessment · Sterling, VA
Get a straight answer for your Sterling roof
We read your bill, confirm your Dominion Energy Virginia export terms, and tell you what your roof in Loudoun County will actually carry, and say so if it will not pay.
- Most addresses here are on Dominion Energy Virginia, but NOVEC serves some Loudoun County addresses. We confirm yours from your bill before we quote anything
- A building permit and a separate electrical permit from Loudoun County, or from the town where the address sits inside one: we pull it and manage the inspections
- Loudoun County has adopted a solar equipment tax exemption, and the terms are worth knowing before you apply: the amount and duration are tied to the system’s nameplate capacity in DC watts, the equipment must be certified by the county as used primarily for collecting or generating energy, and the county will not process an application until the system is operating and has passed all required permits.
Prefer to talk? (843) 310-1128
Sterling incentives FAQ
Common questions about solar incentives in Sterling
What solar incentives can I get in Sterling, 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 Sterling 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 Sterling?
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 Sterling?
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 Loudoun County and a tax professional, since eligibility depends on your circumstances.
What Sterling solar incentives can a homeowner claim in 2026?
There is no Virginia solar tax credit. What applies is the Loudoun County property-tax treatment covered below. Dominion Energy Virginia runs no upfront residential rebate.
Do Sterling 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 Sterling solar incentives cover batteries?
Virginia has no state credit for batteries either. In Sterling, a 9.5 kW system's afternoon surplus (up to about 1,226 kWh in its best month) is what a battery would hold.
Nearby
Solar incentives near Sterling
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