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Sustainable Development Fund

Solar PV Grants

SDF Solar PV Grant Program No Longer Accepting New Applications

The program will continue to fund the applications it has already approved and it will continue to process the applications already in hand, but it will not be accepting additional new applications that are either received or post-marked after December 31, 2005. Read full notice.

Updates about the Solar PV Grant Program

If you would like to receive notice from the SDF Solar PV Grant Program when the program can begin receiving applications again and other program updates, please complete the following and then hit the “submit” button.  This information will not be shared with anyone other than SDF.

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SDF’s Solar PV Grant Program provides grants to homeowners and businesses that purchase and install solar photovoltaic systems to generate electricity. Often called "solar electricity," photovoltaics (PV) is the direct conversion of sunlight to electricity.

The technology is an attractive alternative to conventional sources of electricity for many reasons: 

  • it is non-polluting and renewable;
  • it has no moving parts and therefore are extremely reliable, silent, and very low maintenance;
  • it requires no special training to operate; and 
  • it is modular, versatile and can be installed almost anywhere. 

SDF offers grants to support the purchase and installation of qualified solar photovoltaic systems in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Eligibility Criteria 

To be eligible for SDF’s solar PV grants, you should:

  • Be an electricity customer located in the PECO Energy service territory. Residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers are eligible. You may have an electricity supplier different than PECO Energy, but the photovoltaic systems must be in the PECO Energy service territory. 
  • Have a solar photovoltaic system that is sized between 1 kW and 5 kW (nominal dc watts at Standard Test Conditions) and that is on the program’s list of eligible systems or components. Find out if your PV system qualifies. 
  • Have a solar photovoltaic system that is installed by an official Participating Contractor. Learn about the standards for participating contractors.
  • Have a solar photovoltaic system that is installed so as to produce at least 70% of the system's optimum output. Learn more about installation standards for PV Systems. 

Grant Amounts 

SDF is offering PV grants up to a maximum of $25,000 for qualifying PV systems. The PV grant will be paid in several installments. The first payment, made upon inspection and approval of the installed system, will be equal to $4 per wattDC of the installed system capacity, up to a maximum payment of $20,000 – until further notice; then it will be revised to $3/watt, up to a maximum of $15,000. This payment is made to the installer of the PV system. All participating contractors have agreed to credit the system buyers with this payment.

The second payment is made at the first anniversary of the system and is equal to $1 per kilowatt-hour that the system has produced during the first 12 months of operation, up to a maximum payment of $5,000. At the same time, a payment will be made to the system installer equal to $0.10 per kWh generated by the system during these 12 months of operation, up to a maximum payment of $250 per system. The two later payments will give both the owner and the installer a significant incentive to monitor system performance and to make certain that the system is performing well.

How the Program Works 

After reviewing all the information about the SDF Solar PV Grant Program, it is important to understand the roles carried out by the customer (system owner), the Participating Contractor (PV installer) and the PV program administrator. The Participating Contractor works closely with the PV program administrator, but it’s the contractor who will enter the contract with the customer and be the responsible party. The PV program administrator works with the participating contractor to make sure things are done properly and issues the payments. 

For a better understanding of the chronological steps to be taken by the customer, participating contractor and the PV program administrator as part of the SDF Solar PV Grant Program, read our PV Grant Program Steps.

For More Information

If you would like more information on SDF’s Solar PV Grant Program, email the program administrator at SolarPV@TRFund.com, call 215-635-0900 or write to:

Program Administrator
SDF Solar PV Grant Program
7217 Oak Avenue
Melrose Park, PA 19027-3222

For additional information on PV, visit the following websites: