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🔔 PennsylvaniaNEC 2020 + 2021 UCC — Both Active Jan 2026

Pennsylvania
Solar Permit Plans.
NEC 2020. 2021 UCC.
Seven Utilities. 67 Counties.

Pennsylvania adopted NEC 2020 with full enforcement from January 12, 2026. The 2021 PA UCC (IBC 2021) replaced the 2018 code on January 1, 2026. Philadelphia's EZ Permit lets qualifying systems ≤10 kW skip the building permit entirely. Pennsylvania has seven distinct utility territories — more than any other state we serve. Every plan set we build is formatted for the correct code edition and the correct utility from page one.

NEC 2020 — full enforcement Jan 12, 2026 2021 UCC — effective Jan 1, 2026 Philadelphia EZ Permit ≤10 kW PECO · PPL · Duquesne Light · 4 FirstEnergy All 67 Counties
Order Pennsylvania Plan Set →Code Guide ↓
NEC 2020Full enforcement Jan 12, 2026
2021 UCCIBC 2021 — effective Jan 1, 2026
7 UtilitiesMost complex utility map in our portfolio
EZ PermitPhiladelphia ≤10 kW — no building permit
NEC 2020Effective July 13, 2025 · Full Jan 12, 2026
2021 UCCIBC 2021 — effective Jan 1, 2026
7 UtilitiesPECO · PPL · Duquesne · 4× FirstEnergy
EZ PermitPhiladelphia ≤10 kW — no building permit
67 CountiesAll covered
Pennsylvania Solar Permits — 2026

Both Codes Activated in January 2026 — What It Means for Every Pennsylvania Solar Project

Permit Design produces Pennsylvania solar permit plan sets for solar installers, EPCs, and roofing companies across all 67 Pennsylvania counties. 2026 opened with two simultaneous code activations: the 2021 PA UCC (replacing the 2018 code) became effective January 1, 2026, and NEC 2020 reached full enforcement on January 12, 2026. Both transitions happened within two weeks of each other. Projects with pre-existing contracts have grandfathering windows, but for all new projects from January 12, 2026 onward, the code stack is NEC 2020 for electrical and 2021 IBC for structural/building.

Pennsylvania requires both a building permit and an electrical permit for all solar installations under the PA Uniform Construction Code — with one critical exception: Philadelphia's EZ Permit allows systems at or below 10 kW on 1-2 family dwellings to skip the building permit, requiring only an electrical permit. This saves 2–4 weeks on Philadelphia residential projects. Pittsburgh uses the OneStopPGH portal. Applications in Philadelphia must use the 2021 codes from July 1, 2026 — no exceptions.

Pennsylvania has seven distinct utility territories — the most complex utility map of any state in our portfolio. PECO serves Philadelphia and its suburbs. PPL Electric serves central and eastern PA. Duquesne Light serves Pittsburgh. Four FirstEnergy subsidiaries (Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power) cover the rest of the state. Each utility is separately regulated by the PUC and uses different interconnection documentation formats. Permit Design verifies the serving utility by address for every Pennsylvania project.

Last updated: May 2026 · Reading time: ~8 minutes · NEC 2020 full enforcement January 12, 2026 and 2021 PA UCC confirmed as of May 2026.

Pennsylvania Electrical + Building Code

NEC 2020 + 2021 UCC — Both Active Since January 2026

Pennsylvania had two simultaneous code transitions in January 2026. Here is the accurate picture for every Pennsylvania solar project in 2026.

Electrical Code — Current
NEC 2020 — PA UCC
✓ Adopted effective July 13, 2025 by PA L&I
✓ Full enforcement began January 12, 2026
✓ NEC 2020 Article 690 — Solar PV Systems
✓ NEC 2020 §690.12 Rapid Shutdown mandatory
✓ Transitional window closed January 12, 2026
✓ All new PA projects: NEC 2020 only
Building Code — Current
2021 PA UCC — IBC 2021
✓ Effective January 1, 2026 — replaced 2018 PA UCC
✓ 2021 IBC + 2021 IFC + 2021 IECC
⚠ Grandfathering: contracts before Jan 1, 2026 + permit by June 30, 2026 → may use 2018 UCC
⚠ Philadelphia hard deadline: July 1, 2026 — all applications must use 2021 codes
✓ 2021 accessibility provisions enjoined by 2022 Commonwealth Court ruling
✓ Every new PA plan set built to 2021 UCC + NEC 2020
Philadelphia July 1, 2026 is the last grandfathering deadline. Projects with a 2018 PA UCC contract must apply for their building permit by June 30, 2026 to be reviewed under the 2018 code. All Philadelphia applications from July 1, 2026 use the 2021 editions — no exceptions per the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections Code Bulletin B-2501. If you have Philadelphia projects still under 2018-code contracts, the deadline is 6 weeks away as of May 2026.
Philadelphia EZ Permit

Philadelphia EZ Permit — Skip the Building Permit for Systems ≤10 kW

Philadelphia Only
EZ Permit: Systems ≤10 kW on 1–2 Family Dwellings — Building Permit Not Required
Philadelphia's EZ Permit programme allows qualifying solar installations to skip the building permit entirely. Eligible systems: ≤10 kW, on 1-2 family residential dwellings, submitted through Philadelphia eCLIPSE. An electrical permit is still required under EZ Permit — only the building permit is waived. For qualifying Philadelphia residential systems this saves 2–4 weeks of building permit review time and reduces permitting costs. Systems over 10 kW, multi-family properties, and commercial properties follow the standard Philadelphia permitting process requiring both building and electrical permits. Submit through eCLIPSE and select the EZ Permit pathway for qualifying systems. From July 1, 2026, all Philadelphia EZ Permit applications must comply with 2021 code editions.
EZ Permit — Qualifies
Systems ≤10 kW · 1-2 family residential dwellings · Philadelphia eCLIPSE submission · Electrical permit still required · Saves 2–4 weeks vs standard process
Standard Permit — Required
Systems >10 kW · Multi-family properties · Commercial properties · Both building AND electrical permits required · Standard eCLIPSE submission
Pittsburgh — OneStopPGH
No EZ Permit equivalent · Both building and electrical permits required · Applications through OneStopPGH portal · Allegheny County jurisdiction · Duquesne Light interconnection
Pennsylvania Utilities

Seven Utility Territories — Pennsylvania's Most Complex Solar Challenge

Pennsylvania has seven distinct utility territories regulated by the PA PUC. Using the wrong utility's interconnection documentation results in rejection at the utility review stage and restarts the 4–8 week interconnection timeline.

UtilityCounties / RegionKey CitiesNet MeteringISA Timeline
PECOPhiladelphia, Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, BucksPhiladelphia, Norristown, West ChesterFull retail — Act 1294–8 weeks
PPL ElectricCentral + eastern PA — 29 countiesAllentown, Bethlehem, Scranton, Harrisburg, ReadingFull retail — Act 1294–8 weeks
Duquesne LightAllegheny + Beaver countiesPittsburgh, Bethel Park, MonroevilleFull retail — Act 1294–8 weeks
Met-Ed (FirstEnergy)Eastern PA — Berks, Lehigh (partial), York (partial)Reading, Lancaster (partial)Full retail — Act 1294–8 weeks
Penelec (FirstEnergy)Northern + central PA — 24 countiesErie, Johnstown, State College, AltoonaFull retail — Act 1294–8 weeks
Penn Power (FirstEnergy)Western PA — Lawrence, Mercer, Butler (partial)New Castle, SharonFull retail — Act 1294–8 weeks
West Penn Power (FirstEnergy)SW Pennsylvania — Westmoreland, Fayette, Washington, Greene, Armstrong, Indiana, SomersetGreensburg, Uniontown, ConnellsvilleFull retail — Act 1294–8 weeks
Four FirstEnergy subsidiaries operate independently. Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, and West Penn Power are all FirstEnergy subsidiaries but file separate interconnection applications and use distinct documentation formats. Submitting a Met-Ed application for a West Penn Power address — even though both are FirstEnergy companies — results in rejection. Permit Design verifies the specific FirstEnergy subsidiary by project address for every Pennsylvania plan set.
What's Included

Pennsylvania Solar Permit Plan Set Contents

Every Pennsylvania plan set is NEC 2020 compliant, built to the 2021 PA UCC (IBC 2021) for new projects, PE-stamped, formatted for Philadelphia EZ Permit or standard process, and includes the correct utility interconnection package.

Sheet 01
Cover Sheet
NEC 2020 and 2021 PA UCC citation. HIC (Home Improvement Contractor) registration number field. Licensed electrician reference. AHJ and county. Philadelphia: EZ Permit pathway notation for qualifying ≤10 kW systems, eCLIPSE reference. Pittsburgh: OneStopPGH notation. Utility interconnection reference field.
Sheet 02
Site Plan
To-scale property diagram showing lot lines, PECO or PPL or Duquesne Light or FirstEnergy utility service entrance, IFC 2021 fire department access lanes, and conductor routing from array to inverter to service panel. Philadelphia historic district notation for Society Hill, Fairmount, Chestnut Hill where applicable. Pittsburgh: Allegheny County notation. Suburban and rural county setbacks applied.
Sheet 03
Roof Layout
Panel array layout with roof pitch, attachment documentation, 2021 IFC fire setbacks, rafter/truss sizing. Regional snow loads: Western PA mountains and Appalachian Plateau (Somerset, Cambria, Clearfield): 35–50 psf. Philadelphia and SE PA: 20–25 psf. Central PA (Harrisburg, Lancaster): 25–35 psf. Erie and northern tier: 30–40 psf.
Sheet 04
Single-Line Diagram
NEC 2020 Article 690 (Solar Photovoltaic Systems) compliant wiring diagram including DC source circuits, DC output circuits, and AC output circuits. NEC 2020 Article 705 interconnected power production provisions included. NEC 2020 §690.12 Rapid Shutdown shown — required by Pennsylvania AHJs and L&I inspectors. Formatted for PECO, PPL Electric, Duquesne Light, or the specific FirstEnergy subsidiary interconnection technical review. Battery storage: NEC 2020 Article 706 documentation where applicable.
Sheet 05
Structural Calculations
PA-licensed PE-stamped structural engineering report under ASCE 7-22 load combinations and 2021 IBC Chapter 16 structural provisions. Dead load, wind load, snow load by county zone. Appalachian Plateau and western PA mountains receive elevated snow engineering. Philadelphia and eastern PA: standard Mid-Atlantic loading. Rafter sizing and penetration documentation. Ground mount PE calculations where applicable.
Sheet 06
Rapid Shutdown
NEC 2020 §690.12 Rapid Shutdown — mandatory under PA UCC. System boundary, initiating device, array dimensions, and NEC 690.56(C) labelling. Specific requirement of many Pennsylvania AHJs including Philadelphia and Allegheny County. Plan sets missing rapid shutdown documentation receive correction notices regardless of all other plan set quality.
Sheet 07
Utility Interconnection Package
PECO, PPL Electric, Duquesne Light, Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, or West Penn Power interconnection documentation — each formatted to the specific utility's PUC requirements. Submit same day as local permit application. HIC registration confirmed on all utility documentation. PUC Act 129 net metering eligibility documented.
Sheet 08
Equipment Datasheets
UL-listed spec sheets for PV modules, string or microinverters, DC optimisers, racking, and combiner boxes where applicable. Battery storage: UL 9540A system certification, NEC 2020 Article 706 documentation, and residential alteration permit trigger notation. Philadelphia EZ Permit pathway: equipment schedule formatted to eCLIPSE EZ Permit digital upload specifications for qualifying ≤10 kW residential projects.
Process

How Pennsylvania Solar Permit Plan Sets Work

01

Submit Your Pennsylvania Project

Send us the county and city — we determine the correct utility (PECO vs PPL vs Duquesne Light vs specific FirstEnergy subsidiary), whether the project qualifies for Philadelphia EZ Permit, and the applicable code edition (2021 UCC or 2018 UCC for grandfathered contracts). HIC registration and licensed electrician details required for cover sheet.

02

We Build to NEC 2020 + 2021 UCC

NEC 2020 (full enforcement January 12, 2026) throughout. 2021 UCC (IBC 2021) structural. PA-licensed PE-stamped calculations with correct regional snow and wind loads. Philadelphia EZ Permit formatted for eCLIPSE where qualifying. Correct utility interconnection documentation — down to the specific FirstEnergy subsidiary.

03

Delivered in 24–48 Hours

Your complete Pennsylvania plan set in 24–48 hours. Submit building permit (or EZ Permit for qualifying Philadelphia systems), electrical permit, and utility interconnection application simultaneously on Day 1. Three parallel tracks from the start — no waiting. Free revisions until your Pennsylvania AHJ approves.

First-Time Pennsylvania Clients

Try Us on Your First Pennsylvania Project. Free.

First time working with Permit Design? Submit your first Pennsylvania residential solar project and receive the finished plan set at no charge — NEC 2020 electrical, 2021 PA UCC structural, PE-stamped calculations, Philadelphia EZ Permit pathway where the system qualifies, and the correct utility interconnection package for your specific territory.

Available for solar installers, EPCs, and roofing companies offering solar installation services. Not available for individual homeowners or end customers. One free residential plan set per company.

Claim Your Free PA Plan Set →
✓ NEC 2020 — full enforcement Jan 2026
✓ 2021 PA UCC — IBC 2021 compliant
✓ Philadelphia EZ Permit formatted
✓ PECO · PPL · Duquesne · FirstEnergy ISA
✓ Free revisions until AHJ approval
Pennsylvania Solar Market — 2026

Pennsylvania Solar by the Numbers

Jan 12, 2026
NEC 2020 Full Enforcement Date
Pennsylvania's NEC 2020 transitional window closed January 12, 2026. All new Pennsylvania solar permit applications from that date are reviewed under NEC 2020. The prior NEC 2017 edition is no longer accepted. Plan sets referencing NEC 2017 — common from firms using templates not updated for Pennsylvania's July 2025 adoption — receive correction notices requiring resubmission and adding weeks to project timelines.
July 1, 2026
Philadelphia 2021 Code Hard Deadline
All Philadelphia permit applications submitted on or after July 1, 2026 must comply with the 2021 code editions — per Philadelphia DLI Code Bulletin B-2501. Grandfathered 2018-code Philadelphia projects must submit their building permit application by June 30, 2026 — that deadline is 6 weeks away as of May 2026. If you have any Philadelphia projects still under 2018-code contracts, the June 30 permit application deadline is urgent.
7
Utility Territories — Most in Our Portfolio
Pennsylvania's seven utility territories — PECO, PPL Electric, Duquesne Light, and four separate FirstEnergy subsidiaries — make utility verification by address the most critical first step in every Pennsylvania solar project. The four FirstEnergy subsidiaries (Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power) are separate companies with separate interconnection applications despite sharing the FirstEnergy parent. Using the wrong one restarts a 4–8 week interconnection timeline.
Act 129
Pennsylvania Net Metering
Pennsylvania net metering is governed by Act 129 and PUC regulations. All Pennsylvania electric distribution companies must provide net metering to eligible solar customers at full retail rates. Residential and commercial systems up to 50 kW qualify. Credits carry over month to month and are reconciled annually. The PUC (Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission) regulates interconnection and net metering compliance across all seven Pennsylvania utilities.
EZ Permit
Philadelphia ≤10 kW — No Building Permit
Philadelphia's EZ Permit saves 2–4 weeks on qualifying residential solar installations. Systems at or below 10 kW on 1-2 family dwellings skip the building permit entirely — only an electrical permit is required. Submitted through the Philadelphia eCLIPSE portal. From July 1, 2026, all EZ Permit applications must comply with 2021 code editions. No other Pennsylvania municipality has an equivalent programme as of May 2026.
HICPA
Home Improvement Contractor Registration
Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act requires all solar installers performing residential work to register as a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) with the PA Attorney General's office. The HIC registration number must appear on the customer contract. The electrical portion must be performed by or under supervision of a licensed Pennsylvania electrician. Some AHJs require the HIC number on the permit application — Permit Design includes this field on every Pennsylvania plan set cover sheet.
Pennsylvania AHJ Rejections

Top 3 Reasons Pennsylvania Solar Permits Get Rejected

Three permit rejection causes account for the majority of Pennsylvania solar project delays across Philadelphia eCLIPSE, Pittsburgh OneStopPGH, and rural county building departments. All three are avoidable.

01
Wrong NEC Edition — NEC 2017 Submitted After January 12, 2026
Pennsylvania's transitional window for NEC 2017 closed January 12, 2026. Plan sets referencing NEC 2017 — common from design firms using template plan sets not updated for Pennsylvania's July 2025 NEC adoption — are rejected by Pennsylvania plan review officers who flag the code citation mismatch. This error is especially common for companies who are primarily active in neighbouring states like New Jersey (which still uses NEC 2017 as of mid-2026 per some sources) and apply the same templates to Pennsylvania projects without code verification.
NEC 2020 — PA UCC · Full enforcement Jan 12, 2026
How we prevent it: Every Pennsylvania plan set explicitly references "NEC 2020 (PA UCC, effective January 12, 2026)" as the governing electrical code. We never apply NEC 2017 templates to Pennsylvania projects.
02
Wrong FirstEnergy Subsidiary — Four Companies, One Parent
Pennsylvania has four distinct FirstEnergy subsidiaries operating as separate utilities: Met-Ed (eastern PA), Penelec (northern and central PA), Penn Power (western PA), and West Penn Power (southwestern PA). Each files separate interconnection applications with the PUC and uses different documentation formats. Submitting Met-Ed documentation for a Penelec address — both FirstEnergy companies — results in rejection at utility review. This error is extremely common for out-of-state installers who treat all FirstEnergy Pennsylvania subsidiaries as a single utility.
PA PUC · FirstEnergy subsidiary interconnection · Act 129
How we prevent it: We verify the specific FirstEnergy subsidiary by project address before building every Pennsylvania plan set. Each subsidiary's interconnection documentation format is applied independently.
03
Philadelphia EZ Permit — Building Permit Applied for Non-Qualifying System
Philadelphia's EZ Permit applies only to systems ≤10 kW on 1-2 family residential dwellings. Contractors who apply for an EZ Permit for a 12 kW system, or for a multi-family property, trigger an application rejection because the system does not qualify. The application must be resubmitted as a standard permit — adding 2–4 weeks to the project timeline. Conversely, contractors who apply for a full standard building permit for a qualifying ≤10 kW residential system miss the EZ Permit time savings entirely.
Philadelphia EZ Permit eligibility · eCLIPSE portal
How we prevent it: Every Philadelphia plan set is flagged for EZ Permit eligibility at order intake — system size and property type are verified before the permit pathway is selected. ≤10 kW residential plan sets are formatted specifically for the eCLIPSE EZ Permit submission workflow.
See all 8 common plan set rejection reasons → Residential Solar Permit Design →
FAQ

Pennsylvania Solar Permit Design — Frequently Asked Questions

NEC 2020, adopted effective July 13, 2025 by PA L&I, with full enforcement beginning January 12, 2026. The six-month transitional window has closed — NEC 2017 is no longer accepted in Pennsylvania. All new solar permit applications from January 12, 2026 are reviewed under NEC 2020. NEC 2020 Article 690 governs solar PV systems and NEC 2020 §690.12 Rapid Shutdown is mandatory statewide.
The 2021 PA UCC (IBC 2021 series) took effect January 1, 2026, replacing the 2018 PA UCC. Projects with contracts before January 1, 2026 and permit applications by June 30, 2026 may use the 2018 UCC. Philadelphia hard deadline: all applications from July 1, 2026 must use 2021 codes per DLI Code Bulletin B-2501.
Philadelphia's EZ Permit lets qualifying solar installations skip the building permit — only an electrical permit required. Eligible systems: ≤10 kW on 1-2 family residential dwellings, submitted through eCLIPSE. Saves 2–4 weeks vs standard process. From July 1, 2026, EZ Permit applications must comply with 2021 code editions. Systems over 10 kW or multi-family properties require both building and electrical permits.
PECO: Philadelphia metro (5 SE counties). PPL Electric: central and eastern PA (29 counties). Duquesne Light: Pittsburgh/Allegheny County. Met-Ed (FirstEnergy): eastern PA including Berks County. Penelec (FirstEnergy): northern and central PA including Erie. Penn Power (FirstEnergy): Lawrence and Mercer counties. West Penn Power (FirstEnergy): southwestern PA including Westmoreland and Fayette. All seven regulated by PA PUC under Act 129.
Pennsylvania requires all residential solar installers to register as a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) under HICPA. The HIC registration number must appear on the customer contract. The electrical portion must be performed by or under supervision of a licensed Pennsylvania electrician. Some AHJs also require the HIC number on the permit application.
Pennsylvania net metering is governed by Act 129 and PUC regulations. All Pennsylvania electric distribution companies must provide full retail-rate net metering to eligible solar customers. Residential and commercial systems up to 50 kW qualify. Credits carry over month to month with annual reconciliation. The PUC regulates interconnection and net metering compliance across all seven Pennsylvania utilities.
Philadelphia EZ Permit (qualifying ≤10 kW residential): 5–10 business days. Standard Philadelphia permit: 3–6 weeks. Pittsburgh (Allegheny County/OneStopPGH): 2–4 weeks. Most suburban PA counties: 2–4 weeks. Rural PA counties: 1–3 weeks. PECO interconnection: 4–8 weeks. PPL: 4–8 weeks. Duquesne Light: 4–8 weeks. Submit permit and utility interconnection simultaneously — three parallel tracks from Day 1.
Pennsylvania plan sets ship from Permit Design in 24–48 hours. Each plan set carries NEC 2020 electrical code compliance, 2021 PA UCC structural provisions, a PA-licensed PE stamp, Philadelphia eCLIPSE EZ Permit formatting for qualifying projects, and interconnection documents matching the specific utility — PECO, PPL, Duquesne Light, or the relevant FirstEnergy subsidiary — serving that property address. Free revisions until your Pennsylvania AHJ approves.
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Reviewed & Verified By Licensed Professional Engineers (PE) across all 50 US states · 2,500+ AHJ-ready plan sets delivered monthly · 150+ solar installer partners worldwide Last reviewed: May 2026·About Permit Design →
NEC 2020 PA UCC2021 IBCPhiladelphia EZ Permit7 PA Utilities
Neighbouring States

Solar Permit Plan Sets — Mid-Atlantic & Northeast States

🏙️New JerseyNEC 2020 🗽New YorkNEC 2023 🦀MarylandNEC 2020 🏛️VirginiaNEC 2020 🦞Massachusetts527 CMR

Pennsylvania Solar Permits — Seven Utilities. One Partner.

NEC 2020 · 2021 UCC · Philadelphia EZ Permit
PECO · PPL · Duquesne · Met-Ed · Penelec · Penn Power · West Penn · 24–48 Hours

Order Pennsylvania Plan Set →Contact Us
First-time Pennsylvania client? Your first residential plan set is on us. Mention "free trial" in your order notes.