News > Preserving historic charm through solar

Preserving historic charm through solar

• Solar accessibility

March 20, 2026

In 2023, my husband and I bought our beautiful home in a Historic District of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I am very adamant about retaining the historic integrity of the place. One way to make living in a historic home easier is to lower the burden of heating it and keeping it cool. 

Going solar was a no-brainer for us. The cost of electricity is probably only going to continue to go up, and we didn’t want to rely on gas for environmental reasons. Our solar system is going to pay itself off very quickly, and it will really help us manage our monthly bills. 

I found out about Solar United Neighbors through the president of the company I work for. He is very environmentally focused, and went solar through a solar co-op in Maryland. I searched up Solar United Neighbors, and luckily, they were launching a co-op right here in Harrisburg! My company also offers a $1,000 rebate if we make a personal change in our life that will have a positive environmental impact, so I was able to offset a small portion of this installation. 

There are a lot of misconceptions about solar, and people think they can’t do it if they have a flat roof, or if they live in a Historic District or Homeowners’ Association. But it really is possible for many people. 

Here’s how the process worked for us: To install solar in a Historic District in Harrisburg, you have to apply for a permit through the Historical Architectural Review Board. You fill out a form with basic information about the building, who’s doing the work, and what’s being done. Every project is considered on its own merit. You also have to supply photos of your home, so I incorporated drone footage that the solar company provided. We also had to work with an electrician licensed through the City of Harrisburg.

Once we had all our paperwork in place, we submitted our application three weeks before the next Board meeting. An administrator in the City reviewed the application first and made recommendations. In our case, he actually made the point that if we want people to live in historic homes, they need to be able to afford it! Then, we attended the Board meeting and answered their questions. Right there at the meeting, they let us know they approved the application, and then we could get our permit and move forward with the installation. 

We’re so glad we went solar when we did. Electricity prices are skyrocketing, and this is really going to help make living in our historic home more affordable.

The solar company provided everything I needed for the paperwork required for our Historic Review Board. Andrew, the sales rep from Exact Solar, even came to the Board meeting to answer their questions. The whole process was very easy.

Once I joined the co-op, I was part of the Selection Committee, which was a cool experience. I really appreciated the transparency into the bids and the process. The solar co-op had a lot of helpful, vendor-neutral information available for the members. It was so valuable and fun to be able to ask all my questions. Plus, we definitely saved money by going solar with the co-op, based on the quotes I received previously. 

The people of Harrisburg are very interested in solar energy, and many people supported our installation. Someone posted a photo of our house on Facebook and said that it was encouraging to see solar here in the city. 

If you’re interested in going solar, do your homework. When you do research, you can better advocate for yourself. When shopping for solar panels, it’s so easy to be surprised, which you don’t want to have happen when you’re spending tens of thousands of dollars. The solar co-op gave me the peace of mind to go solar through a trusted non-profit. 

We’re so glad we went solar when we did. Electricity prices are skyrocketing, and this is really going to help make living in our historic home more affordable.

— Manda Shafer