Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.Prices from the September 2026 Cost Index. Rebate budget as of October 5, 2026. Updated October 14, 2026.
A typical Maryland system is 10.76 kW and costs about $30,128 in cash at $2.80 per watt. At BGE’s average price, with full 1-for-1 bill credits, it pays for itself in about 7.3 years with the $7,500 state rebate, or 9.8 years without it. Both deals have a 2027 cutoff.
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Most of Maryland’s solar money has a closing date. For bill credits, what counts is being on net metering by the cutoff, not the day you sign a contract.
At 3:00 PM Eastern, or sooner if the $10 million budget is fully requested. 12.98% was requested by October 5, 2026.
The statute behind the rebate is in effect until this date unless lawmakers extend it.
Or sooner, once net-metered systems reach 3,000 MW. About 51% of that was installed by June 30, 2025.
Home systems up to 20 kW switched on from July 1, 2024 can be certified under the Brighter Tomorrow rules.
The same 10.76 kW system at the same BGE price. Only the rebate changes, and it takes about two and a half years off.
| Case | Price you pay | Yearly savings after upkeep | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebate reserved before the install | $22,628 | $3,087 | 7.3 years |
| Rebate missed or not eligible | $30,128 | $3,087 | 9.8 years |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
We modeled BGE only. Pepco and Delmarva homes paid a little more per kWh and Potomac Edison homes much less, so their paybacks move with that. SRECs you sell would shorten both cases.
A one-time state rebate from the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) for households with income at or below 150% of the state median. It has to be reserved before the install.
Up to $7,500 per system, reached at 10 kW. A 5 kW system gets $3,750.
Gross yearly income. $136,785 for one person, $257,910 for eight.
Installed, switched on by your utility and Step 2 filed, or the reservation expires.
Of $10 million, as of October 5, 2026, with 8.05% reserved. The portal is open.
Every Maryland utility nets solar 1-for-1: a kWh you send out cancels a kWh you buy later. What changes is the price each kWh saves and what happens to credits you do not use.
What BGE homes paid on average, August 2025 to July 2026, fixed charges included. The price in our payback example.
Leftover credits: keep them with no end date, or take the yearly April payout.
Delmarva 22.56¢ and Pepco 23.12¢, same period. A little above BGE, so each kWh saves a little more.
Leftover credits: keep them with no end date, or take the yearly April payout.
The lowest of the five utilities we list. Each kWh saves less, so payback runs longer than in our BGE example.
Leftover credits: keep them with no end date, or take the yearly April payout.
Co-ops and town utilities net 1-for-1 too, but their customers cannot keep credits with no end date. Leftover credits are paid out once a year.
What SMECO homes paid on average, August 2025 to July 2026, fixed charges included.
Leftover credits carry for up to 12 months, ending with the billing cycle just before the end of April.
What is left is paid out at the generation or commodity rate, not your full price.
A net-metered system may not be larger than 200% of your yearly use. This applies at every utility.
Say your panels send 300 kWh to the grid on sunny days and your home buys 300 kWh back at night. You are billed for 0 kWh of that power. Solar power your home uses as it is made never reaches the meter at all.
The averages above are what each utility’s homes paid in total divided by the kWh they bought (EIA Form 861M), so they include fixed charges, which solar does not remove. Use the per-kWh price on your own bill. A co-op serving fewer than 250,000 people may also offer a monthly payout.
At the September 2026 benchmark of $2.80 per watt, tied 19th lowest of 51. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.
Size | kWh a year | Cash price | With rebate |
|---|---|---|---|
6 kW | 8,592 | $16,800 | $12,300 |
8 kW | 11,456 | $22,400 | $16,400 |
10.76 kW (typical) | 15,407 | $30,128 | $22,628 |
12 kW | 17,184 | $33,600 | $26,100 |
No state income tax credit for solar. Beyond the rebate, Maryland helps through two tax exemptions, certificates you can sell, county property tax credits and a battery grant.
The 6% sales tax does not apply to solar energy equipment.
Solar energy property is not subject to real property tax.
One per 1,000 kWh: the typical system makes about 15. A market sets the price; there is no official one.
Up to 30% of a home battery’s cost, capped at $5,000. Requests close May 31, 2027.
| County | Credit | When to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Anne Arundel | 50% of the cost, up to $2,500, once | By June 1 for the tax year starting July 1 |
| Baltimore City | 50% of the cost, up to $5,000 | Within 12 months of the costs; no applications after June 30, 2028 |
| Baltimore County | 50% of the cost; a county-wide limit of $750,000 a year | By June 1; there is a waiting list |
| Harford | One year of county tax on the building, up to $2,500 | By October 1 before the tax year |
| Prince George’s | 50% of the cost; up to $1,000 on a lease or PPA | Ask the county; yearly budgets apply |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Montgomery County stopped its solar credit for applications after November 8, 2011. State law caps any county credit at 3 years.
| Way to pay | Who owns the panels | State rebate | SRECs go to | Check before you sign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | You | You, or off the price | You | Who applies for the rebate and who receives it |
| Loan | You | You, or off the price | You | Total financed vs. cash price; a dealer fee can cancel the rebate |
| Lease | The company | Only through a listed provider | Usually the company | How the deal benefits you; transfer or buyout if you sell |
| PPA | The company | Only through a listed provider | Usually the company | Price per kWh and its yearly increase vs. your utility price |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Maryland incentives guideWhat a $0-down deal keeps in Maryland
Four companies from our Maryland companies page, A to Z, not ranked. Facts from their own sites and state registries, read September 8 to October 14, 2026. MEA’s rebate contractor list read October 14, 2026.
Venture Solar buys homeowner leads from EcoGen America. That does not change its facts or its place in this A to Z list. Being on MEA’s contractor list is not an endorsement by MEA. How we make money. What the Verified badge means.
Ask each installer for the rebate step and the switch-on date in writing.
Start your Maryland solar evaluationEcoGen 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 the Maryland Solar Access Program. Privacy policy
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