Virginia joins rooftop solar initiative to help residents trim electric bills

On Monday, Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced that Virginia is partnering with the nonprofit Switch Together to help bring down the cost of solar array purchases for homeowners who want to install them on their homes. The governor framed the move as a way to help Virginians lower their utility bills.

The organization acquires the solar arrays through a reverse auction where the seller tries to outbid other companies, which allows homeowners to then buy the solar panels for a reduced rate. 

According to Switch Together, they are able to reduce the cost of the panels by an average of $6,300 on a typical system for a home or business. With the reduction in fuel costs while paying for less power from utilities, homes with rooftop solar are estimated to save an estimated $2200 annually on electricity bills.

“By using the power of the free market, leveraging the Commonwealth’s buying power, and cutting out middlemen, we are creating significant discounts for families and businesses,” Spanberger said in a statement.

The program was already available in some localities in Virginia, but now it will be available in over 100 localities, with further expansion expected in the future. The initiative is available through Oct. 15. Virginia is the first state to make this program available statewide. The governor’s office said the state is not paying to be part of the initiative.

“For Fairfax County, group purchasing programs like Switch Together have delivered three critical benefits: helping households access solar to cut their energy bills, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, and strengthening the electric grid,” John Morrill, with Fairfax’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, said in a statement.

This comes after the state lost out on federal funding last year for the Solar for All program that would have aided about 15,000 households in installing rooftop solar or buying into community solar projects. 

The $156 million that had been allocated to Solar for All was revoked under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or H.R. 1, as part of President Donald Trump’s administration’s effort to roll back Biden-era renewable energy investments.

Spanberger touted the Switch Together initiative  as part of her administration’s efforts to make utility bills more affordable, a key concern for residents statewide as power demands soar largely due to data center development. 

It’s also among the few cost-saving energy measures introduced by lawmakers this year that ultimately became law.