Solar Survey Shines A Light On State Of Solar In Virginia
While Virginia lacks a single authoritative source on how solar energy is developing throughout the state, a survey of 109 Virginia localities released last month highlights solar successes and identifies opportunities for improvement.
The report found that the total amount of electricity generated annually by solar in Virginia went from 30 GWh in 2015 to 3,675 GWh in 2021.
The report identified property values, economic benefits, and the impact on farmland as topics related to solar that Virginians are most interested in.
Late last month, the Virginia Department of Energy and the Virginia Solar Initiative at the University of Virginia released the first ever Virginia Solar Survey. With the lack of a centralized source of information on how solar energy is developing throughout the state, the report presents data on each Virginia locality’s experiences, readiness, and needs when it comes to implementing solar energy. All 133 Virginia localities received the survey; an overwhelming 109 sent in responses. The report highlighted Virginia’s successes in developing solar energy and identified opportunities for improvements as the state moves toward a clean energy future.
One of the most striking aspects of the report was the inclusion of statistics on how rapidly Virginia’s solar landscape has grown over the course of the last decade. Virginia did not have a single utility-scale solar installation in 2015. But at the end of 2021, there were 51 active utility-scale installations in the state. Distributed solar installations have also been popping up everywhere; while there were 3,000 distributed solar installations in Virginia in 2015, there were at least 26,000 at the end of last year. The total amount of electricity generated annually from the sun in Virginia went from 30 GWh in 2015 to an astonishing 3,675 GWh in 2021.
The report identified reasons as to why solar energy has begun to proliferate in Virginia in such a short period of time. For one, solar energy is cheaper than ever; the cost of solar panels has decreased in recent years, making solar one of the most economical ways to power a state. Businesses have also been supportive of the transition to clean energy. Major companies have made public commitments to reduce their carbon emissions, which in turn incentivizes Virginia to develop solar energy in order to keep business in the state. Finally, state policy, such as the Virginia Clean Economy Act, has set goals for the growth of solar and other forms of renewable energy.
The report also points out areas where Virginia can improve in developing solar energy.
Virginia is home to diverse localities with diverse interests and needs; the survey gauged interest in a number of considerations as related to solar. According to the report, property values, economic benefits, and taxation are of the most interest to Virginians when it comes to solar. The impacts of solar on farmland also ranked among the topics of most interest to Virginians. With this information in mind, leaders at every level of government can better understand the concerns of citizens and work to craft policy that considers everyone’s interest.
The report also noted that just 54% of localities statewide have put up information online summarizing the local permitting process. Providing these summaries online is considered a best practice that enables property owners to take advantage of solar while reducing costs and helping local governments run more efficiently.
The Virginia Department of Energy and the Virginia Solar Initiative plan to release more reports in the coming months that delve deeper into topics related to solar. You can read the Virginia Solar Survey in full here.