In short: Blacksburg has about 45,500 people and sits in Montgomery County. Appalachian Power Co and Virginia Tech Electric Service serves different parts of Montgomery County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 17.02¢ to 17.18¢ per kWh (EIA). Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,200 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is about average for the U.S..
This page covers what is local to Blacksburg: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Virginia energy guide and the wider area is covered in the Roanoke guide.
Blacksburg at a glance
- Place: Blacksburg, Montgomery County, Virginia; about 45,452 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Appalachian Power Co (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 17.02¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 342 minutes of power on normal days and 1,714 counting major storms, with 1.6 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Blacksburg).
- Utility: Virginia Tech Electric Service (publicly owned). Homes paid an average 17.18¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861) (utility-wide, not just Blacksburg).
- Sun: 4.11 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.90 in December to 6.14 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,200 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 830 cooling degree-days and 4,910 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating and cooling both matter.
- Top hazards in Montgomery County: landslides “relatively moderate”, cold waves “relatively moderate” and winter weather “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively low”).
- Public charging: 82 ports at 31 locations in Blacksburg, 16 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Appalachian Power Co is an investor-owned utility and served about 465,283 home customers in 2024; its 17.02¢ average was below the 17.55¢ statewide average for July 2026. Virginia Tech Electric Service is a publicly owned utility and served about 5,660 home customers in 2024; its 17.18¢ average was close to the 17.55¢ statewide average for July 2026. Those are utility-wide averages, not a quote for your address; your own bill is the real number.
For reliability, Appalachian Power Co reported 342 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 166 (EIA-861). Utility-wide numbers hide a lot: a home at the end of a long rural line usually has more outages than the average.
Net metering, export rates and incentives are set at state level and by each utility. Start with the Virginia guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Blacksburg
- Cold waves (relatively moderate): Cold waves raise demand and can cause both outages and frozen pipes. Keep at least one room warm with a battery-run heater circuit or a generator.
- Short outages: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, a CPAP and lights; a home battery switches over automatically.
Size your setup with the generator sizing tool and the battery backup calculator, and compare options in backup power. Generator safety (CPSC): outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors and windows, never in a garage, and battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms inside. A licensed electrician should install any transfer switch, with a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Blacksburg
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,200 kWh a year in Blacksburg (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Appalachian Power Co’s 2024 average of 17.02¢, that is about $204 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: June is the sunniest month at 6.14 and December the dimmest at 1.90, a 3.2-to-1 gap, so a battery or a bigger system helps in winter.
Check your own roof with the solar potential tool, see solar costs and net metering vs net billing, and read the steps in solar installation.
Batteries and EV charging
A home battery earns its place when outages are frequent, when your utility pays little for exported solar, or when evening prices are high; compare in home batteries and battery costs. Blacksburg has 82 public charging ports in the federal station list including 16 DC fast, but home charging is cheaper and easier: see the EV charging cost calculator and EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Blacksburg: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
Solar, generator transfer switches and EV chargers normally need an electrical permit from the Blacksburg building or permitting department, or from Montgomery County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Blacksburg, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Virginia guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Roanoke energy guide, or the whole Virginia energy guide.
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Blacksburg energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Blacksburg?
Appalachian Power Co and Virginia Tech Electric Service both serve parts of Montgomery County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Appalachian Power Co 17.02¢, Virginia Tech Electric Service 17.18¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Blacksburg?
About 1,200 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,200 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Blacksburg?
Almost always an electrical permit for a transfer switch, solar or an EV charger, issued by the city or county where you live. Your licensed electrician or installer normally pulls it. Never connect a generator to your house wiring without a transfer switch.
Sources: EIA Form 861 (2024) for utility prices and outages; NASA POWER climatology (2001 to 2025) for sun and degree-days; FEMA National Risk Index for county hazards; AFDC station locator for public charging; Census Bureau for population. Estimates are ours and are not promises; see our editorial policy. Prices and programs change, so check each program page.