Rooftop solar is (slowly) on the rise in PA

PHILADELPHIA – Small-scale solar in Pennsylvania produced 2.3 times more energy in 2022 than it did 5 years prior according to Rooftop Solar on the Rise, a new report released today by PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. Yet even with this growth, Pennsylvania ranks middle-of-the-pack compared to other states in the nation, ranking 15th in the growth of rooftop solar over the last decade. 

“Today Pennsylvanians have the ability to get their energy straight from their rooftops,” said Ellie Kerns, Climate and Clean Energy Associate with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. “Why pay for polluting energy from a dirty power plant hundreds of miles away when Pennsylvanians can just soak up the sun on our rooftops?”

Rooftop solar reduces dependence on fossil fuels, eases strain on the electricity grid during periods of high demand, and increases resilience to threats like extreme weather, all at a steadily falling cost. Small-scale solar energy, of which rooftop solar is the largest component – is growing rapidly in the United States, producing 10 times as much power in 2022 as a decade earlier. Sadly, Pennsylvania isn’t keeping up with our neighboring states – especially success stories in the region like New Jersey and New York. Both states ranked in the top 10 for total generation in 2022 and total growth in small-scale solar since 2012, and each state produced about 4 times as much power from small-scale solar as Pennsylvania in 2022.

“With the urgent need to address climate change, implementing stronger renewable energy goals in Pennsylvania is essential for creating sustainable jobs, cutting pollution, and ensuring a prosperous future for generations to come,” said Pennsylvania State Senator Steve Santarsiero. “Solar energy stands as an abundant and affordable solution crucial to America’s transition to renewable sources. Harnessing solar power on the rooftops of homes and businesses in Pennsylvania not only promotes environmental sustainability by reducing reliance on fossil fuels, but also enhances grid resilience, mitigates the impacts of extreme weather, and minimizes land usage.”

In the last five years, rooftop solar has seen respectable growth in Pennsylvania. Residential solar in the state grew 207% from 2017 through 2022. Over the same time period small-scale commercial solar grew 68% and industrial solar grew by 36%. Yet in total, small-scale solar in Pennsylvania generated only enough electricity to power 75,473, or about 1.3%, of Pennsylvania homes in 2022 – 809 GWh of electricity.

“I believe Pennsylvania can be a leader in green energy,” said Pennsylvania State Representative Elizabeth Fiedler. “One of the best ways to jumpstart our production of renewables is by investing in schools and other public infrastructure. My Solar for Schools legislation helps Pennsylvania take a big leap forward: benefitting our environment, creating family-sustaining jobs, and saving schools money all at once.”

Despite gains over the last decade, rooftop solar is still a largely untapped resource. The report finds that Pennsylvania has only tapped about 1/76th of its rooftop solar potential, in contrast, the United States has so far tapped only 1/28th of its rooftop solar potential. Rooftop solar had the technical potential to meet about 45 percent of U.S. electricity sales in 2022, but instead only generated about 1.5 percent of all the electricity used in 2022 nationally. 

In Pennsylvania, solar experts recommend renewing and expanding the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS) as the keystone policy for jumpstarting clean solar energy production across the commonwealth. The AEPS requires all electricity suppliers in Pennsylvania to get a certain percentage of their energy from wind and solar power, yet the program’s clean energy requirements flatlined in May 2021. Advocates are calling on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to renew the AEPS and increase the clean energy requirements for solar and wind energy to at least 30% by 2030. Two bills currently introduced in the state legislature would achieve these goals,  Senate Bill 230 (Sen. Santarsiero), and House Bill 1467 (Rep. Danielle Friel-Otten). 

Other crucial policies identified in the report that could help determine how successful Pennsylvania can be at tapping into its rooftop solar potential include solar incentives, “net metering” policies that provide compensation for excess solar power production, policies for connecting rooftop solar systems to the grid, and permitting processes. 

In addition to state policies, governments should also encourage individuals, organizations and businesses to take advantage of the incentives for rooftop solar in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, including: federal tax credits for 30% of the cost of a rooftop solar investment for homeowners, electricity production tax credits for businesses for the first 10 years of a solar system’s use, and full value direct payments equivalent to the tax credits for churches and other nonprofits.

“Every sunny roof without solar panels is a wasted opportunity,” said Kerns. “With federal tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act in place to boost solar adoption, now is the time for Pennsylvania to go big on solar.”

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The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center is dedicated to protecting our air, water and open spaces. We work to protect the places we love, advance the environmental values we share, and win real results for our environment. For more information, visit www.pennenvironmentcenter.org.