energy future

Sep 25, 2023 | Energy Future | 9 comments

Outlook is bright for PPL Electric Utilities customers looking to add solar panels

PPL Electric supporting the expansion of renewable energy in eastern and central Pennsylvania

If you’re thinking about adding solar panels to your home or business to reduce energy use, save money and improve the environment, you’re not alone.

We’re here to help.

More than 4,500 distributed energy resources, such as solar panels, have been added to our electrical system in 2023, a 224-percent increase over what was added during the same period in 2022. Most residential customers, through our online automated interconnection process, can get approval to interconnect solar panels or other distributed energy resources to the grid in fewer than 24 hours.

Our checklist for distributed energy resources takes the guesswork out of interconnecting to the grid. Check out the key steps to take during each phase – application, design, scheduling and construction – of your project.

Innovation for a cleaner energy future

We’re committed to supporting a clean energy future while providing reliable and affordable power for all of our customers. We’ve implemented smart delivery platforms that balance two-way flows of power to better manage the addition of solar panels and other distributed energy resources (DER). This technology allows for monitoring and active management of every interconnected DER. We can detect voltage or power quality issues affecting customers and correct them remotely.

It’s similar to our innovative smart grid system, which allows us to monitor and make system adjustments remotely, and has improved reliability, notably by helping us avoid more than 1.4 million power outages.

Since 2021, we’ve evaluated hundreds of types of inverters on the market to help ensure that they can all be used seamlessly without adversely affecting the grid. An inverter is an essential part of solar energy system equipment that converts the direct current (DC) electricity generated by solar panels to alternating current (AC) electricity that is used on the electric grid.

Customers and installers now have many approved inverter options for their solar installations.

We’re also making use of a new device that we have designed in house to help manage the power quality of distributed energy resources.

“We’ve set ourselves up well for a time when all of our customers will be using solar power and are building the foundation for the grid of the future now,” said Bashar Jarrah, manager of operations engineering and DER management.

“We took on an innovative pilot project knowing how important distributed energy resources were to our customers and the grid and we’re well positioned to deliver for our customers in the future. We are a true learning organization.”

We’re proudly supporting Pennsylvania’s vision of renewable energy growth to address climate and sustainability objectives, while continuing to provide safe and reliable service to our customers.

9 Comments

  1. Alexander Kryvorutsky

    I’d like to install 10 solar panels on my garage to be able to send electricity to PPL grid and lower my bill.
    Which part of the project can I do myself and which MUST be done by certified electrician and/or PPL personnel ?
    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Alecia

      Please call us at 1-800-342-5775 or email our renewable energy department at EUSolarPower@pplweb.com. Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Damaris Landivar Mendez

    Need help electric bill it’s going crazy high I have to get a part time just to pay electric bill

    Reply
  3. Diya Putthan

    How much does it cost to buy and install solar panels from PPL?

    Reply
    • Alecia

      Hi Diya, PPL does not provide customers with solar panels. We encourage our customers to search for reputable contractor to assist with pricing, installation, and any additional questions regarding solar panels. Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Harold Warner

    I currently have Solar panels, for approx. 4 months now. Why is there a discrepancy in the output my panels make and what PP&L claims they received from me? I have two separate companies that monitor/measure my solar output. They are very accurate. I need some information on why the difference?

    Reply
    • Alecia

      Please call us at 1-800-342-5775 to assist you further. Thank you!

      Reply
  5. TowerManufacturers

    PPL Electric’s proactive approach in streamlining the interconnection process and adopting smart delivery platforms demonstrates a clear effort to manage the growing two-way flow of power. Their use of advanced technology to monitor and manage distributed energy resources ensures that any issues with voltage or power quality can be addressed promptly, enhancing grid reliability and reducing outages.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Categories

Archives