Solar panels in Pennsylvania
Roofs across Pennsylvania get about 1,374 hours of usable sunlight a year, and electricity costs 18.1¢/kWh. That combination puts a typical system's payback at 9.7 years. Here's the detail, from real rooftop data across 15 Pennsylvania cities.
Check your own roof in Pennsylvania → These are regional figures; your roof's size, pitch and shading move them a lot.
How Pennsylvania compares
Pennsylvania gets more sunlight than 27% of the cities we measure, and its electricity costs more than 60% of states and provinces. Both matter, but not equally: the electricity rate usually matters more, because solar saves money by replacing power you would otherwise buy. A sunny state with cheap power often pays back slower than a cloudy state with expensive power. Why that happens →
Solar by city in Pennsylvania
| City | Sun hrs/yr | Panels | Net cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 1,470 | 22 | $17,556 | 8.9 yrs |
| Lancaster | 1,449 | 22 | $17,556 | 9 yrs |
| Allentown | 1,448 | 22 | $17,556 | 9 yrs |
| Harrisburg | 1,446 | 22 | $17,556 | 9 yrs |
| Reading | 1,435 | 23 | $18,354 | 9.3 yrs |
| Erie | 1,425 | 23 | $18,354 | 9.3 yrs |
| Altoona | 1,401 | 23 | $18,354 | 9.4 yrs |
| Bethlehem | 1,374 | 24 | $19,152 | 9.7 yrs |
| Pittsburgh | 1,358 | 24 | $19,152 | 9.7 yrs |
| York | 1,353 | 24 | $19,152 | 9.7 yrs |
| Scranton | 1,327 | 24 | $19,152 | 9.8 yrs |
| Johnstown | 1,294 | 25 | $19,950 | 10.2 yrs |
| Williamsport | 1,280 | 25 | $19,950 | 10.2 yrs |
| Bradford | 1,226 | 26 | $20,748 | 10.6 yrs |
| State College | 1,201 | 27 | $21,546 | 11 yrs |
What a system costs in Pennsylvania
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 3,737 | $6,384 | $676 | 9.4 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 5,606 | $9,576 | $1,015 | 9.4 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 7,475 | $12,768 | $1,353 | 9.4 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 9,343 | $15,960 | $1,691 | 9.4 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 12,146 | $20,748 | $2,016 | 10.3 yrs |
Payback stops improving as systems grow, then gets worse. You can only save on electricity you were going to buy, so once a system covers your usage the extra panels mostly export at a lower rate.
Pennsylvania solar incentives
Every US household can claim the 30% federal residential clean energy credit, which is what the "after credit" figures above assume. On a $27,360 system that is $8,208 back. How the credit works →
State, utility and municipal incentives stack on top and change often — Pennsylvania may offer rebates, property or sales tax exemptions, or performance payments. We deliberately don't list specific state programmes here because they change several times a year and stale numbers are worse than none. The DSIRE database is the standard reference and is kept current.
Pennsylvania solar questions
Is solar worth it in Pennsylvania?
At 18.1¢/kWh and 1,374 usable sun hours, a typical Pennsylvania system pays back in about 9.7 years and returns roughly $30,184 across a 25-year panel life. That is a solid return, and rising electricity prices only improve it. Individual cities in Pennsylvania vary widely around this average.
How many solar panels do I need in Pennsylvania?
About 24 panels for a home using 10,800 kWh a year. Each 400W panel produces roughly 467 kWh annually at Pennsylvania sunlight levels. Your own figure depends on actual usage — pull a year of bills rather than assuming average consumption, since heating and EV charging change it a lot.
How much do solar panels cost in Pennsylvania?
A 9.6 kW system runs about $27,360 before incentives and $19,152 after the 30% federal credit, or roughly $2.85 per watt installed. Quotes vary widely by installer, roof complexity and whether your electrical panel needs upgrading — get three before deciding.
Worth reading before you buy
Regional estimates generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples across 15 Pennsylvania cities, and average Pennsylvania electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial or tax advice.