What helps pay for solar in Pennsylvania in 2026
Each card names the fact we keep on file. We read PECO's solar page again on October 6, 2026, and the state's solar page for residents on October 5.
PECO solar rebate
For a first rooftop system at a home with PECO electric service. Paid after PECO puts the system In Service. Apply within 90 days of that date. No end date is shown on the page.
Net metering
Systems up to 50 kW are credited at the full retail rate for the power they send to the grid. This is a billing rule, not a cash rebate.
Solarize Philly
The Philadelphia Energy Authority negotiated discounted pricing with pre-approved installers for Philadelphia residents. The state's page gives no dollar amount, so check the program for its current status.
PA Sunshine Solar Program
The old state rebate stopped taking applications in 2013.
Federal 25D solar credit
The 30% credit ended for spending after December 31, 2025.
PPL Electric solar
PPL's catalog of 15 rebates has nothing for solar or batteries.
The PECO rebate comes with paperwork. PECO asks for a PVWatts report for each array and a printout of the interconnection application, and it only pays once the system is In Service. Additions to an existing system do not qualify. Customers who buy power from another supplier can still claim it, but PECO is not responsible for any bill credits in that case.
Net metering is the main benefit
The state says residential systems up to 50 kW can net meter. When your panels make more than you use at a given moment, the extra power flows to the grid and your meter credits it at the full retail rate. At night you draw that credit back. That makes the grid work like a battery for you, which is why many Pennsylvania systems are sold without storage. Rules for connecting to the grid differ by utility, so ask your utility for its interconnection steps before you sign a contract.
Alternative electricity suppliers are not required to offer net metering, though some do. If you buy power from a supplier other than your utility, ask for their net metering terms in writing.
How much sun do Pennsylvania cities get?
From daily radiation data for 2020 to 2024, we estimate about 4.09 peak sun hours a day in Philadelphia, 4.09 in Erie, 4.07 in Allentown and 3.95 in Pittsburgh. These are rough yearly averages, and the gap between cities is small. Roof direction, tilt and shade change your output far more than which city you live in. Ask any installer for a shade study of your own roof, not a city average.
What the end of the federal credit changed
For years a 30% federal credit made up most of the incentive. It ended for spending after December 31, 2025, so a system bought today pays full price minus PECO's $500 if it applies to you. That makes the payback longer. Ask each installer for the total cost, the yearly output they expect, and the retail rate they assumed. Then check that rate against your own bill.
Three questions before you sign
First, who owns the system? If you buy it, you get the net metering credit and the PECO check. If it is leased, the contract decides who keeps any incentive. Second, is the roof ready? A roof that needs replacing in a few years should be fixed first, since panels have to come off and go back on. Third, have you cut your energy use? The state's own guidance tells homeowners to make the home efficient first, because a smaller system can then cover more of what you use.
If you have no roof, or the wrong roof
The state's page points to PA PowerSwitch, run by the Public Utility Commission, for ways to buy solar-generated power from a supplier without installing panels. Check the price and contract length carefully, since a supplier's rate can change when the offer ends.
Check installers before you trust them
The state says it keeps no list of solar installers. Solar companies work as home improvement contractors and must hold a registration from the Bureau of Consumer Protection, and you can look a company up on the state's home improvement consumer site. The Pennsylvania Solar Center also lists installers whose staff hold a recognised solar certificate.
How to go solar in Pennsylvania without overpaying
- Get a roof and shade study from at least two installers.
- Ask each one for the total cost, expected yearly output and the retail rate they assumed.
- Confirm your utility's interconnection steps and whether net metering applies to your supplier.
- If you are a PECO customer, ask the installer to prepare the PVWatts report and interconnection printout for the $500 rebate.
- Check the installer's registration on the state's home improvement site.
More for Pennsylvania homes
- Pennsylvania home rebates: every program in one place
- Philadelphia home rebates: PECO and PGW offers
- Pittsburgh home rebates: Duquesne Light and free weatherization
- Allentown home rebates: PPL Electric offers
- Erie home rebates: what we could and could not confirm
- Pennsylvania battery rebates: what to weigh with no rebate
- Federal tax credits in 2026: which credits ended
Common questions
Is there a solar rebate in Pennsylvania?
PECO pays $500 for a first residential system, and PECO's page shows no end date as of October 6, 2026. There is no statewide rebate, since the PA Sunshine program closed in 2013.
Can I still claim the federal solar tax credit?
No. The federal credit ended for spending after December 31, 2025.
What is net metering?
It credits the power your panels send to the grid at the full retail rate, for residential systems up to 50 kW. You use those credits when your panels are not producing.
Does PPL pay a solar rebate?
No. PPL Electric's rebate catalog lists 15 items and none is for solar or batteries.
Can a renter get solar?
Not from a rooftop system. The state's page points to PA PowerSwitch for buying solar-generated electricity from a supplier without installing panels.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 6, 2026: PECO rebate program: solar, Pennsylvania DEP: solar for residents, PPL Electric rebate catalog, IRS: residential clean energy credit.