SOUTH PHILLY PASSES 900 kW — APPROACHING 1 MEGAWATT | Solar States

PHILADELPHIA, February 25, 2026 — We culled spreadsheets. We did math. And what we found: South Philadelphia is approaching a megawatt of solar energy on its rooftops. On the same day PECO reported a 47.7% surge in net profits — following a year of double-digit rate hikes for residential customers — South Philly has 901 kilowatts of clean energy capacity sitting on its residential rooftops. 205 homes across Point Breeze, Graduate Hospital, Bella Vista, Queen Village, East Passyunk, and beyond. Nearly a megawatt!

Fun findings: Catharine Street leads the pack with six Solar States installations— the most solar-dense street in the neighborhood. Point Breeze and Graduate Hospital together account for 79 installations and 365 kilowatts —anchoring South Philly’s solar footprint. Bella Vista, Queen Village, and East Passyunk add another 89 installations and 352 kilowatts. Our Renewable Rowhomes video series features South Philly homeowners speaking on their experience going, and enjoying, solar.

PECO rates have climbed steadily and show no signs of slowing. Surging electricity demand and the broader electrification of homes and vehicles has triggered significant increases in PJM capacity auction costs — a regional grid charge that flows directly onto every Philadelphia electric bill. Layer on the costs of maintaining aging infrastructure and…well, everybody should decide for themselves what rates will continue to do in this environment. You can guess what we expect here.

Solar States clients across South Philadelphia got off that escalator.

Move the slider. Watch PECO’s take grow.

Today, Solar States offers two ways to do the same. Homeowners who purchase a system own their energy outright — no utility, no escalating rate, no surprises. Homeowners who lease pay a fixed monthly rate that, in many cases, never goes up. Either way, the math works. Your PECO bill doesn’t have to keep climbing just because PECO wants it to.

Solar States, the 2022 Top Solar Changemaker, is a Philadelphia-based Certified B Corporation founded in 2008 with a dual-mission to install solar and educate the next generation of solar installers. We have completed more than 2,000 installations across the region (PA, NJ, DE), saving clients over $15 million in utility costs. Over 500 students graduated from our workforce development program, Find Your Power. Solar States has been featured in The Inquirer, The Philadelphia Citizen, WHYY, GreenPHL, and 6ABC Action News.