Is solar worth it in Pennsylvania?
Short answer for a typical Pennsylvania home: a reasonable payback if you'll stay put — roughly 10.2 years to break even after the 30% credit. Run your own bill through the calculator below.
Pennsylvania gets limited sunshine — about 3.9 peak sun hours a day — and residential electricity runs around $0.18/kWh. For a typical $150-a-month power bill, that points to roughly a 8.8-kW system costing about $18,440 after the 30% federal tax credit, paying for itself in about 10.2 years and netting on the order of $42,924 over 25 years. Your own numbers will differ — the calculator above uses your real bill.
Pennsylvania has limited sun but an active SREC market and above-average rates, so a right-sized system pays back reasonably. Check current SREC prices, which swing the math noticeably.
What changes the math in Pennsylvania
- Your electricity rate — the more you pay per kWh, the more each solar kWh saves you. Pennsylvania sits at about $0.18.
- Sun hours — more sun means a smaller, cheaper system covers the same usage. Pennsylvania averages ~3.9 hours.
- Net metering / buyback — how your utility credits power you export swings the payback; check your specific utility's current terms.
- Install cost — quotes vary by installer and roof; the calculator defaults to a typical $/watt you can override.