Every incentive a Pennsylvania homeowner can actually use, what each one is worth, and the ones that no longer exist. Sourced and dated.
Pennsylvania has no statewide solar rebate and no sales or property tax exemption. Its solar economics rest on two things: retail-rate net metering and the SREC market.
Under the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, utilities must buy Solar Alternative Energy Credits. Every 1,000 kWh your system generates earns one, trading recently around $25 to $45. A typical 8–10 kW home earns 9–10 a year, or roughly $280–$350.
SRECs belong to whoever owns the panels. Under a lease or PPA the system owner keeps that income. That is one of the clearest financial differences between owning and subscribing here.
Philadelphia runs a solar rebate at $0.20 per watt, currently waitlisted.
Sources: Pennsylvania PUC AEPS filings; PJM-GATS; Philadelphia Energy Authority.
The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D ended for systems purchased after December 31, 2025. If you buy with cash or a loan in 2026, you cannot claim it. Any site still advertising a 30% federal credit for a homeowner purchase is running outdated information.
What remains is Section 48E, the commercial investment credit. It applies to third-party-owned systems — leases and power purchase agreements — where the system owner claims it rather than the homeowner. That is precisely what makes $0-down possible.
EnergyPros does not provide tax advice — confirm your situation with a tax professional.
Incentives only matter against the rate you are paying now. Every Pennsylvania utility buys wholesale power through PJM, which is why rates rose together on June 1 rather than one utility at a time. Pennsylvania offers 1:1 retail net metering, so your utility rate is also the value of every kilowatt-hour your roof exports.
See the full breakdown of every Pennsylvania utility rate on our Pennsylvania solar page.
See what solar costs against your Pennsylvania rate
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No, not on a purchase. The Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D ended for systems purchased after December 31, 2025. Section 48E still applies to third-party-owned systems — leases and power purchase agreements — where the system owner claims it. That is what makes $0-down possible.
Yes. Any rebate paid to your installer should appear on your contract as a reduction in price, not as a savings claim. Ask for an itemised quote showing the gross price, each incentive applied, and the net. If an installer will not itemise, that is worth noticing.
It depends on the incentive. Rebates paid to the installer reduce your contract price either way. Tax credits and renewable energy certificates generally follow ownership — under a lease or PPA the system owner claims them, which is part of how the monthly payment is kept low. A few state credits are exceptions.
No. EnergyPros is a marketplace. We match you with vetted, licensed and insured contractors who work in your area, and you deal directly with them on the quote and the installation.
Pennsylvania solar guides