Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.Prices from the September 2026 Cost Index. Grant terms read September 30, 2026. Updated October 14, 2026.
A typical Delaware home system is 10.60 kW and costs about $29,998 in cash at $2.83 per watt. With the Delmarva Power grant of $8,480 it pays for itself in about 9.3 years; with no grant, about 13 years. The grant has two conditions: approval before installation, and you hand over the system’s SRECs.
Free for you. Solar providers pay us when you ask for quotes. How we make money
Delaware pays solar buyers a one-time grant, not a tax credit. The name at the top of your electric bill decides which grant program you can use, and how much it pays.
State Green Energy Program, up to $10,000 and never more than half the project cost: $8,480 on the typical system. About 64% of Delaware homes. Its standard supply price rose on June 1, 2026 to 11.11¢ in summer and 11.40¢ in winter, before delivery charges.
Next: get pre-approval before anyone installs.
Solar Grant Delaware, up to $5,000 per address. The typical system works out to $7,420, so it gets the $5,000 limit. About 22% of Delaware homes. Parts of the co-op’s area are closed to new solar that sends power out.
Next: check the co-op’s solar map, then file Part One.
Newark pays $1.00 per watt for the first 5 kW and $0.50 above, up to $3,500, and warns the wait for payment can be long. The City of Dover says it offers no solar incentive now. The nine town utilities serve about 13% of homes.
Next: ask your town’s electric office in writing.
Clayton, Dover, Lewes, Middletown, Milford, New Castle, Newark, Seaford and Smyrna run their own electric utilities. Shares are an EcoGen calculation from 2024 federal customer counts (EIA Form 861): Delmarva Power 301,950, the co-op 104,839 and the towns 62,983, out of 469,772 Delaware homes.
The battery rebate in the other help section is for Delmarva Power customers only. The 11.11¢ and 11.40¢ supply prices are Delmarva’s standard offer for homes without electric heat, from the Division of the Public Advocate’s April 6, 2026 notice; a household using 811 kWh a month pays about $14.64 more a month.
Same 10.60 kW system, same bill savings. The only difference is whether the $8,480 grant comes back to you.
| Case | Grant | Your cost | Savings after upkeep | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delmarva Power, grant paid | $8,480 | $21,518 | $2,313 a year | 9.3 years |
| No grant | $0 | $29,998 | $2,313 a year | 13.0 years |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Your system earns one SREC, a certificate with a cash value, for every 1,000 kWh it makes. Both grant programs take all of them as the price of the grant.
| Your choice | Money | Paid when | You give up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delmarva Power grant | $8,480 | Once, typically 10 to 12 weeks after final approval | All the system’s SRECs |
| Co-op grant | $5,000 | Once, after Part Two of the application | All the system’s SRECs |
| SREC auction, no grant | Your bid per SREC for 10 years, then $10 each for years 11 to 25. New systems won at $32.00 to $42.89 in 2025 | Over a 25-year contract, only if your bid wins | The grant |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Rough comparison: 14,789 kWh a year at the 2025 average winning bid of $39.39 is about $583 a year, or about $5,825 over the first 10 years. The Delmarva grant pays $8,480 once.
The September 2026 benchmark, $0.06 below the US average. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.
| Size | Cash price | Delmarva grant | After the grant | Power a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kW | $14,150 | $4,000 | $10,150 | 6,975 kWh |
| 8 kW | $22,640 | $6,400 | $16,240 | 11,160 kWh |
| 10.60 kW (typical) | $29,998 | $8,480 | $21,518 | 14,789 kWh |
| 12 kW | $33,960 | $9,600 | $24,360 | 16,740 kWh |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Install first and the grant is gone. A signed estimate is fine: the application asks for one.
One law, 26 Del. C. § 1014, sets net metering for every Delaware utility. Power you send out becomes a kWh credit for a later bill.
Power banked in June covers power you use in winter.
Sized to no more than 110% of your average use over the last two years.
A law approved July 16, 2025 ended the yearly loss of unused credits.
Delmarva credits cover per-kWh supply and delivery, not the monthly customer charge.
When we checked, the co-op’s published rules and the City of Dover’s solar page still said unused credits are lost once a year. Ask your utility whether it has changed its billing.
Delaware has no state solar tax credit, and the federal credit ended for home systems finished after December 31, 2025. This is what else exists.
Delmarva Power homes: $250 per kWh of battery, up to $6,000 and half the cost, since August 11, 2026.
At or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Moderate incomes: up to 6 kW, 70% paid.
Minimum after fees for Delmarva customers, 20% if you qualify by income. Renters can join.
$5,000 to $50,000, up to 15 years, for a system you own.
Way to pay | Who owns the panels | Grant | Check before you sign |
|---|---|---|---|
Cash | You | Yes, if pre-approved | The grant comes after you pay the installer |
Energize Delaware loan | You | Yes, if pre-approved | Its page still lists a 30% federal credit; leave it out |
Bank or installer loan | You | Yes, if pre-approved | Cash vs financed price; a dealer fee can cancel out the grant |
Lease or PPA | The company | No | Who keeps the SRECs; transfer or buyout if you sell |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Companies with active Delaware registrations, A to Z, not ranked. Facts from their own sites and Delaware’s state records, read October 9 to 14, 2026.
None of these three companies buys homeowner leads from EcoGen America. Delaware licenses electricians as people, so ask which licensed electrician will sign off on your job. How we make money. What the Verified badge means.
Ask each installer which grant it priced in, and the date it will file for pre-approval.
Check your Delaware roof for solarEcoGen America does not sell or install solar. When you request quotes, we pass your request to solar providers serving your area, and they pay us for the introduction. Providers can include installers, solar marketplaces and lead exchanges, and more than one may contact you. You never pay us. This is not an application to any Delaware grant program. Privacy policy
Upkeep of $30 per kW a year follows the 2025 Annual Technology Baseline ($29.83). The 40% home-use share is a planning default informed by Berkeley Lab research, not a Delaware measurement.
CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.
About Dean
Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.
About TrevorEditorial standardsCost Index methodologyVerified Installer methodology