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Solar · Philadelphia, PA · 2026 cost guide
How much does solar panels cost in Philadelphia, PA?
In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area, a typical 8 kW system before incentives runs about $23,000 to $32,200 in 2026, about 15% above the national range. Contractor labor here is indexed at 1.15 against the U.S. average, and that is what moves the numbers; equipment and materials cost about the same everywhere.
- Cost per watt
- $2.90–$4installed, before incentives
- 8 kW system
- $23,000–$32,200before incentives, about a $150 to $200 monthly bill
- 10 kW system
- $28,700–$40,300before incentives, about a $200 to $250 monthly bill
- Battery add-on
- $11,500–$20,700one 10 to 15 kWh battery, installed
Solar panels in Philadelphia, PA cost about $23,000 to $32,200 for an 8 kW system before incentives, and the return depends on which side of the Delaware River you live on. Pennsylvania has net metering through PECO and a retail rate near $0.18 per kWh, but its SRECs are worth little. Across the river, New Jersey pairs net metering with the SuSI incentive, which pays for every megawatt-hour produced. The sun, 4.3 peak hours a day, is the same on both banks.
What's different in Philadelphia
On the Pennsylvania side, the bill savings carry the project. PECO net metering credits exports at retail, and at about $0.18 per kWh a south-facing suburban roof in Montgomery or Chester County pays back within the usual range even with 4.3 peak sun hours. Pennsylvania SRECs trade for far less than credits in New Jersey, Maryland, or DC, so treat them as a small bonus rather than a line in the payback model. There is no Pennsylvania state tax credit and no federal credit for 2026 installs, so ask for a payback that assumes zero SREC income and compare the cash price to the financed one.
The New Jersey side is the stronger deal. Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester County homes served by PSE&G or Atlantic City Electric get net metering plus the state's Successor Solar Incentive, which pays a fixed amount per megawatt-hour of production for a set term through New Jersey's Clean Energy Program, and New Jersey exempts solar from sales tax and from property tax assessment. That combination can put a Cherry Hill system several years ahead of an identical one in Bala Cynwyd. Interconnection goes through PSE&G or Atlantic City Electric rather than PECO, and each South Jersey town issues its own construction permit.
Roofs are the Philadelphia constraint. The city's rowhomes have flat roofs of a few hundred square feet, often shaded by taller neighbors and broken up by skylights and hatches, so a 3 to 5 kW system on a ballasted rack is typical and the per-watt price runs higher than on a big suburban shingle roof. The roof membrane should have a decade of life left, and freeze-thaw means the rack must not trap water. Philadelphia L&I permits solar in the city; suburban townships permit separately. The Philadelphia Energy Authority's Solarize Philly program has run group-purchase rounds for city residents. Batteries here are backup, not payback, since net metering already banks surplus at retail.
Solar Panel prices in Philadelphia vs. the national guide
These are the ranges from our national solar panels cost guide next to the same items scaled by the Philadelphia, PA labor index of 1.15. Rows marked fixed are materials only and do not move with local labor.
| Item | National range | Philadelphia, PA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per watt | $2.50–$3.50 | $2.90–$4 |
| 8 kW system | $20,000–$28,000 | $23,000–$32,200 |
| 10 kW system | $25,000–$35,000 | $28,700–$40,300 |
| Battery add-on | $10,000–$18,000 | $11,500–$20,700 |
Local tip: If you own a rowhome, check whether a Solarize Philly round is open before taking individual bids; group pricing has historically undercut retail per-watt prices for small flat-roof systems.
Philadelphia at a glance
- Climate zone
- 4Amixed-humid
- Labor index
- 1.15vs. U.S. average 1.00
- Electricity
- $0.18/kWhPECO
- Peak sun hours
- 4.3kWh/m²/day, annual average
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Is solar worth it in Philadelphia with PECO?
Yes for a suburban roof with decent sun, with a payback in the usual range rather than a fast one. PECO net metering at about $0.18 per kWh does most of the work; Pennsylvania SRECs add little, and there is no state credit. The metro's 4.3 peak sun hours are modest, so a shaded or north-facing roof in Montgomery or Delaware County can miss, and an installer's production estimate deserves a second opinion.
Are solar incentives better in New Jersey than in Pennsylvania near Philadelphia?
Considerably. A home in Camden, Burlington, or Gloucester County gets net metering from PSE&G or Atlantic City Electric plus the SuSI incentive, a fixed payment per megawatt-hour of production through New Jersey's Clean Energy Program, and both sales tax and property tax exemptions. Pennsylvania offers net metering and low-value SRECs. Same sun, same installers, different payback, often by several years.
Can I put solar on a Philadelphia rowhome roof?
Usually, at a smaller scale. A rowhome's flat roof fits a 3 to 5 kW ballasted or tilt-rack system, provided taller neighbors, parapets, and the pilot house do not shade it. The membrane needs a decade of life left, and Philadelphia L&I reviews the structural load and electrical work. Per-watt pricing runs higher on small city systems, which is why the city's Solarize Philly group-purchase rounds exist.
What are SRECs worth in Pennsylvania?
Not much compared with neighboring states. Pennsylvania's renewable standard lets credits come from a wide region, so supply is high and prices stay low, unlike the protected markets in New Jersey, Maryland, and DC. A PECO customer with an 8 kW system earns several credits a year, but the income is a small fraction of the bill savings. Model payback without them and treat any SREC check as a bonus.
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