Solar in Bethlehem, PA
With PPL Electric Utilities's electricity at about 20.3¢ per kWh and 1,250 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Bethlehem home today: about a 10.2-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.2 yrsPennsylvania: 9.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $51,474after paying $26,000
- Sun
- 1,250kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 20.3¢13% above U.S. average
A typical Bethlehem home, by the numbers
| Utility | PPL Electric Utilities |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 942 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 9 kW, about 21 panels, 11,248 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $26,000 |
| First-year savings | $2,188 |
| Payback | 10.2 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (PPL Electric Utilities) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Bethlehem
- Owner-occupied homes
- 50%
- Single-family detached
- 36%
- Median home value
- $260k
- Median year built
- 1957
- Population
- 77,956
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 82%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 17,623 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 Bethlehem
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 Bethlehem
Is solar worth it in Bethlehem, PA?
For a typical home in Bethlehem, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 9 kW system costs about $26,000 after state incentives, saves about $2,188 in year one and pays back in about 10.2 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Bethlehem?
About 1,250 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 4% less than the Pennsylvania average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Bethlehem?
Most homes in Bethlehem are served by PPL Electric Utilities, at about 20.3¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Bethlehem?
A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $26,000 for a 9 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Allentown 10.1 yrs
- Easton 10.1 yrs
- Norristown 10.1 yrs
- Reading 10.1 yrs
- King of Prussia 10 yrs
- Hazleton 10.4 yrs
- Levittown 9.8 yrs
- Philadelphia 9.8 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.