On Thursday, March 27, nonprofit the PA Solar Center will host a free in-person meeting for Westmoreland County businesses and tax-exempt organizations to learn how they can save money on their electricity bill by going solar.

The meeting will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Economic Growth Connection Boardroom at North Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 510, in Greensburg. Lunch will be served at the free meeting.

At the meeting, the PA Solar Center will go over federal tax incentives and special regional financing for going solar, which can save organizations 30 percent or more in the cost for installing solar on their properties.

The PA Solar Center will also discuss their G.E.T. Solar program, which provides free or low-cost technical assistance and financial guidance to businesses and organizations looking to go solar, as well as help in connecting them to qualified and reputable solar developers.

“With energy bills rising an average of 40-50 percent over the past few years and projected to rise up to an additional 29 percent in 2025, many consumers are saving significantly by flipping the switch to solar,” said Sharon Pillar, Founder and Executive Director of the PA Solar Center. “Larger consumers of energy like businesses and other organizations can often save thousands to tens of thousands of dollars on their electric bills. 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.”

One Westmoreland County nonprofit organization, Wesley Family Services, recently went solar with the help of the PA Solar Center.

Their solar installation covers an estimated 78% of their annual electricity requirement, and they estimate that the system will save them $700,000 over 25 years.

The PA Solar Center can then provide a high-level estimate of your solar potential either during the March 27th meeting or not long afterwards. Attendance at the meeting is free, but registration is required.

The PA Solar Center has mapped about 320 sites throughout Westmoreland County’s 11 identified Low Income Disadvantaged Communities (LIDAC) that could benefit from solar energy.

Their efforts have spotted opportunities for about 93 megawatts of distributed solar, with a potential for more than $300 million in electricity savings over 25 years for the county. 

Solar energy is the fastest growing energy in the country and is saving businesses, nonprofits, communities, and residents thousands of dollars in utility bills.

Businesses that go solar are hedging against volatile electricity pricing because the cost of solar, once the upfront equipment costs are paid, is free.

Organizations interested in attending this meeting should register online and fill out a prequalification survey by March 25.

The Pennsylvania Solar Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit effort to raise the awareness of the benefits of solar energy in Pennsylvania. Click Here to sign up for regular updates.

Related Articles This Week:

-- House Energy Committee Reports Out Bill To Unlock A State Freeze On $156 Million In Federal Funding For Solar For All Program  [PaEN]

-- House Environmental Committee OK’d Bills Expanding C-PACE Financing For EV Charging; Study Lake Erie Renewable Energy; Promoting Invertebrate Biodiversity [PaEN]

-- Our Solar PA Coalition Highlights How Community Solar Energy Legislation Is A People-Centered Solution For Clean Energy  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Solar Power Can Propel Pennsylvania Towards Meeting Energy Demands -  By Sharon Pillar, Pennsylvania Solar Center  [PaEN]

-- Senate Environmental Committee Meets March 24 On Stream ‘Cleaning,’ Solar Energy Facility Decommissioning, Lake Erie Groin Fee Bills [PaEN]

-- PA Solar Center: Westmoreland County Businesses, Tax-Exempt Organizations Can Learn How to Save Money On Electric Bills At March 27 In-Person Meeting  [PaEN]

-- Philadelphia Solar Energy Assn.:  Solar Panel Recycling, Refurbishment Now Available In Philly Area  [PaEN]

-- Washington & Jefferson College To Host April 9 Webinar On Energy, Economy And A.I. - Data Centers And Pennsylvania's Future  [PaEN] 

-- City & State PA Hosts April 22 Energy Summit - The Future Of Energy In Pennsylvania  [PaEN] 

-- Community Advocates For Clean Energy To Introduce Green Schools Campaign In Southeast PA During April 1 Webinar  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Youth For Climate Action Summit Set For March 29  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension: April 2 Webinar: Gravity Energy Storage -  Giving Inactive Oil Wells A Second Life  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Research: Reusing Old Oil And Gas Wells For Energy Storage Using Compressed Air Technology  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- The Allegheny Front: PA House Committee Takes First Step To Access Federal Low-Income Solar Funds

-- Warren Times Editorial: Solar Energy Has Benefits For Schools

-- First Student, School Transportation Company, Pittsburgh Public Schools Roll Out 16 New Electric School Buses

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Clean Energy, Strong Economy: PA’s Proposed Budget Seeks Both - By Fmr Rep. Kate Harper (R)  and Fmr Cong. Conor Lamb (D), Energy Future PA

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: How Pittsburgh Airport’s Microgrid Prevents Heathrow-Like Outages

[Posted: March 18, 2025]

3/24/2025