The Philadelphia Solar Report 2021
Solar is thriving in the city of Brotherly Love.
Solar States has a new vision for Philadelphia – one in which our energy usage supports the local economy, a healthy environment, and our children’s education. The Philadelphia Report records Solar States’ contributions toward this vision – it is our diary of solar in Philadelphia.
Solar States would certainly not have survived our early years without Philadelphians. This city has a passion for green, and Philadelphia has committed to 100% clean energy by 2050.
Philly will always be our home. We’ve worked hard for years to make solar a benefit for all Philadelphians – be they environmental benefits, financial, or educational – so that when solar wins, everybody wins.
It’s been a journey and we have a lot of journey left. We would like to thank our partners – namely, the City of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Energy Authority, PECO, Youth Build Philly, and the School District of Philadelphia – for making it possible for our to operate a profitable triple-bottom-line of People, Planet, Profit. I
If you have any questions about solar now, or stumble on some interest later, please reach out to us – as always, calling is best. Weekday business hours: (215) 543-6189
Solar States installations in Philadelphia:
530
Above Solar panels go UP in South Philadelphia.
Philadelphia was the 139th U.S. city to commit to 100% clean energy by 2050.
Top News
Solarize Philadelphia is returning soon. This is the City’s solar group-buying program – when many buy together, the price drops for each. More than 650 Philadelphians have gone solar through this program. Learn more and apply here. P.S., anybody can start a solarize campaign.
(video) 6ABC Action News celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by featuring fifty green initiatives across the city. Solar States and Solarize were the focus of this segment. “It makes me proud to be a Philadelphian.”, said the happy customer Kevin Hall.
green = a + b + c
The City aims to install solar on 80% of eligible rooftops by 2050.
Besides a) clean kilowatts, there will be b) clean jobs. Statewide, the number of clean energy jobs already outpaces the number of fossil fuel jobs. Green-collar jobs – designers, installers, and related positions – will continue to bloom as the City moves from solar on 2% of eligible rooftops (today) to 80% in 2050. That’s a lot of new local money.
The growth of our green-collar economy is a growth in the richness and diversity of our city. This scene attracts energy-conscious folks. These are people this city, any city, would do well to attract. Look no further than the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Green Philly blog or the NW Philly Co-op to see how vibrant this community already is.
But a major increase in installations – made possible of late by solar’s 80% price drop in the last 10 years and ongoing government support like the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Solarize Philadelphia – is only the first half of the equation. We can’t add many thousand new local jobs without c) a qualified workforce. We need to train locals for this work, and that’s why we designed the 38-class Find Your Power curriculum (below).
The #1 solar misconception in Philadelphia is that you can’t go solar on flat rooftops. Hogwash!
Find Your Power
We’ve designed the “Find Your Power” curriculum to educate any Philadelphian interested in pursuing a career in solar. Our programs are made possible by educational partners, like the Philadelphia Energy Authority, so that students get a free education with hands-on experience. Our students enter with no previous exposure to the solar industry and graduate as qualified solar installers. A number of Find Your Power graduates now work for Solar States, and we’ve helped place many more in jobs elsewhere.
Recently, we’ve hosted programs at Ben Franklin High School, Youth Build Philly, and Bryn Mawr College. The programs range from 6-weeks, full-time, to a full year or part-time coursework. Application requirements vary. Contact us for specifics about individual programs.
The Solar Schools Initiative
The Solar Schools Initiative was a pilot program designed to create local jobs and train students by installing solar on 20 local schools (the whole 2013 pitch can be read here). We invested three years of weekly volunteering in to this program, and although we couldn’t sustain it (we could not secure necessary financing for a Director), this video summarizes the work and mission, and some of what we did accomplish. Our education programs have evolved, but the mission – educate the next generation – remains.
The Solar Schools Report
Read the Philadelphia Energy Authority’s study on the costs and benefits of rooftop solar for the School District of Philadelphia (SDP): “This report demonstrates that SDP could save hundreds of thousands of dollars in electricity costs by installing rooftop solar on a single school. If solar is installed at scale across SDP’s buildings, savings could exceed $25 million. “
The On-Ramp to Philadelphia’s Green Collar Economy
The clean energy sector needs more well-trained employees to meet the demand for new work – installers, permitters, designers, and more. We partner with organizations like the Philadelphia Energy Authority, OIC Philadelphia, and PowerCorps PHL to provide FREE solar training programs to inner-city Philadelphians. Graduates are either offered job placement assistance or hired by Solar States. Below is a map of current Solar States employees who came through these free programs. The icons show the program we hired them from and the neighborhoods they currently reside in.
(above) source: NPR
The Philadelphia Gone Solar Club
Our customers are the true leaders of our region’s Green Collar Economy.
If you are considering solar in Philly, please read:
In our industry there is too much noise – bad or unhelpful information that misleads you.
Our position is that it’s best to see things honest from the start – no empty promises. The truth is: a solar installation is an involved process, and varies greatly by region. We cross our i’s and dot our t’s, and we see a lot of i’s and too many t’s: applications, permits, incentives, contracts, e-mails and e-mails. Done well, this is not a click-to-buy purchase. But, twelve years in, we’ve managed to make your experience seamless, or close. We get ahead of problems and keep you in the loop. Forever after you’re installed, we’re only a phone call away. Read our reviews for more about the customer experience.
If you don’t know which questions to ask but want to begin, just reach out with a ‘hello’ and our team will take care of you. We’ll tell you which questions you should be asking and be sure to provide suggestions grounded in your reality.
The #1 solar misconception in Philadelphia is that “I can’t go solar with my rooftop”. Hogwash, yes you can. Philadelphia is a difficult area to install in – narrow streets, flat or awkward rooftops – but it’s our backyard and we’re very comfortable here. If you heard from another installer that you cannot go solar, or are of that opinion, please contact us – if there’s a way, we’ll find it.
Here are some facts to remember:
- The price of a solar installation varies by rooftop, location, available incentives, energy production requirements and more. Be careful not to glean too much from a friend’s or the internet’s price – yours could be considerably less, or more.
- The limited-time 26% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is now available. Now really is the best time to go solar, while you can access these discounts.
- The Philadelphia Solar Rebate is no longer available – funds ran out.
- The City’s group-buying program, Solarize Philadelphia, is set to return in 2021. If you’re interested in those discounts, apply here! They will pre-qualify you before connecting you to Solar States.
- We’ve had an uptick in battery requests of late. They are available. We are a Certified Powerwall installer.
- We pay $500 for referrals. Referrals make our world go ’round.
For your viewing pleasure..
Our Dan Fischl recorded his 30-minute Intro to Solar. It’s not Netflix, it’s better.
Solar for ALL Philadelphians
In order for us to reach our ambitious climate goals, solar needs to be accessible to everyone. The prices have dropped dramatically, but for low-income residents the cost is often too high, even with very small rooftops and minimal system requirements. In 2019, we installed our first LMI (low-moderate income) job in Philadelphia. We partnered with the Philadelphia Energy Authority through the Solar Savings Grant Program to create a path to solar for FIFTY low-moderate income Philadelphians. For some, this was the first solar installation in the neighborhood. We hope our work with this program can be replicated by other installers across the United States to bring solar to these residents on a far larger scale, and we’re excited to continue to develop this program beside the PEA. Below is a map of the LMI installations we have completed in Philadelphia at the time of this writing.
Below is a map of our Philadelphia installations. Our goal is to drive more installations in areas where median income is lower, like in Hunting Park, where we’re now involved in the Hunting Park Solar Initiative.
Recorded LIVE from the 215
Solar in Pennsylvania can’t thrive without government support. In episode 4 of our podcast, Yoooo Sun!!!, energy consultant Jared Paschko & Solar States founder Micah Gold-Markel reviewed the state of solar in PA. Are you familiar with the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS), or Pennsylvania’s energy history and profile? Pennsylvania energy is a wild landscape, with a rich history rooted in fossil-fuels – how does the government help to make room for renewables? Learn about this and more, and subscribe on iTunes and Spotify.
Philly is home.
By 2050 we’ll have reduced our annual carbon output by 80% (compared with 2006 levels). In order to meet this goal, we’ll have to evolve, and quick. We hope you’ll join as an advocate, student, system owner, or friend as we and many others work to build the green-collar economy of Philadelphia’s future.
The New Philadelphia
Solar of a City was organized by our own Adam Stein. “Solar of a City is a showcase of the city of Philadelphia as well as it’s changing energy infrastructure. The purpose of this showcase is to give you an understanding of the complexity and intricacies of the city and how those very complexities can foster something beautiful.” See Philadelphia like never before. Adam likes drones…
Any questions?
About Solar States
Solar States is a solar installer and educator based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We are a certified B-Corp and Best for the World Nominee in both 2018 and 2019. We can install solar on any roof – residential or commercial – in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Maryland. If you have any questions about a transition to a sustainable energy system for your property, we can answer them.
Founded with a dual mission to install solar and educate the next generation.
