West Virginia Sunlight Hours & Renewable Energy Information
Quick Green Energy Summary for West Virginia
Sunlight
State Sunlight Rank: 48/50
Average Annual Sunlight Hours: 2100 hours
Clear Days: 60 days per year
Summer Peak Sun Hours: 4.12 hours per day
Winter Peak Sun Hours: 2.47 hours per day
Average Peak Sun Hours 
: 3.65 hours per day
: Wind
State Wind Rank : 42/50
Average Annual Wind Speed: 0.03 miles per hour
More Information on West Virginia Green Energy
West Virginia ranks very low in average peak sun hours per day compared to other areas of teh United States. But it’s not too low that solar power is not an option. Solar capacity has increased in West Virginia over the last decade and is predicted to continue to increase as technology improves and preference towards green and renewable energy increase over that of coal and other fossil fuels.
Net metering is available in West Virginia along with tax incentives to install solar power systems. The state gets higher average peak sun hours during the summer months, but still enough in the winter with the new technological advantages of solar power.
The first electric railroad to ever be built was built in the great state of West Virginia, so maybe this underdog state will be the first to use only renewable energy for electricity production. One of the most beautiful states in the autumn months, West Virginia has plenty of incentive to use clean solar power to protect the environment.
Using averages from a fixed solar panel, there are 3.65 hours of peak sun light across the state of West 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 West Virginia throughout the year.