Pennsylvania solar calculator
Size a Pennsylvania home solar system from your electric bill — kW, panel count, roof area, true cost with no federal credit for 2026 installs, and payback.
Quick answer: At $0.217/kWh and 4.1 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about 9.84 kW — 24 × 410 W panels covering ~48 m². Gross cost is ~$25,486 with no federal credit for systems installed after 2025, offsetting $2,400 a year for a ~10.6 year payback.
Your details
Ballpark, not gospel. Ballpark, not gospel. Sized at 78% real-world output with the Pennsylvania sun-hour average (4.1 peak sun hours) — confirm shading, roof angle and your utility’s true-up terms with a local installer before buying. The savings math values all generation at your retail rate. The PA PUC requires investor-owned utilities to offer 1:1 retail-rate net metering (up to 50 kW) with monthly rollover; annual surplus is paid out at a lower rate after the May 31 true-up.
The 30% credit ended — what changed
The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) gave homeowners a 30% credit on solar installed from 2022 through 2025. The July 2025 tax law ended it: no credit is available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. That is why every figure on this page is ~30% higher than pre-2026 guides show. If your system went live by the end of 2025, tick the box above to see the credit applied; leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit. Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
Typical Pennsylvania system sizes by monthly bill
| Monthly bill | System size | Panels (410 W) | Net cost (no 2026 federal credit) | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 4.92 kW | 12 | $12,743 | 10.6 years |
| $200 | 9.84 kW | 24 | $25,486 | 10.6 years |
| $300 | 14.76 kW | 36 | $38,228 | 10.6 years |
Computed at $0.217/kWh, 4.1 peak sun hours and $2.59/W installed, with no federal credit for 2026 installs. Run your exact bill above.
Solar in Pennsylvania: the details
Solar cost in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania installs sit squarely in the national middle. The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.59 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically landing $2.21–$2.98/W — within the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~13 kW system grosses around $33,700, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs — but the SREC market adds real income on top.
What moves the number: roof complexity, panel tier, and how competitive the quote market is in your metro. Get at least three quotes — spreads of $0.50/W between installers are common.
Export rules: getting paid for surplus power
The PA PUC requires investor-owned utilities to offer 1:1 retail-rate net metering for residential systems up to 50 kW, with credits rolling monthly. Once a year, after the May 31 true-up, any annual surplus is paid out at a lower rate — so exports aren’t wasted, just worth less than self-consumed kWh.
Practical takeaway: size close to annual use and 1:1 netting does the rest. Don’t oversize for the true-up payout — it’s a lower rate, not a bonus.
Pennsylvania solar incentives
Pennsylvania’s notable incentive is its SREC market (roughly $22–$40 per MWh — about $225–$400/year for a typical home); the old PA Sunshine rebate program is closed and there is no statewide rebate or tax credit. Philadelphia has a $0.20/W city rebate (often waitlisted) and PECO offers a $500 residential rebate through May 2031 with limited funds. One flag: Pennsylvania uniquely does not exempt added solar value from property tax — factor that into your math.
Is solar worth it in Pennsylvania?
Verdict: solid on the numbers. The calculator puts a $200/month bill at a ~10.6-year payback with no federal credit — 1:1 retail net metering plus SREC income of roughly $225–$400/year make this one of the more bankable mid-Atlantic cases. The caveat to price in: Pennsylvania does not exempt solar’s added value from property tax, unlike most states.
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers, no fluff. Then run your own numbers above.
How many solar panels do I need in Pennsylvania?
It follows your bill. At the Pennsylvania average of $0.217/kWh and 4.1 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about a 9.84 kW system — roughly 24 × 410 W panels covering ~48 m² of roof.
What is the average cost of solar panels in Pennsylvania in 2026?
The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.59 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically $2.21–$2.98/W — within the national $2.50–$3.50/W band. A typical ~13 kW system grosses around $33,700, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
Does Pennsylvania have net metering?
Yes — 1:1 retail-rate net metering for residential systems up to 50 kW, with credits rolling monthly. Any annual surplus is paid out at a lower rate after the May 31 true-up.
Does Pennsylvania offer any solar tax credit or rebate?
The notable incentive is the SREC market (roughly $22–$40 per MWh — about $225–$400/year for a typical home); the old PA Sunshine rebate is closed and there is no statewide rebate or tax credit. Flag: Pennsylvania does not exempt added solar value from property tax. Philadelphia has a $0.20/W city rebate (often waitlisted); PECO offers $500 through May 2031.
Is the 30% federal solar tax credit still available?
Not for homeowner purchases anymore. The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, under the July 2025 tax law (Public Law 119-21). Systems installed by the end of 2025 can still claim 30%, and leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit instead. (Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.)
Is solar worth it in Pennsylvania?
The calculator puts a $200/month bill at a ~10.6-year payback with no federal credit — solid, driven by 1:1 retail net metering and SREC income. Just price in the property-tax flag: Pennsylvania doesn’t exempt solar’s added value.
Figures last checked October 2026. Sources: EIA Electric Power Monthly (July 2026: 21.72¢/kWh), NREL PVWatts/NSRDB (~3.6–4.6 peak sun hours), DSIRE, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission; IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
More US solar calculators
Compare other states: Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina. And the national US solar calculator for country averages.
Comparing quotes? The solar cost calculator breaks down cost per watt and the solar ROI calculator maps your payback year by year. Going deeper: installation cost guide, how net metering works, how much you can save with solar and the solar batteries guide.