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Philadelphia Solar Rebate

Encouraging property owners to install solar through a one-time rebate payment from the City.

Photo by Solar States
The Philadelphia Solar Rebate Program is currently closed due to budget cuts related to COVID-19. You can still submit an application, which will place you on a waiting list. If funding is restored, applications will be processed in the order they were received.

About

The Philadelphia Solar Rebate is an incentive program that encourages property owners to install solar photovoltaic systems in Philadelphia. This one-time incentive payment will be issued by the City after the solar project has been installed and has received Permission to Operate from PECO.

Philadelphia City Council and Mayor Kenney established the rebate in 2019 to take action on climate change and drive local economic development.

Rebate amounts

The rebate is based on the DC system size of the solar project. It amounts to:

  • $0.20 per watt for residential projects.
  • $0.10 per watt for commercial projects.

Solar Rebates are capped at $100,000 per project. 10% of the Rebate funds will be reserved for low- and moderate-income households.

Project types

Projects will be considered residential if they are installed on a building that is legally used as a single-family residence or a multi-family residential structure of no more than three units. Projects installed on any other property will be considered commercial.

Connect

Address
Philadelphia Energy Authority
City Hall, Room 566
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Email solarrebate@philaenergy.org

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the Solar Rebate, applicants must:

  • Have installed solar on their property located in the city of Philadelphia.
  • Have received Permission to Operate from PECO on or after July 1, 2019.
  • Be current with or in a payment agreement for all taxes and other indebtedness to the City.
  • Not have any unresolved building code or other property-related code violations.

Government or government-related projects will be subject to approval based solely on the discretion of the sustainability director.

Process

1
Submit your application online or by mail.

You can apply using our online Solar Rebate application.

Or, you can print a Solar Rebate application and email it to solarrebate@philaenergy.org with the required supporting documents.

2
The Philadelphia Energy Authority will review your application.

Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received. Payments will be processed within 4–6 weeks, pending availability of funds. The Solar Rebate is not to exceed a total payment of $100,000 per project.

If not enough funds are available in a given fiscal year, your application will be considered to have been filed on the first day of the next fiscal year.

3
If your application is approved, you will receive your Solar Rebate.

After receiving a Solar Rebate, you must ensure that your solar installation:

  • Remains in operation for at least 36 months following installation.
  • Produces at least 80% of the energy which was projected in the application on an annual basis during the first three years of operation.

Commercial projects must submit an annual solar energy production report (showing monthly production for the previous 12 months) no later than 13 months after receiving the Solar Rebate and each year for two more years.

All projects must submit a solar production report upon request of the City.

If the solar installation does not comply with these requirements, the property owner may be required to refund the rebate to the Philadelphia Energy Authority.


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