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Sharon Yeager – PA

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January 28, 2025

Federal incentives secure financial stability for Pittsburgh homeowner

By: Gabe Hutchison

Pennsylvania homeowners like Sharon Yeager are accessing the financial and environmental benefits of solar energy thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Sharon’s interest in solar was sparked in the 1970s. “It just made sense to me,” she reflected. The sun shines for free.” Now a Pittsburgh resident, that flame was fanned many decades later when Sharon learned the IRA had increased the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) to 30%.

Intrigued by the potential savings, Sharon attended an information session hosted by the Solar United Neighbors Allegheny County Solar Co-op. There, she discovered not only how the ITC could lower her costs, but that by going solar through the Co-op, she’d receive a bulk discount that would also connect her with a vetted, local installer. “That was what made it comfortable for me,” Sharon said. “It seemed very turnkey.”

To me, the bottom line reason [to go solar] is still that it’s the right thing to do. We should not be waiting for our kids or grandkids to solve the problems being caused by fossil fuel

The group’s installer outfitted her home with a 5-kilowatt roof-mounted array that went live in January 2023. The ITC cut 30% off the $19,000 price tag.

Going solar fits into Sharon’s broader plan to realign her energy use. Living in a home with baseboard heat, Sharon replaced her gas boiler with an electric one because she knew she’d soon be going solar. “I wanted the house to be all-electric. I wanted to be able to contribute to decarbonizing the environment,” she explained.

By making this switch, she not only reduced her reliance on fossil fuels but also found relief from steep winter heating costs. “In the winter, when I had gas, sometimes my bills were like $900.” Now, instead of purchasing all of her power from the utility company, Sharon can heat her home with the electricity she generates herself.

In the summer, my electric bills every month are $0.

During the warmer months, the system meets all her energy needs, and any excess power is fed back onto the grid to meet local demand. This overproduction earns her credits on future bills through a policy called net metering. “Because I’m banking in the summer, that helps me with the winter bills,” she added. “It has made the winter bills affordable.”

For Sharon, going solar sprung from a desire to live more sustainably. It reduced her reliance on fossil fuels but also brought long-term financial stability. “It’s [supporting] my ability to stay in my home. The house is paid off. I’d really rather not leave, and it helps with my operating costs,” she said.

Because I’ve switched, what I’m generating in the nice warm sunny months is subsidizing what it cost me to heat [my home] in the winter.

The IRA enabled Sharon to access the benefits of distributed renewable energy. She now encourages others interested in solar to follow suit. “It’s nice that there are federal government incentives. You should definitely take advantage of that.”