Clean Energy Choices
Pennsylvanians have more clean energy choices today than ever before. From on-site solar and battery storage, to purchasing green power from the grid - at all scales: from residential to corporate. Get the facts and find some tools to assess your options on the page below.
Rooftop Solar
Get a rough estimate of the potential for a solar installation on your property with Google's Project Sunroof. Just type in your address and get an assessment for whether solar is something you should look into. No salesperson will call you.
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Find A Solar Installer
The PA Solar Center maintains of a map of notable solar installations and list of contractors across the state.
Solarize
Search for a Solarize project near you. Solarize teams are non-profit (often volunteers) that act as your advocate to help you through the feasibility, proposal, permitting and installation process.
Tax Credit Info
Federal - 26% - Homeowners Guide to Federal Solar Tax Credits.
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PA - currently no state tax credits, but net-metering and SRECs help incentivize solar in PA. EnergySage
​ A few videos from the 2021 National Solar Tour in Chester County
PA Power Switch
You have the power to choose the source of electricity you want. You can sign up for a 3rd party electricity provider at PAPowerSwitch.com. Select "Renewable PA" to filter on renewable electricity options from Pennsylvania sources. Make sure you are aware of terms (some can be as short as 3 months) and flex or fixed prices. And note the current PECO Price To Compare at the top of the page - the price you'll be paying if you do not select a 3rd party generation provider.
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There are some shady deals out there. Read the fine print and check your bill that you are getting what you signed up for. And go shopping again when your contract expires.
Solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
If you are a large energy user, you have the power to move the needle for new renewable energy construction in our region. Many big users, including the City of Philadelphia, Penn State University, Amazon and the City of Washington DC have signed (competitive) contracts to purchase electricity from new solar systems in PA. The ability to commit to a long term contract will result in a competitive proposal for renewable energy.
Opportunities For Pennsylvania
Community Solar
Community solar offers the benefit of solar to those who can’t, or prefer not to, install solar panels on their homes. These projects enable individuals, businesses, or organizations to purchase or subscribe to a “share” in a community solar project. If you join a community solar project, you receive a credit on your electric bill each month for the energy produced by your share.
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Learn more about the concept of Community Solar and possible pathways to authorization in Pennsylvania at the solar advocacy site - Solar United Neighbors.
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)
Community Choice Aggregation is another tool that several other states are employing to significantly increase the amount of renewable energy in the mix of electric utilities.
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Under a CCA approach, a community could choose the default power supply for it's constituents based the input from that community - not the lowest near-term cost guidelines imposed by the state utility commission.
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Learn more about Community Choice Aggregation and what other states have enabled it on the CCA Wikipedia page.