Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced on July 13 that the state is partnering with the nonprofit Switch Together to help reduce the cost of solar array purchases for homeowners who want to install rooftop solar systems.
Spanberger described the initiative as a way to help Virginians lower their utility bills. Switch Together acquires solar arrays through a reverse auction process, in which sellers compete to offer lower prices. The model allows homeowners to purchase solar panels at reduced rates.
According to Switch Together, the program can reduce the cost of panels by an average of $6,300 for a typical home or business system. Households with rooftop solar are estimated to save about $2,200 annually on electricity bills by using less power from utilities.
“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 had already been available in some Virginia localities, but it will now expand to more than 100 localities, with further expansion expected. The initiative is available through Oct. 15. Virginia is the first state to make the program available statewide, and the governor’s office said the state is not paying to participate.
“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 of Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination said in a statement.
The announcement follows Virginia’s loss of federal funding last year for the Solar for All program, which would have helped about 15,000 households install rooftop solar or participate in community solar projects.
The $156 million allocated to Solar for All was revoked under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or H.R. 1, as part of President Donald Trump’s administration’s effort to roll back Biden-era renewable energy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 has promoted the Switch Together initiative as part of her administration’s efforts to make utility bills more affordable, a major concern for residents across Virginia as electricity demand rises, largely because of data center development. The program is also among the few cost-saving energy measures introduced by lawmakers this year that ultimately became law.
