2026 incentives · Virginia Beach, VA
Solar incentives in Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Beach 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
Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach
Retail net metering carries the economics here, and the property-tax position is simpler than most Virginia pages suggest: SB 686 made the exemption mandatory statewide for residential systems of 25 kW or less from January 2023, so for a typical rooftop system there is no local ordinance question to research. 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 Virginia Beach specifically.
Start here, it matters most
What Dominion Energy Virginia pays you for solar in Virginia Beach
In Virginia Beach, 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 Virginia Beach, 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 Virginia Beach has no utility rebate, and who does
There is no upfront residential solar rebate in Dominion Energy Virginia territory around Virginia Beach.
Quoted a rebate for Virginia Beach? 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 Virginia Beach (independent city) below.
City of Virginia Beach (independent city)
Property tax on solar in City of Virginia Beach (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 Virginia Beach (independent city) and a tax professional, since eligibility depends on your circumstances. We do not publish a tax figure for City of Virginia Beach (independent city) that we cannot stand behind.
Adding it up
What a Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach businesses
Commercial projects in Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach
6 approvals for a Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach solar incentives
- 01
Shade in Virginia Beach
A mix of open newer development and older neighbourhoods with mature canopy, decided street by street. Coastal light is good here by Virginia standards.
- 02
Approvals that shape the layout
Virginia Beach is an independent city issuing its own permits. Much of the city sits in flood zones, which affects where equipment can sensibly and legally be placed, and coastal wind loading raises the structural documentation requirement above inland Virginia. 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.
Virginia Beach sun, month by month
What Virginia Beach 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. A mix of open newer development and older neighbourhoods with mature canopy, decided street by street.
Estimate: NASA POWER sun data for Virginia Beach, PVWatts model, south-facing, no shade.
Homes in Virginia Beach
Who can claim Virginia Beach solar incentives
- 116,729owner-occupied homes (65% of 179,800)
- 1984median year homes were built
- 55%of homes are single-family detached
- $366kmedian owner-occupied home value
- Half of Virginia Beach homes are more than 42 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 55% of homes are single-family detached; in the other 45% the association or shared roof decides first.
- 116,729 Virginia Beach 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 $366k Virginia Beach home value.
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates for Virginia Beach city. Estimates, rounded.
Our work
Real systems our crews have installed
Our own job photos, not stock or renders. Coastal.
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
ResidentialFull black-on-blackPoolside single-story home
Photo locations are not published.
Free assessment · Virginia Beach, VA
Get a straight answer for your Virginia Beach roof
We read your bill, confirm your Dominion Energy Virginia export terms, and tell you what your roof in City of Virginia Beach (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
- Virginia Beach is an independent city issuing its own permits.
Prefer to talk? (843) 310-1128
Virginia Beach incentives FAQ
Common questions about solar incentives in Virginia Beach
What solar incentives can I get in Virginia Beach, 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 Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach?
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 Virginia Beach?
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 Virginia Beach (independent city) and a tax professional, since eligibility depends on your circumstances.
What Virginia Beach solar incentives can a homeowner claim in 2026?
There is no Virginia solar tax credit. What applies is the City of Virginia Beach property-tax treatment covered below. Dominion Energy Virginia runs no upfront residential rebate.
Do Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach solar incentives cover batteries?
Virginia has no state credit for batteries either. In Virginia Beach, 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 Virginia Beach
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