Solar in Wilkes-Barre, PA
With PPL Electric Utilities's electricity at about 20.3¢ per kWh and 1,194 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Wilkes-Barre home today: about a 10.7-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 10.7 yrsPennsylvania: 9.9 yrs
- 25-year net
- $50,150after paying $27,250
- Sun
- 1,194kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 20.3¢13% above U.S. average
A typical Wilkes-Barre home, by the numbers
| Utility | PPL Electric Utilities |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 942 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 9.5 kW, about 22 panels, 11,346 kWh a year (100% of use) |
| Cost | $27,250 |
| First-year savings | $2,184 |
| Payback | 10.7 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 Wilkes-Barre
- Owner-occupied homes
- 51%
- Single-family detached
- 51%
- Median home value
- $117k
- Median year built
- 1943
- Population
- 44,423
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 86%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 12,623 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 Wilkes-Barre
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 Wilkes-Barre
Is solar worth it in Wilkes-Barre, PA?
For a typical home in Wilkes-Barre, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 9.5 kW system costs about $27,250 after state incentives, saves about $2,184 in year one and pays back in about 10.7 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Wilkes-Barre?
About 1,194 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 8% less than the Pennsylvania average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Wilkes-Barre?
Most homes in Wilkes-Barre are served by PPL Electric Utilities, at about 20.3¢ per kWh on average. Some areas are served by UGI Utilities.
How much do solar panels cost in Wilkes-Barre?
A fair cash price is around $3.00 per watt before incentives, so about $27,250 for a 9.5 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
- Scranton 10.7 yrs
- Hazleton 10.4 yrs
- Allentown 10.1 yrs
- Bethlehem 10.2 yrs
- Easton 10.1 yrs
- Williamsport 10.6 yrs
- Reading 10.1 yrs
- Lebanon 10.1 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.