Pennsylvania Solar: Credits, a May 31 Payout and SRECs

Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.Prices from the September 2026 Cost Index. Updated October 19, 2026.

A typical Pennsylvania home system is 8.26 kW and costs about $23,706 in cash at $2.87 per watt. If your utility sells you power, each kWh you send out earns a full bill credit: simple payback before incentives is 10.9 years statewide in our per-utility figures, 10.7 to 10.8 years at FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, the largest utility, and 11.5 years at PECO. With a competitive supplier, PECO credits only its 10.236¢ delivery charge: 16.4 years in our case.

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Utility or supplier: who sells your power sets your Pennsylvania credit

Pennsylvania lets you choose who sells you power. Under the state’s net metering rule, that choice changes what each kWh you send to the grid is worth.

Your utility sells your power full price

  1. Power you use as it is made lowers your bill.
  2. Each kWh you send out earns a credit at the full price, delivery included.
  3. Extra credits roll forward to May 31, then pay out at the price to compare.

A competitive supplier sells it 10.236¢ at PECO

  1. Power you use as it is made still saves your full price.
  2. Your utility credits each kWh you send out at its delivery charge only.
  3. Leftover delivery credits are zeroed out at year end. Any credit for the power itself must be in your supplier contract.
Typical 8.26 kW system, $23,706 cash, PECO home
Who sells your powerYear-one savingsAfter upkeepSimple payback
PECO sells your power: every kWh at 17.82¢, PECO’s own price (per-utility figure, no upkeep or rebate)$2,059$2,05911.5 years
A supplier sells it: PECO credits 10.236¢ per kWh sent out (our case, with upkeep and the $500 rebate)$1,667$1,41916.4 years

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

How we calculated this
  • Output: 8.26 kW × 1,399 kWh per kW (PVWatts, Philadelphia) = 11,556 kWh a year. 40% is used at home as it is made (4,622 kWh) and 60% is sent out (6,934 kWh).
  • PECO case, from our per-utility figures of October 19, 2026: all 11,556 kWh are worth 17.820¢, PECO’s EIA average of 19.298¢ for August 2025 to July 2026 less its $11.33 in fixed monthly charges. That is $2,059, and $23,706 ÷ $2,059 = 11.5 years before incentives, with no upkeep or price rises.
  • Supplier case, ours: 4,622 kWh × 20.7¢ (the EIA state average), plus 6,934 kWh × 10.236¢, PECO’s Rate R distribution charge from July 1, 2026. That is $1,667. We assume the supplier contract pays nothing for the power itself.
  • Supplier case only: upkeep of $30 per kW a year, $247.80, including an inverter reserve, and payback = ($23,706 − $500 PECO rebate) ÷ (savings − upkeep). No financing, rate changes, panel aging or SREC income.
  • Other utilities in our per-utility figures, before incentives: PPL 11.3 years, Duquesne Light 8.9, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania 10.7 to 10.8 across Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn, UGI 10.9, Pike County 9.3, Wellsboro 10.7 and Citizens’ 12.8. Weighted by customers, Pennsylvania comes to 10.9 years. Co-ops have no figure; ask yours.
  • 20.7¢ includes fixed charges, so it can run high. A PPL home with a supplier would earn 6.175¢ on power sent out; we did not model that case.

Run your own Pennsylvania numbers

PECO, PPL, FirstEnergy or Duquesne Light: what your utility adds

All four give the same full credit to homes that buy power from them. What differs is the cash extra, the year-end payout price and the credit if you shop for power.

PECO

$500 solar rebate

Philadelphia and the counties around it. Once per home. Battery pay: $80 per kW each season through Flex & Save.

Next: send the rebate form within 90 days of in-service status.

PPL Electric Utilities

$150 per kW of battery, each season

Central and eastern Pennsylvania. Up to $400 a season. PPL listed no rebate for solar panels when we checked.

Next: ask whether your battery brand can enroll.

FirstEnergy Pennsylvania

Not open yet

Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power. The regulator approved a plan with a solar measure for homes on March 12, 2026. No amount or way to apply yet.

Next: do not let a quote count a FirstEnergy rebate.

Year-end payout and supplier credit, by utility
UtilityLeftover kWh paid atCredit if a supplier sells your powerCash extra
PECO11.759¢10.236¢Rebate, battery pay
PPLOn your bill6.175¢Battery pay
Met-Ed13.951¢AskNone open
Penelec13.142¢AskNone open
Penn Power13.477¢AskNone open
West Penn Power12.075¢AskNone open
Duquesne LightOn your billAskNone found

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

About these prices, and co-ops or borough utilities

The year-end payout is the price to compare, for June 1 to November 30, 2026; it resets December 1. At PECO it is 10.785¢ for generation plus 0.974¢ for transmission. PPL’s and Duquesne Light’s figure is printed on your bill. Their tariffs, read October 19, 2026, list PPL’s residential generation supply charge at 9.753¢ and transmission charge at 3.326¢ per kWh, with a 1.80% merchant function charge, and Duquesne’s default supply at 10.9568¢ (June 1 to November 30, 2026) and transmission at 3.1841¢ per kWh. The supplier credit is the utility’s distribution charge: PECO Rate R from July 1, 2026, PPL Rate RS from October 1, 2026.

Duquesne Light serves the Pittsburgh area. We found no solar rebate or battery payment there; ask in writing. Rural electric co-ops and borough utilities are outside the state credit rule, so ask yours what each kWh you send out earns, whether credits roll over and what happens at year end.

What Pennsylvania does with leftover credits on May 31

Credits you do not use roll forward at full value through the credit year. On May 31, what is left pays out at a lower price, so size the system to a year of your own use. Worked example by utility: Pennsylvania net metering explained.

June 1Credit year starts

It runs June 1 through May 31. Extra kWh carry forward from month to month until then.

11.759¢PECO year-end payout

Leftover kWh are paid at the price to compare. 100 leftover kWh pay $11.76.

$0Supplier leftovers

If a supplier sells your power, unused delivery credits are zeroed out at year end.

50 kWSize limit

For home systems at the four large utilities. A PECO lease may make no more than 110% of your yearly use.

What an 8.26 kW Pennsylvania system costs at $2.87 per watt

The September 2026 benchmark, $0.02 below the US average. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.

Cash price and yearly output by system size
SizeCash pricePower made a year
6 kW$17,2208,394 kWh
8.26 kW (typical)$23,70611,556 kWh
10 kW$28,70013,990 kWh
12 kW$34,44016,788 kWh
How we got these numbers
  • 8.26 kW is the median size Pennsylvania homeowners installed in 2025 (Berkeley Lab, 1,199 systems). Size yours to a year of your own use.
  • Output uses 1,399 kWh per kW a year (PVWatts, Philadelphia), the figure in our payback cases. Shade lowers it.
  • A system you own gets no federal tax credit after December 31, 2025.

Full Pennsylvania price guide

Pennsylvania SRECs, the PECO rebate and battery pay

No state rebate or tax credit. Beyond the bill credit, the money comes from selling solar credits and from your utility.

about $327SRECs a year

One credit per 1,000 kWh: 11.6 credits at the 2025/26 average of $28.26, before broker fees. Sales ran $4 to $81.

$500PECO solar rebate

Program term through May 31, 2031, while funds last. Form due within 90 days of in-service status.

$150/kWPPL battery pay

Each season, up to $400. PECO pays $80 per kW each season; its example comes to $480 a year.

$0Tax credits

No state credit. No federal credit for a system you own placed in service after December 31, 2025.

Ways to pay, and who keeps the SRECs
Way to pay
Who owns the panels
Who keeps the SRECs
Pennsylvania check
Cash
You
You
Who files the PECO rebate form
Loan
You
You
Cash vs. financed price; dealer fee
Lease
The company
Usually the company
At PECO, sized to 110% of your yearly use or less
PPA
The company
Usually the company
Price per kWh and its yearly increase

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Programs you may hear about that pay nothing today
  • Pennsylvania Solar for All: the state agency says it is “not operational at this time” and tells homeowners to ignore installers that claim to be its partners.
  • A FirstEnergy solar rebate: approved in a plan on March 12, 2026, but there is nothing to apply for yet.
  • Solarize Greater Philadelphia: help, not money. It offers checked installers in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, with a workmanship warranty of at least 10 years, and a no-upfront-cost lease for household incomes up to $165,000.
  • Property tax relief: do not count on it. Ask your county assessment office in writing how it values a home with solar.

Pennsylvania incentives guideWhat $0-down solar means in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania installers and their Attorney General registrations

Four companies from our Pennsylvania companies page, A to Z, not ranked. Pennsylvania home improvement contractors register with the Attorney General. Facts from company sites and registries, read October 9 to 16, 2026.

Green Power Energy

Office
Annandale, NJ (headquarters) and Durham, CT; no Pennsylvania office listed
PA registration
PA128259, active October 13, 2026
Warranty
25 years of labor on Enphase systems (company says); roof coverage not stated
More facts
Operating since
2009 (company says)
Ways to pay
Cash, loan, PPA; prepaid lease listed for New Jersey
Green Power Energy profile

Momentum Solar

Buys leads from EcoGen
Office
Johnstown, PA, per its Google listing (headquarters South Plainfield, NJ)
PA registration
PA131435, active October 16, 2026 (expires April 14, 2027)
Warranty
Not confirmed: website could not be read
More facts
Founded
Not confirmed
Ways to pay
Cash, loan, lease, PPA (older website)
Momentum Solar profile
Office
Reading, PA (headquarters Wall, NJ)
PA registration
PA128551, active October 13, 2026
Warranty
10 years labor and 5 years roof penetrations, for upfront purchases
More facts
Solar since
2004 (company says)
Ways to pay
Cash, plus loan, lease or PPA through partners
Trinity Solar profile

Venture Home (Venture Solar)

Buys leads from EcoGen
Office
Southington, CT (headquarters); no Pennsylvania office listed
PA registration
PA168470, active October 16, 2026 (expires May 7, 2028)
Warranty
Workmanship warranty; length set in your service agreement
More facts
Service states
Nine, including Pennsylvania (company says)
Ways to pay
Purchase, finance-to-own, lease or PPA, prepaid
Venture Home profile

Momentum Solar and Venture Home buy homeowner leads from EcoGen America. That does not change their facts or their place in this A to Z list. How we make money. What the Verified badge means.

Compare Pennsylvania solar companies in detail

Six things a Pennsylvania solar contract should show

The first three come from Pennsylvania’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, which names solar energy systems. The last three are the lines that move your payback.

  • A registration numberA home improvement contract cannot be enforced against you without the contractor’s state registration number. Look it up in the Attorney General’s contractor search.
  • Three business days to cancelThe contract must include a notice that you can cancel without penalty within three business days of signing.
  • A deposit of one-third or lessOn contracts over $5,000, the deposit is capped at one-third of the price, plus special-order materials listed in the contract. Some large retailers are exempt.
  • Who sells your powerThe credit behind the savings: the full price if your utility sells your power, or the delivery charge if a supplier does.
  • Size against a year of useYear-one kWh next to your last 12 months of bills, so little is left for the May 31 payout.
  • SRECs, rebate and taxWho owns and registers the SRECs, who files the PECO rebate form, sales tax inside the contract price rather than added on top, and no federal credit subtracted.

Ready for Pennsylvania quotes?

Tell each installer who sells your power, and ask for savings at that credit.

Check your Pennsylvania roof and savings

EcoGen America does not sell or install solar. When you request quotes, we pass your request to solar providers serving your area, and they pay us for the introduction. Providers can include installers, solar marketplaces and lead exchanges, and more than one may contact you. You never pay us. Privacy policy

Pennsylvania Solar FAQs

Does Pennsylvania have net metering?

Yes. Under 52 Pa. Code 75.13, PECO, PPL, FirstEnergy and Duquesne Light credit each kWh you send out at the full retail price, including delivery, for home systems up to 50 kW, if you buy your power from them. Credits left on May 31 are paid at the lower price to compare.

What changes if I buy power from a competitive supplier?

Your utility credits only its distribution charge for each kWh: 10.236¢ at PECO and 6.175¢ at PPL in October 2026. Delivery credits left at year end are zeroed out. Any credit for the power itself must be written in your supplier contract, so ask the supplier before you sign for solar.

Is there a solar tax credit in Pennsylvania?

No. The state’s list of personal income tax credits has no solar credit, and the federal homeowner credit ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. A quote that still subtracts 30% is wrong.

Are Pennsylvania SRECs worth selling?

They add a little. A typical 8.26 kW system earns about 11.6 credits a year, or about $327 at the 2025/26 average of $28.26, before broker fees. Prices ran from $4 to $81, so we leave SRECs out of the payback.

Do I pay sales tax on solar in Pennsylvania?

Yes, inside the price. The state rate is 6%, plus 2% in Philadelphia and 1% in Allegheny County, and the Department of Revenue says home solar panels do not qualify for the exemption for making electricity. In an installed contract the installer pays it on the materials and equipment it installs, so it reaches you inside the contract price, not as a separate line (61 Pa. Code 31.12). The sources behind our $2.87 per watt benchmark do not say whether sales tax is included.

Pennsylvania city pages: Philadelphia and Delaware County

Sources (25 documents, each with the date we read it)
  1. EcoGen Solar Cost Index, September 2026: Pennsylvania$2.87 per watt, 8.26 kW median size (Berkeley Lab 2025, 1,199 systems), $0.02 below the $2.89 US average, 20.70¢ statewide average (EIA), 13.5 kWh battery estimate.
  2. EcoGen: Is solar worth it in Pennsylvania? (October 7, 2026 model)Per-utility payback figures of October 19, 2026, plus our supplier case: 1,399 kWh per kW (PVWatts, Philadelphia), 40% home use and $30 per kW upkeep in the supplier case only.
  3. 52 Pa. Code 75.13: net metering general provisionsFull retail credit, carry-forward, year-end payout at the price to compare, supplier customers credited at the distribution rate. Read October 14, 2026.
  4. 52 Pa. Code 75.12: definitionsThe June 1 to May 31 year and the 50 kW home system limit. Read September 30, 2026.
  5. PECO: Electric Pa. P.U.C. No. 8, Rate RVariable distribution charge of 10.236¢ per kWh, effective July 1, 2026. Read October 14, 2026.
  6. PECO: Price to Compare table, residential, from June 1, 202611.759¢: 10.785¢ generation plus 0.974¢ transmission, through November 30, 2026. Read October 14, 2026.
  7. PPL Electric Utilities: Electric Pa. P.U.C. No. 202, Rate Schedule RSDistribution charge of 6.175¢ per kWh, effective October 1, 2026. Read October 14, 2026.
  8. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania: Tariff Supplement No. 36Residential prices to compare for Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power, June 1 to November 30, 2026. Read October 14, 2026.
  9. PECO Home Rebates: solar rebate$500 per home, form due within 90 days of in-service status. Read October 14, 2026.
  10. PECO: residential solar rebate applicationProgram term June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2031; check in 4 to 6 weeks. Read September 29 and 30, 2026.
  11. PECO Flex & Save battery FAQ$80 per kW each season; $480 a year in PECO’s example. Read September 30, 2026.
  12. PPL Electric Utilities: Optimized Battery$150 per kW each season, up to $400 a season. Read October 1, 2026.
  13. PPL Electric Utilities: rebates and discountsNo rebate for solar panels listed. Read September 30, 2026.
  14. PECO: net meteringLeased systems sized to no more than 110% of expected yearly use. Read September 29, 2026.
  15. Pennsylvania PUC: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Phase V orderPlan approved at the March 12, 2026 public meeting. Read October 1, 2026.
  16. PennAEPS: 2025/2026 alternative energy credit pricingSolar weighted average $28.26, range $4.00 to $81.00, posted October 1, 2026. Read October 14, 2026.
  17. Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority: Solar for All“Not operational at this time.” Read October 14, 2026.
  18. Solarize Greater Philadelphia: questions10-year minimum workmanship warranty; lease for incomes up to $165,000. Read September 30, 2026.
  19. Pennsylvania Department of Revenue: sales and use tax6% state rate, plus 1% in Allegheny County and 2% in Philadelphia. Read September 30, 2026.
  20. Pennsylvania Department of Revenue: Sales and Use Tax Bulletin 2010-01Home solar panels do not qualify for the electricity-making exemption. Read September 30, 2026.
  21. Pennsylvania Department of Revenue: 2025 Schedule OCNo solar credit among state personal income tax credits. Read September 30, 2026.
  22. Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (Act 132 of 2008)Solar energy systems named; registration number on contracts, three-day cancellation, one-third deposit cap over $5,000. Read October 14, 2026.
  23. Pennsylvania Attorney General: home improvement contractor searchGreen Power Energy PA128259 and Trinity Solar PA128551, active, checked October 13, 2026. Momentum Solar PA131435 and Venture Home Solar PA168470, active, checked October 16, 2026.
  24. IRS: Residential Clean Energy CreditNo credit for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Read September 30, 2026.
  25. 2025 Annual Technology Baseline: residential PVOwner costs of $29.83 per kW a year, rounded to $30 for upkeep in the supplier case. The 40% home-use share is a planning default informed by Berkeley Lab research, not a Pennsylvania measurement.
Dean Mahmoud
Written by

Dean Mahmoud

CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.

About Dean
Trevor Guilday
Checked by

Trevor Guilday

Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.

About Trevor

Editorial standardsCost Index methodologyVerified Installer methodology