Pennsylvania House Advances Solar-Ready Requirements for Large-Scale Warehouses

Carine Ingabire, Regulatory Analyst

November 18, 2025 – The Pennsylvania House Energy Committee has advanced House Bill 1260 (HB 1260), proposing that new large-scale warehouses and distribution centers with at least 100,000 square feet of floor area be designed and constructed as solar-ready. This bill, known as the Solar-Ready Warehouse and Distribution Center Act, expands solar energy infrastructure, authorizing local tax exemptions for retrofits, and enhancing clean energy access. It is a positive step forward for solar in Pennsylvania. 

While the term “solar-ready roof” is often mentioned with some ambiguity, HB 1260 defines solar-ready roof design to include the following characteristics:

(1) reserving at least 40% of roof area for solar PV;

(2) ensuring structural capacity for panels and racking;

(3) providing conduit pathways from the roof to the electrical room to allow for future wiring; and

(4) reserving space and configuration in the electrical room for inverters and related equipment.

The bill, as amended, authorizes the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to inspect both (i) plans in advance of construction and (ii) buildings after the installation has been completed; and allows civil penalties of up to $100,000 per violation.

The Act’s resulting benefits to property owners, tenants, and any consumer of electricity include the following:

• Level Playing Field for Developers and Property Owners: all property owners in Pennsylvania with roofs over 100,000 square feet will be subject to the same requirements for solar.Compliance across the market will ensure that costs and benefits of the policy are reflected across the leasing market for warehouses and distribution centers.

• Solar readiness offset rising energy costs: Given rising energy costs for energy-intensive facilities, the legislation promotes solar-ready construction to reduce operational expenses. A rooftop solar installation will supply lower-cost electricity, hedge against future utility rate increases, and create long-term value through bill savings and, if structured appropriately, peak-demand reductions.
  
  

• Cost Efficiency: Solar readiness reduces long-term project costs and risk. Integrating solar-ready features during initial construction eliminates the need for costly structural or electrical upgrades later, making future rooftop solar installation simpler and more affordable to finance for owners and tenants. This also helps building owners meet applicable design and compliance standards.
  
  

• Property tax savings on retrofits: HB 1260 authorizes local tax exemptions for qualifying solar-ready retrofit expenses on existing roofs. It allows a 10-year real estate tax exemption or special assessment treatment on the added property value. This benefit transfers with the property.

HB 1260 approaches warehouses and distribution centers with roofs at, or above, 100,000 square feet as long-term energy assets. For property owners, the bill serves both as a forward-looking compliance signal for new construction and as an opportunity to convert rooftop solar potential into higher net operating income, targeted reductions in energy costs, and favorable property-tax treatment.