Regional businesses and organizations in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties were encouraged to attend so they could learn how to save money on their electricity bills by going solar.
GET Solar SWPA will offer trusted, unbiased technical assistance and financial guidance to organizations and businesses considering making the transition to solar energy to save money and stabilize their electricity bills.
This program will include coordinated outreach with help from regional partners to maximize the number of entities that could benefit from solar.
Partners for GET Solar SWPA include--
-- Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
-- Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance
-- Congress of Neighboring Communities: CONNECT
-- PA Sustainable Business Network
-- Sustainable Pittsburgh / Sustainable PA
-- RiverWise
-- SWPA Hub
At the June 25th meeting, the PA Solar Center went over federal tax incentives, grants, and special financing for going solar, which can save organizations a significant portion of the cost for installing solar on their properties, as well as help in connecting them to qualified and reputable solar developers.
“Energy bills have risen significantly over the past few years, and they increased yet again by an additional 15 percent on June 1,” said Sharon Pillar, Founder and Executive Director of the PA Solar Center. “However, larger consumers of energy like businesses and other organizations can often save thousands to tens of thousands of dollars on their annual electric bills by going solar. Further, there are current tax credits and grant programs in place that can make the transition very favorable to the consumer – but we don’t know how long these programs will be around, so we’re encouraging businesses and tax-exempt organizations to lock them in by going solar as soon as possible.”
“SPC’s Climate Action Plan tells us that including solar in our energy portfolio is an important part of our region’s economic and environmental future,” said Rich Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. “We’re proud to be part of the coalition bringing sustainable solutions to Southwestern Pennsylvania.”
Visit the GET Solar SWPA Program for more information.
Solar Saving Money
Many graduates of the GET Solar program from other regions of the state are now saving a lot of money by going solar.
For example, Wesley Family Services, a nonprofit in Westmoreland County, recently went solar with GET Solar’s help and estimates that their solar system will save them $700,000 over the next 25 years.
Their solar system covers an estimated 78% of their monthly electricity requirement.
Another graduate of GET Solar is New York Blower Company in Lawrence County. New York Blower Company’s solar system offsets 100 percent of their energy usage. Additional GET
Click Here for more solar success stories.
Mapping Solar Potential
The PA Solar Center is currently mapping the solar potential of non-residential entities in many communities through its volunteer PA SolarCorps program.
After assessing 77 communities in Western PA, PA Solar Center has discovered 1,185 entities so far that, if they went solar, would have the potential to generate 323 megawatts of distributed solar, which translates into an estimated $973,807,000 of savings over the next 25 years.
This illustrates the enormous potential for creating significant savings for the region that translates into the ability for businesses to hire more workers, schools to save teacher salaries, municipalities to avoid tax hikes, and nonprofits and faith communities to better serve the mission of their organizations that benefit their communities.
Solar energy is the fastest growing energy in the country and is saving businesses, nonprofits, communities, and residents thousands of dollars in utility bills.
Entities that go solar are hedging against volatile electricity pricing because the cost of solar, once the upfront equipment costs are paid, is free.
Visit the GET Solar webpage for more information.
The PA Solar Center is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with the mission to expand the benefits of solar to all Pennsylvanians by helping to reduce the cost of electricity.
The Center offers technical assistance to non-profit organizations, businesses, and communities to help them go solar, savvy media communications and online resources for all solar stakeholders, and education for decision-makers and advocates about the benefits of robust solar policy.
Related Articles This Week:
-- PA Solar Center Launches GET Solar Program To Expand Solar Energy In 10-County Southwest PA Region To Help Businesses, Nonprofits Save Money [PaEN]
-- PA Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Promote Solar Energy On Warehouses To Lower Energy Costs, Expand Renewable Energy [PaEN]
-- PennTAP Hosts July 17 Webinar On Funding & Incentives To Support Pollution Prevention and Energy Efficiency Projects [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Community Solar Energy - An Energy Plan To Sustain Rural Pennsylvania - by Former Republican Rep. Jim Gregory, Justin Mason, Conservative Energy Network Pennsylvania
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Pennsylvania’s Clean Energy Momentum In Crosshairs Of The Congressional Republican One Big Beautiful Bill
[Posted: June 25, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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