PICKERING SOLAR
OperatingSolar power plant
- Capacity
- 2 MW
- Primary fuel
- Solar
- County
- Chester County
- Operator
- AQUA AMERICA INC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2012
- EIA plant ID
- 58535
- Coordinates
- 40.1196, -75.4881
PICKERING SOLAR, a 2 MW Solar power plant in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Operated by AQUA AMERICA INC, commissioned 2012.
Weather peril exposure
PICKERING SOLAR is a 2 MW solar power plant in Chester County, PA, operated by AQUA AMERICA INC, commissioned in 2012. Chester County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.1 of 5 at the 3rd national percentile. Hurricane is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 66th percentile.
Chester County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Share of modeled loss | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 66th | 3.6 of 5 | 33% | 0.08 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 64th | 3.6 of 5 | 2% | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Very High | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 2% | 12.1 |
| Ice storm | Relatively High | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | 2% | 1.3 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 28th | 2.1 of 5 | 8% | 7.2 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 26th | 2.1 of 5 | 15% | 0.45 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 25th | 2.0 of 5 | 1% | 35.7 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively High | 24th | 2.0 of 5 | 26% | 5.5 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | <1% | <0.01 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 9th | 1.4 of 5 | 11% | 2.8 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 8th | 1.3 of 5 | <1% | 9.2 |
Perils not assessed in Chester County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "No Rating" for this county |
Hail exposure and deductible structure
Hail scores 1.4 of 5, which sits in the 1% to 2% percentage deductible range carriers are quoting for that exposure. Named windstorm and severe convective wind score 3.6 of 5, indicating a 2% to 5% wind deductible. Ranges, not single figures. The final structure is set by the carrier.
Percentage hail deductible range: 1% to 2% of insured value. Wind deductible range: 2% to 5%. These are the structures commonly seen at this exposure, not an offer and not a rate.
Modeled annual loss for a 2 MW solar array
At an assumed replacement value of $0.90 per watt, or $1.4M insured, the modeled expected annual loss for a fixed tilt ground mount array in Chester County is $162 a year, $108 per MW, 0.01% of insured value.
Heat is modeled as a production risk rather than a property loss: 0.2% of annual yield in this county.
Insurability signal: Standard. Named windstorm and severe wind at 3.6 of 5.
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Chester County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile, and the modeled loss applies the Bywatts solar vulnerability layer. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level. The solar vulnerability layer that turns FEMA building loss into modeled solar loss was derived by Bywatts and revised on physical reasoning. It has not been reviewed by a practising underwriter.