Expert Craftsmanship

Expert Craftsmanship | Solar Installation | Electrical | Philadelphia

Step into a cleaner, brighter future with HEP’s master electricians, the Philadelphia natives who know how to marry old-world workmanship with cutting-edge tech. From the moment our team maps sunlight onto your rooftop to the final flip of the breaker, every connection is treated like a fine craft—measured twice, cut once, and polished for decades of performance. We navigate historic row-home rooftops, slate shingles, and tight city lots with the steady hands and local savvy only lifelong Philly pros can bring. If you want panels that look sharp, run flawlessly, and boost your home’s value the moment they power up, you’ve found the right crew.

Our turnkey solar installation service includes meticulous electrical load analysis, custom array design, permit wrangling, and real-time production monitoring, all backed by transparent communication and ironclad warranties. Whether you’re reducing utility bills in South Philly or powering a Passyunk brew house with sun-soaked kilowatts, HEP delivers precision, safety, and enduring savings—one perfectly wired panel at a time.

FAQs

What incentives and rebates are available for residential solar installations in Philadelphia?

Homeowners in Philadelphia can combine several financial incentives to reduce upfront costs. The 30 % Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is available nationwide and can be applied to the total system cost, including labor and electrical upgrades. Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Solar Rebate program periodically offers $0.50–$0.70 per watt for residential projects when funding is available. In addition, you can earn Pennsylvania Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs); every 1 MWh your system produces generates one SREC that can be sold on the open market, providing ongoing income. PECO customers may also apply for net-metering, which credits excess power sent to the grid at the full retail rate, lowering monthly electric bills. Finally, Philadelphia’s Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing can be used for larger multifamily or commercial projects to spread payments over up to 20 years.

How do I know if my roof is suitable for solar panels?

We begin every project with a free site assessment that measures roof age, material, pitch, orientation, and shading. In Philadelphia, south-facing roofs between 15° and 40° tilt capture the most sun, but east- and west-facing arrays can still achieve 85–90 % of optimal production. Using drone imagery and NREL’s PVWatts software, we create a shade analysis to ensure annual losses stay below 10 %. The roof should be in good condition with at least 10–15 years of life left; otherwise, we recommend re-roofing before installation to avoid future removal costs. If the roof is unsuitable, we can explore ballasted flat-roof systems, ground mounts (where zoning allows), or building-integrated solar shingles.

What permits and inspections are required in Philadelphia for a solar installation?

All solar projects inside city limits must receive an Electrical Permit and a separate Building Permit from the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections (L&I). Structural drawings stamped by a Pennsylvania-licensed engineer are mandatory for rooftop systems to verify that the building can support wind and snow loads. After L&I approval, we file an interconnection application with PECO for grid-tied systems. Once the array is installed, L&I conducts both electrical and building inspections, followed by a PECO inspection before the utility installs the bidirectional meter. Our team handles every step of this paperwork and schedules all inspections on your behalf, ensuring full code compliance with the 2018 International Building Code and the 2020 NEC as adopted by Pennsylvania.

How does a grid-tied solar system work with PECO net metering?

A grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) system produces DC power that inverters convert to AC power synchronized with PECO’s grid. When your home needs more power than the array produces (nighttime or heavy appliance use), electricity flows in from the grid as usual. When the array produces more than you consume, the excess is exported and spins your bidirectional meter backward, generating kWh credits at the full retail rate. PECO reconciles these credits on your monthly bill; if you produce more than you use over a 12-month period (June-May cycle), PECO will cut you a check at the wholesale energy rate for the surplus. Batteries are optional; without them, your system shuts down during an outage for safety, but we can integrate hybrid inverters and lithium-ion storage to keep critical loads powered while still participating in net metering.

How long does a typical solar installation take from contract to commissioning?

For a standard 10 kW residential rooftop array, the timeline is usually 8–12 weeks. Design and permitting take 3–4 weeks, depending on L&I review speed. PECO interconnection approval typically adds another 1–2 weeks. Once permits are in hand, we schedule installation; physical mounting, wiring, and inspection readiness generally require 1–2 days on-site. L&I inspections follow within a week, and final PECO meter swap and PTO (Permission To Operate) are completed about 1–2 weeks later. Complex projects—such as structural reinforcements, service-panel upgrades, or battery integration—can extend the schedule slightly. We provide a detailed Gantt chart at contract signing so you’ll know what to expect at every stage.

What kind of maintenance do solar panels require and what is their expected lifespan?

Solar PV systems are inherently low-maintenance because they have no moving parts. In Philadelphia’s climate, rainfall naturally cleans most debris, but we recommend an annual visual inspection and light rinsing if pollen or soot accumulation exceeds 5 % power loss. Our workmanship warranty includes one complimentary maintenance visit during Year 1, and our remote monitoring platform alerts us to any performance anomalies. Panels are warrantied for 25 years to produce at least 80–85 % of their original output, and real-world data shows many arrays still exceed 90 % after 30 years. Inverters typically carry 10- to 12-year warranties and can be extended to 25 years; replacements are straightforward and far cheaper than the initial install. Snow sliding off panels is generally self-clearing due to dark surfaces warming quickly, but we advise against manually scraping to avoid scratching the glass.