Plug-in solar in Pennsylvania: is it worth it for you?

Payback, savings and what is allowed in Pennsylvania. With your own power price, no email and no sign-up.

What applies in Pennsylvania

Law signed, not yet in force

No specific wattage limit for plug-in kits
Plug type: NEMA 5-15 (standard 120 V outlet)

Registration steps

HB 1971 (Pielli, introduced 2025-10-27) would exempt nationally safety-certified plug-in systems from interconnection agreements and utility fees. ↗

HB 1971 awaits action in the state House (committee stage as of 2026).
Systems would not be eligible for net metering; no export credit.

Rules checked November 5, 2026. Sources

Find the right size for your home

1. Where is the kit going?

2. How many people live in your home?

1 2 3–4 5+

Typical for this household in Pennsylvania: 9,000 kWh a year.

Or your yearly use, if you know it

kWh

3. Is someone home during the day?

Mostly home office, retired Partly some days Rarely out all day

4. How will it be mounted?

A balcony railing is near-vertical; a flat roof or garden can be tilted.

5. Your power price (optional)

$ / kWh

From your bill. Leave blank to use the Pennsylvania average of $0.22 per kWh.

How much power?

Suggested for your home 1,150 W (2 panels)

Going bigger pays off up to this size, where you would use about 86% of the power yourself. The next size up (1,200 W) costs $1,799 more and would need more than 25 years to earn that back, because most of its extra power would go to the grid unpaid. Based on a typical 9,000 kWh a year.

Suggested

Used at homeSent to the grid

1,150 W · from $899

Cheapest kit we found with at least 1,150 W: US Solar Supplier 1180 W Plug-In Solar Kit, 2 panels, 1,180 W. Mount and delivery are extra.

Add a battery No complete kit with a battery is on sale here yet.

Saves about $201 a year and pays for itself in 4–5 years.

Nothing you enter is stored. Results are estimates, shown as a range.

Typical payback by mounting spot

Standard kit (2 panels), about $2,160 at the average Pennsylvania power price of $0.22 per kWh, with someone home part of the day.

Mounting spot	Generated per year	Saved per year	Payback
Balcony railing, facing south	851 kWh	$165	11–15 years
Balcony railing, facing east	705 kWh	$140	13–17 years
Balcony railing, facing west	705 kWh	$140	13–17 years
Tilted, facing south	1,215 kWh	$222	8–11 years
Tilted, facing east	1,033 kWh	$194	10–12 years
Tilted, facing west	1,033 kWh	$194	10–12 years
Flat (roof or garden)	1,094 kWh	$204	9–12 years