Virginia Sunlight Hours & Renewable Energy Information
Quick Green Energy Summary for Virginia
Sunlight
State Sunlight Rank: 40/50
Average Annual Sunlight Hours: 2800 hours
Clear Days: 100 days per year
Summer Peak Sun Hours: 4.5 hours per day
Winter Peak Sun Hours: 3.37 hours per day
Average Peak Sun Hours 
: 4.13 hours per day
: Wind
State Wind Rank : 24/50
Average Annual Wind Speed: 0.05 miles per hour
More Information on Virginia Green Energy
Virginia ranks lower compared to average peak sun hours of all the US states, but the old dominion state has had new ideas before, so how about a solar power revolution this time? The average peak sun hours in Virginia are higher in the summer months, but being located near the center region of the country, there is some consistency throughout the year, and still enough solar insolation during the winter months for solar panels to use.
Solar installed capacity in Virginia has increased in recent years, but still lags many other states in the country. There are several large solar arrays already in Virginia, and there are plans to build more. So it’s only a matter of time before the installed capacity in Virginia begins to climb higher and higher. Virginia is home to the first English settlement in the new land, could it be the first state to get all its energy needs from renewable energy? Perhaps. With natural beauty in the interior of the state, as well as along the memorable coast where the first settlers landed, Virginia has plenty of reasons to go green and be a cleaner, more environmentally friendly state.
Using averages from a fixed solar panel, there are 4.13 hours of peak sun light across the state of Virginia. This number would vary if you were using a 1-Axis or 2-Axis tilt panel.
Taking the average daily sun light hours works well for looking at long term calculations in your area. On a daily basis this number will fluctuate due to several outside variables. For example, on a cloudy day in the winter this number would be low, but on a sunny day in the summer this number could be much higher. Looking at an average will help you calculate and plan for the output and best hours of solar insolation you can expect from your solar panels in Virginia throughout the year.