Solar in Altoona, PA
With Valley Rural Electric Cooperative's electricity at about 16.2¢ per kWh and 1,174 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Altoona home today: about a 13.3-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 13.3 yrsPennsylvania: 9.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $34,352after paying $28,500
- Sun
- 1,174kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 16.2¢10% below U.S. average
A typical Altoona home, by the numbers
| Utility | Valley Rural Electric Cooperative |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 977 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 10 kW, about 23 panels, 11,740 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $28,500 |
| First-year savings | $1,817 |
| Payback | 13.3 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (Pennsylvania rule) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Altoona
- Owner-occupied homes
- 64%
- Single-family detached
- 69%
- Median home value
- $120k
- Median year built
- 1944
- Population
- 43,196
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 80%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 16,053 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Older housing stock. Many homes here were built before 1975. Have the roof and electrical panel checked before signing; a roof or panel upgrade can add thousands. Roof first?
Installers working in Altoona
Public installation records for Pennsylvania don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in Pennsylvania.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Altoona
Is solar worth it in Altoona, PA?
For a typical home in Altoona, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 10 kW system costs about $28,500 after state incentives, saves about $1,817 in year one and pays back in about 13.3 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Altoona?
About 1,174 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 9% less than the Pennsylvania average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Altoona?
Most homes in Altoona are served by Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, at about 16.2¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by REA Energy Cooperative, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric.
How much do solar panels cost in Altoona?
A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $28,500 for a 10 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- State College 10.8 yrs
- Plum 9.2 yrs
- Monroeville 9.3 yrs
- Harrisburg 10.1 yrs
- Pittsburgh 9.3 yrs
- Bethel Park 9.2 yrs
- Williamsport 10.6 yrs
- York 11.6 yrs
- All of Pennsylvania
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.