Solar Panels Pros and Cons: An Honest Guide for Pennsylvania Homeowners
Pennsylvania’s electric bills have constantly increased year over year, and if you’re tired of watching your utility bill constantly increase. You’ve probably wondered whether solar panels are worth it.
So you are trying to weigh the pros and cons of solar power panels and see if it’s the right choice as an initial investment to save more long term.
When considering a solar panel installation, it’s important how solar energy works. So in this blog, we’ll give you all the insights on solar panels’ pros and cons, as well as how it works within Pennsylvania.
The Pros of Solar Panels
Let’s start with the advantages of solar energy:
1. Lower Electric Bills
The biggest draw of solar is the savings. A solar energy system generates your own electricity, so you buy less from the utility and your monthly bills drop. Many Pennsylvania homeowners reach their payback period, the point where energy savings cover the cost of the system, in roughly 8 to 12 years, depending on system size, energy use, and available incentives.
After that, the electricity your panels produce is essentially free for the rest of the system’s 25+ year lifespan.
2. Protection From Rising Electricity Rates
Cost of electricity within Pennsylvania is constantly adjusting and over the long run they’ve constantly trended upwards. Once your solar panel system is installed, the cost of the electricity it produces locks in for decades, no matter what happens to the utility prices. The more rates rise, the more your panels save you, turning solar into a hedge against future price hikes rather than just a way to lower today’s bill.
3. Incentives That Still Pay (SRECs and Net Metering)
There’s solar incentives such as net metering, which means with any excess energy your panels send back to the electric grid earns you bill credits, which helps offset the months when your system produces less, like in winter.
With solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs), you can earn extra income simply for producing clean energy. Your system earns one SREC for every 1,000 kilowatt-hours (1 MWh) of electricity it generates, and you can sell those certificates on Pennsylvania’s SREC market to a utility company, usually through a broker or aggregator.
4. Higher Home Value (When You Own the System)
Having home solar panels installed increases your property value. Buyers see a solar power system as an upgrade that comes with lowered utility bills, and a 2019 zillow analysis found that homes with solar sold about 4.1% more on average in comparison to other homes.
The main thing to point out is ownership, since solar leases or power purchase agreements (PPA) work differently. Either buyer has to qualify to take over the contract or you have to buy it out which can be somewhat complicated when selling your home with solar panels.
5. Low Maintenance and a 25+ Year Lifespan
After setting up solar panels there’s really not much maintenance needed. Probably the occasional cleaning which you should do around one or twice a year on average depending on the recent weather.
Most common service items are solar inverters as well as monitoring connectivity itself. But with warranty depending on the solar company.
Solar panels themselves are built to last 25 to 30 years or more. Here at Ethical Energy Solar, we back them with a performance warranty guaranteeing they’ll still produce a set percentage of their original output.
6. Backup Power and Energy Independence (With a Battery)
Solar panels on their own can’t keep your lights on during a power outage. For safety reasons, grid-tied systems automatically shut off when the grid goes down, so utility crews aren’t put at risk while making repairs.
Having a solar battery storage changes that. Instead of sending all your excess energy back to the grid, your system stores some of it in the battery, ready to use when you need it.
During an outage, that stored energy can keep your essentials running, like your refrigerator, lights, Wi-Fi, and sump pump. Depending on the size of your battery, you may be able to power more of your home.
A battery also lets you use your own energy storage at night instead of pulling from the grid, giving you more control over your energy and less reliance on your utility.
7. Cleaner Energy for Your Household
Having solar will provide a renewable energy source that lowers your carbon footprint and has a positive environmental impact.
Helping with reduce greenhouse gas emissions by relying less on fossil fuels as well as reducing carbon emissions and a smaller contribution to climate change.
The Cons of Solar Panels
Now that we covered the pro’s of solar panels, let’s talk about the disadvantages of solar energy:
1. Upfront Cost If You Buy
The average cost of solar panels within Pennsylvania is around ~$21,600, meaning if you purchase there would be an upfront cost. There is always the alternative of leasing your solar panels or a purchase power agreement.
2. The 30% Homeowner Tax Credit Is Gone
As of December 31, 2025, the 30% federal residential clean energy tax credit is no longer available. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025, ended the credit early, so homeowners who buy a solar system installed in 2026 or later can no longer knock 30% off the cost at tax time.
That being said there are rebates for third party owned solar systems (leases/PPAs), which may still carry a federal credit that the provider can pass through as a lower rate.
3. Output Depends on Sun, Season, and Snow
Solar panels produce the most energy on long, sunny days, so your output will naturally dip in the winter and on cloudy stretches. Pennsylvania gets less sunshine than states like Arizona or Florida, but it still gets plenty for solar to pay off.
Snow can temporarily cover your panels, but it usually slides off the tilted, dark surface within a day or two of sunshine, and cold temperatures actually help panels run more efficiently.
4. Not Every Roof Is a Good Fit
Your roof plays a big role in how well solar performs. South-facing roofs are ideal, though east- and west-facing roofs can still work well. Heavy shade from trees or nearby buildings can cut production significantly, making solar panel placement an impactful decision in energy performance.
Roof age matters too. If your roof will need replacing in the next several years, it’s usually smarter to replace it before installing solar, since removing and reinstalling panels later adds cost. If your roof isn’t a good fit, a ground-mounted system may be an option if you have the space.
5. Solar Alone Won't Keep the Lights On in an Outage
Many homeowners assume solar panels will keep their power on during a blackout, but that’s not how most systems work. As the U.S. Department of Energy explains, grid-tied solar systems are designed to shut off automatically when the grid goes down. This protects utility line workers who are making repairs from electricity being fed back into the lines.
The fix is adding battery storage. A home battery typically costs around $7,000 to $20,000, depending on its size and how much of your home you want to back up. Batteries like the Tesla Powerwall store excess solar energy during the day, so you can keep essentials like your fridge, lights, and sump pump running when the grid goes down.
6. Moving Soon Can Cut Into Your Return
Solar pays off over time, so the longer you stay in your home, the more you save. If you sell before reaching your payback period, you may not fully recover what you spent through energy savings or a higher sale price. How much you get back depends on your local market and whether you own or lease the system.
7. Panels Slowly Lose Efficiency
All solar panels lose a small amount of output each year, a process called degradation. After the first year, most panels degrade about 0.3% to 0.8% per year, which leaves them producing roughly 85% to 92% of their original output after 20 years. It’s a slow, predictable decline, not a sudden drop-off.
Solar panel manufacturing warranties guarantee a minimum output level over the panels’ lifespan, and here at Ethical Energy Solar, we back every system with a 25-year performance guarantee, so you’re protected if your panels underperform.
8. Property Taxes, Insurance, and Curb Appeal
Because solar can raise your home’s value, it can also raise your assessed value. Pennsylvania doesn’t have a statewide property tax exemption for solar, so how your system affects your tax bill depends on your county and municipality. Check with your local assessor before you install. The same logic applies to insurance. A higher home value can increase your replacement cost, so let your insurer know about your system and confirm your coverage.
Looks matter to some homeowners too. If you’re worried about how panels will look on your roof, all-black panels offer a sleeker, lower-profile look that blends in better than traditional panels with silver frames.
Leasing vs. Owning: How the Pros and Cons Change
How you pay for solar changes which pros and cons apply to you. With a solar lease, a solar company installs and owns the panels on your roof, and you pay a fixed monthly payment to use them. With a power purchase agreement (PPA), the company also owns the system, but you pay a set rate for each kilowatt-hour of electricity it produces.
Here’s how the four main options compare:
- Cash: You own the system outright and get the highest lifetime savings. The SRECs and the home value boost are yours. The trade-off is the biggest upfront cost.
- Loan: You own the system with little or nothing down. The SRECs and the home value boost are still yours, but interest adds to your total cost.
- Lease: You pay $0 out of pocket and a fixed monthly payment, and maintenance is included. Lifetime savings are lower, some leases include an annual escalator, and the lease transfers to the buyer when you sell.
- PPA: You pay $0 out of pocket and pay per kWh your system produces at a set rate. Ownership and transfer trade-offs are similar to a lease.Selling or Buying a House With Solar PanelsWhat Solar Looks Like for a Pennsylvania Home
How Ethical Energy Helps You Weigh the Pros and Cons
The best way to know how the pros and cons of solar energy is to see your own numbers. Our four-step process is built to give you exactly that:
- Discovery: We review your electric bills and energy goals to understand your usage.
- Design: We check your roof and sun exposure, then compare owning and leasing side by side so you can choose what fits your budget.
- Solar Installation: Our team installs your system as a registered Silfab Solar installer, using high-quality panels built to last.
- Start Saving: Your system goes live, and you start producing your own clean energy.
As the official solar partner of Penn State Athletics, with offices in York and Pittsburgh, we’re proud to help Pennsylvania homeowners make informed decisions about solar. Learn more about our residential solar services, or schedule your free, no-pressure assessment today. Get a free quote today!
