Beat the Rate Hikes: Alex’s Renewable Rowhome with Solar + Battery

Beat the Rate Hikes: Alex’s Renewable Rowhome with Solar + Battery

See how Alex transformed his home to eliminate high energy bills and gain total peace of mind.

The Rising Cost of Energy

On February 25, 2026 — the same week PECO reported a 47.7% surge in net profits, rising from $551 million to $814 million after a year of double-digit rate hikes — Alex had already made a different choice. Since 2021, PECO rates have climbed nearly 70%. A typical residential bill that was $135 two years ago is now over $160, with more increases locked in through 2029 as PECO’s parent company Exelon executes a $41.3 billion capital plan. Governor Shapiro put it plainly to the General Assembly: “We need to have a hard conversation about the amount of profit utilities and their investors can make on the backs of hardworking Pennsylvanians.” Instead of paying for record utility profits, Philadelphians like Alex are taking their power back.

The Challenge

Having spent his whole life living in “unbelievably inefficient homes that took tons of energy to heat and cool,” Alex wanted to break free from the cycle of rising utility costs and maximize his home’s energy efficiency.

The Solution

The Solar States team gave Alex a “great education in what was possible” and helped him through every step of making it all come together.

“Having solar panels on the roof and a house powered by the Sun has been great. Our PECO bills are tiny if any and having a battery backup has also been a real piece of mind.”
— Alex, South Philadelphia

What Solar States Customers Are Saving

While Alex’s PECO bills have dwindled to nearly nothing, he’s far from alone. Here’s some other feedback we’ve heard from residential clients:

• Thomas has held his PECO invoice to $11 or less every single month for over seven years.
• Sue goes bill-free eight months out of the year — paying only PECO’s $10 connection fee.
• Jared in South Philly cut his summer bills from $200–$300/month down to a $12 grid fee, saving roughly $1,500 a year.
• Rose, also in South Philly, saves $800+ annually and runs central air all summer without a second thought.

The pattern is consistent: going solar with Solar States is the most direct way Philadelphia homeowners are protecting themselves from PECO’s relentless rate increases. As one customer put it: “Solar will save you money, will save the planet, and let you own your own power.”

Philadelphia Goes Solar — And Solar States Has Done It All

Solar States isn’t just serving Philadelphia homes — we’ve powered some of the city’s most iconic institutions and businesses. Saint Joseph’s University, Community College of Philadelphia, Ronald McDonald House, Cristo Rey High School, Yards Brewing, Greenfield Manufacturing, Fireball Printing, Love N’ Fresh Flowers, and Greenline Cafe have all gone solar with Solar States. From universities to breweries to corner shops, if it has a roof in Philly, we’ve probably put panels on it.

Philadelphia’s Solar Market: By the Numbers 

Numbers as of March 2, 2026, when this page was published

West Philadelphia (19143) alone — covering Kingsessing, Cobbs Creek, and Cedar Park — has 103 Solar States installations generating 678,000 kWh annually across 1,569 panels, with nearly 1 in 5 new customers coming through a neighbor’s referral. On Hazel Ave, Osage Ave, and Larchwood Ave alone, there’s a 25-home solar cluster. In Mt. Airy (19119), the average system size is the highest of any high-volume zip in our footprint at 6.73 kW, and a full one-third of new customers find us through a neighbor — the highest referral rate we see anywhere. South Philly (19145–19148) is approaching a full megawatt of installed capacity across 205 homes. Fishtown (19125) has 77 installations with a breakout year in 2017 that started block-by-block adoption on E Palmer and E Cumberland. In Germantown (19144/19138), the Germantown Jewish Centre alone has 117 panels, cuts its electricity use by 50%, and saves $8,000 a year — earning the Lodestar Award in 2024. And in Fairmount (19130), 66 installations are concentrated on Wallace, Poplar, and Fairmount Ave, with 118 active leads already in the pipeline. The solar revolution in Philadelphia is already underway — and it’s happening neighborhood by neighborhood.

See How Much You’ll Pay PECO

Solar States offers a number of ways to go solar. 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.