Typical home: Worth it

Solar in Plum, PA

With Duquesne Light's electricity at about 25.5¢ per kWh and 1,206 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Plum home today: about a 9.2-year payback.

Payback, typical home
9.2 yrsPennsylvania: 9.9 yrs
25-year net
$45,189after paying $18,750
Sun
1,206kWh per kW per year
Electricity
25.5¢42% above U.S. average

A typical Plum home, by the numbers

UtilityDuquesne Light
Electricity use616 kWh a month
Best-value system6.1 kW, about 14 panels, 7,354 kWh a year (99% of use)
Cost$18,750
First-year savings$1,773
Payback9.2 years
Exported powerFull retail net metering (Duquesne Light)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 3.5% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in Plum

kWh per kW each month, south-facing at 20° tilt. PVWatts v8 with local typical-year weather.

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan65
Feb75
Mar110
Apr120
May133
Jun127
Jul134
Aug127
Sep110
Oct90
Nov69
Dec46

Homes in Plum

Owner-occupied homes
81%
Single-family detached
78%
Median home value
$228k
Median year built
1972
Population
26,723
Roofs suitable for solar†
91%

Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 10,379 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 Plum

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 Plum

Is solar worth it in Plum, PA?

For a typical home in Plum, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 6.1 kW system costs about $18,750 after state incentives, saves about $1,773 in year one and pays back in about 9.2 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in Plum?

About 1,206 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 7% less than the Pennsylvania average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in Plum?

Most homes in Plum are served by Duquesne Light, at about 25.5¢ per kWh on average.

How much do solar panels cost in Plum?

A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $18,750 for a 6.1 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.

Nearby

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.