Maryland solar incentives add up to more than most states offer: a state rebate, bill credits for the power you send to the grid, certificates you can sell, and two tax breaks. Most of the cash has a closing date. The rebate takes requests until May 31, 2027. Full bill credits close to new homes on July 1, 2027, or sooner. This page shows each program, who gets the money and the date that matters.
Recently changed: a state law approved on May 12, 2026 set the July 1, 2027 closing date for net metering. The rebate reopened on July 29, 2026 with new money, so guides that call it closed are out of date. Plug-in solar became legal on July 1, 2026.
Which Maryland solar programs are open, and when does each one close?
Six things can lower what solar costs you in Maryland. They are sorted by how much a typical household can get.
| Program | What you get | Who gets the money | Who can get it | Date to watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland Solar Access Program rebate | $750 per kW of system size, up to $7,500 | You, or your contractor, who must then lower your price | Homeowners at or below 150% of the state median income | Reserve by May 31, 2027, or sooner if the $10 million budget is requested |
| Net metering bill credits | Each kWh you send to the grid cancels one kWh you buy | You, on your electric bill | Customers of every Maryland electric utility | Closes to new homes on July 1, 2027, or when 3,000 MW is reached |
| SRECs | One certificate to sell per 1,000 kWh made: about 11 SRECs a year for a typical system | The system owner. With a lease or PPA, usually the company | Any certified solar system in Maryland | Bonus certificates for systems switched on by January 1, 2028 |
| Battery grant | By state law, no more than 30% of the battery cost or $5,000 | The applicant | Homes that reserve before the battery goes in | Apply by May 31, 2027. This year’s terms were not posted when we checked |
| County or city property tax credit | Up to $2,500 or $5,000 off one property tax bill, by place | You, as a lower tax bill | Homes in five places | A yearly deadline in each place |
| Sales tax and property tax exemptions | No 6% sales tax on solar equipment, and no property tax on it | You never pay the tax | Every buyer and every property | No end date |
The federal tax credit is $0 for a home system finished after December 31, 2025. Maryland has no state income tax credit for solar panels.
How does the Maryland Solar Access Program rebate work?
The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), the state energy office, pays $750 per kW of system size, up to $7,500. You reach the cap at 10 kW. Example: a 5 kW system gets $3,750. A typical 7.78 kW system gets $5,835.
A typical system costs $21,239. After the rebate that is $15,404, before any county credit.
This year’s round opened on July 29, 2026. MEA takes requests until May 31, 2027, or until the $10 million budget has been requested. On September 25, 2026, 5.79% of it had been requested.
You can buy the system with cash or a loan. You can also lease it or sign a PPA (power purchase agreement). In both, a company owns the panels and you pay it each month. For a lease or PPA, MEA sets a minimum benefit that the company must pass on to you.
Your household income must be at or below 150% of the state median income. That is the middle income for a Maryland household of your size. MEA publishes the limit in dollars:
- Pick a contractor from MEA’s list. Only a contractor on this year’s Participating Contractor List can be used.
- Reserve the rebate before the install. You or your contractor apply in the My MEA portal. MEA must approve the reservation before any panels go up.
- Get the system switched on within 180 days. Before the reservation runs out, the system must be installed, have your utility’s permission to operate, and the payment request must be filed. You can ask for more time, at least 30 days before that date. MEA does not have to agree.
- Request the payment. MEA pays you. Or it pays your contractor, if you agreed that the contractor lowers your price by the rebate instead. The system must also be certified for Maryland SRECs, or have applied.
| People in the home | Income limit, before taxes |
|---|---|
| 1 | $136,785 |
| 2 | $156,375 |
| 3 | $175,875 |
| 4 | $195,375 |
| 8 | $257,910 |
MEA lists the limits for 5, 6 and 7 people on its program page. You sign a statement that your household meets the limit.
Watch out: A system installed before MEA approves the reservation gets nothing. A home that already received MEA solar money does not qualify again. Some homes near Washington D.C. sit on power lines tied to the D.C. grid and are not eligible: MEA links a Pepco map to check. MEA says a rebate may be taxable and may come with a Form 1099-G, so ask a tax professional. The law behind the program runs until June 30, 2027 unless lawmakers extend it.
See which Maryland installers serve your ZIP code
Your ZIP code starts a quote request. Ask each installer for the rebate amount, who receives it, and the switch-on date, in writing.
- The rebate needs a listed contractorOnly contractors on the state list for this year can be used for the rebate.
- Dates decide the dealFull bill credits close to new homes on July 1, 2027, or sooner.
- No cost to compareRequesting quotes is free, and you never have to sign.
What happens to Maryland net metering on July 1, 2027?
Net metering is the rule that credits you for solar power you send to the grid. In Maryland each kWh you send out cancels one kWh you buy, at the full price you pay. In a month when you make more than you use, you pay only the fixed customer charge. State law also bars extra fees for net metering customers.
Example: your panels send 300 kWh to the grid in June. In December you buy 300 kWh. The two cancel, so you are billed for 0 kWh of that power.
A law approved on May 12, 2026 closes this deal to new customers on July 1, 2027. It closes sooner if net-metered systems in the state reach 3,000 MW. The Public Service Commission (PSC), the state’s utility regulator, counted 1,537 MW on June 30, 2025. That is about 51% of the limit. It also counted about 2,911 MW of shared solar projects waiting in line, which is why the limit could fill early.
If you are under a net metering contract on July 1, 2027, you keep it. You lose it only if the system is removed, gets more panels or a higher output, signs a new connection agreement, or has more than 80% of its panel capacity replaced. A new roof, repairs and storm damage fixes do not count.
- Size limit: your system may not be larger than 200% of your normal yearly use.
Watch out: The law does not say what counts as being under a contract on July 1, 2027. A PSC working group is still discussing it. Do not assume that an application sent just before the deadline is enough. Ask your installer for the expected switch-on date in writing.
Leftover credits: two choices, and your utility type decides
Extra kWh roll forward from month to month. You choose for how long.
Choice one is the default. Credits roll for up to 12 months. After the April billing cycle, your utility pays you for what is left. It pays the generation rate, the price of the power alone without delivery charges. That is lower than the full price.
Choice two: credits roll forward with no end date, until you close the account. It is open only to customers of the investor-owned utilities: BGE, Pepco, Delmarva Power and Potomac Edison. Customers of electric co-ops and city utilities get choice one. Some small co-ops, such as Choptank Electric, also offer a payout every month.
What comes after
The PSC must approve the next program by February 1, 2027. It starts on July 1, 2027. A PSC working group must file a draft by October 27, 2026. No credit rate is set yet. The law states the aim: incentives lower than today’s.
Homes already waiting in a utility’s connection line when the new program starts get their applications reviewed first. The new program stays open until old and new systems together reach 6,000 MW.
What is a Maryland SREC worth, and who gets to sell it?
An SREC (solar renewable energy credit) is a certificate that says 1,000 kWh of solar power was made. Electricity suppliers in Maryland must hold them, so your system earns something you can sell. A typical 7.78 kW system makes about 11,141 kWh a year. That is about 11 SRECs a year.
There is no set price. Buyers and sellers agree on it, and no state office publishes it. One number does come from the law. A supplier that is short pays the state a fee: $45 for each 1,000 kWh in 2026 and $35 in 2027. A supplier has little reason to pay more for a certificate than the fee it avoids. So a falling fee pulls prices down.
Home systems can get a bonus. A system of 20 kW or less that is switched on between July 1, 2024 and January 1, 2028 can be certified under the Brighter Tomorrow Act. Its certificates then count 1.5 times toward a supplier’s target, which makes each one worth more to a buyer. The bonus is limited to the first 300 MW of small systems. A certificate stays valid for 5 years.
- How to get them: after your system is connected, apply for certification in the PSC portal at pscrec.com. Answer yes to the Brighter Tomorrow question. The one-time fee is $50. The system is then registered in PJM-GATS, the regional tracking system that issues the certificates.
- Who owns them: the owner of the system. If you lease or sign a PPA, the company usually keeps them under the contract.
- What to ask: who registers the system, who sells the certificates, and how and when you are paid. Get it in the contract.
Watch out: We could not read how much of the 300 MW bonus limit is left. The count sits inside the PSC portal. Ask your installer to check it before you count on bonus certificates. Treat any SREC income in a quote as an estimate, and ask which year’s price it uses.
Does Maryland charge sales tax or property tax on solar panels?
No, on both. Neither exemption has an end date, and neither needs an application.
Sales tax: the seller leaves it off
Maryland’s sales tax is 6%. It does not apply to solar energy equipment. The law is Tax-General § 11-230, in force since July 1, 2008. There is nothing to file. Example: $10,000 of solar equipment would otherwise carry $600 of sales tax.
Watch out: The law’s definition of solar energy equipment does not name batteries. Ask your installer whether sales tax is charged on a battery, and to show the battery as its own line on the invoice. Equipment that uses a pool as its storage is not covered.
Property tax: the equipment is not taxed
Solar equipment that makes power for a building or for the grid is not subject to state or local real property tax. The law is Tax-Property § 7-242. It sets out no application.
Watch out: If your assessment goes up after an install, ask your local assessment office how the solar equipment was treated.
Does your Maryland county give a property tax credit for solar?
Five places do. State law lets a county or city take money off your property tax bill for a solar system, for no more than 3 years. Each place sets its own amount, deadline and yearly budget.
| Place | The credit | How to apply | What limits it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Arundel County | 50% of the cost, less state and federal grants, up to $2,500. One time. | County form with paid receipts and the final inspection sticker, by June 1 before the tax year | It cannot be more than the county tax on the house. A late form rolls to the next year. |
| Baltimore City | 50% of the cost, up to $5,000. One year. | Online with the city Department of Finance. Costs must be from the 12 months before you apply. | Your main home only. The city stops taking applications after June 30, 2028. |
| Harford County | One year of county tax on the building, up to $2,500 per device and $5,000 per property a year | County application with receipts, by October 1 before the tax year. One filed after October 1, 2026 counts toward a later year | A county budget of $500,000 a year. Later applications wait for the next year. |
| Baltimore County | 50% of eligible costs. Ask the county for the dollar limit for solar panels. | County form with proof of costs, by June 1 | A budget of $750,000 a year in the county code. Approved applications over it are paid in later years, in the order received. |
| Prince George’s County | 50% of eligible costs for a system you own. Ask the county for the dollar limit. Up to $1,000 for a lease or PPA. | Application to the county Office of Finance, with the signed lease or PPA if you do not own the system | Yearly budgets of $500,000 for owned systems and $100,000 for leases and PPAs. Extra applications wait for later years. |
The Baltimore County and Prince George’s County rows come from the county codes. Harford County’s comes from its own application form. Confirm the amount and the wait with the county before you count on it. Montgomery County stopped taking solar applications after November 8, 2011. Howard County’s credit now covers geothermal systems only. For any other county or town, ask the finance office.
Watch out: These credits lower one or a few property tax bills. They are not a check. In Anne Arundel County, the state rebate is taken off the cost before the credit is figured.
Is the Maryland battery grant open, and what does it pay?
It is open, but this year’s rules were not posted when we checked. The program is MEA’s Residential and Commercial Energy Storage Program. MEA expects up to $4 million for the year. It takes applications until May 31, 2027, or until the money is requested.
State law caps a home grant at 30% of the installed cost or $5,000, whichever is lower. Last year’s program paid exactly that. Example: a battery that costs $10,000 installed would get $3,000. The cap is reached at a cost of about $16,667.
You need an approved reservation before the battery goes in. You apply in the My MEA portal.
Watch out: A 2026 law lets MEA require that your battery joins a utility program that uses it to support the grid. MEA has said this year’s round will favor batteries that join such programs. Read this year’s terms before you sign a battery contract. Maryland’s older tax credit for batteries ended on December 31, 2024.
What does Maryland offer renters, condo owners and homes in an HOA?
- Community solar: you subscribe to a share of a local solar project and get credits on your electric bill. It is open to customers of BGE, Pepco, Delmarva Power and Potomac Edison, renters included. The PSC does not set prices, so your saving depends on the contract. One rule is fixed: low- and moderate-income subscribers pay no more than 90% of the credit value, a saving of at least 10%. Read the contract disclosure form before you sign.
- Plug-in solar: since July 1, 2026, state law lets a home use one plug-in solar device of up to 1,200 watts per meter. You need no utility approval and pay no fee, but you must tell your utility before you install it. It earns no net metering credit, no SRECs and no state rebate.
- Homeowner associations: association rules and deed restrictions cannot put unreasonable limits on roof or wall solar. A rule is unreasonable if it raises your install cost by 5% or more, or cuts output by 10% or more. This does not cover shared areas or listed historic properties.
Watch out: Maryland Solar for All, a planned program for lower-income homes, has nothing to apply for. The federal grant behind it was ended on August 7, 2025, and the state is in court over it.
When Maryland solar money does not reach you
- Your household income is over the limit. The rebate stops at $195,375 for a household of four. Nothing else on this page has an income test.
- Your installer is not on MEA’s contractor list, or starts work before the reservation is approved. Either one ends the rebate.
- You lease or sign a PPA. The company usually keeps the SRECs. The rebate can still apply, and MEA’s rules set how much of it must reach you.
- Your system is switched on after net metering closes. From July 1, 2027, or sooner if the 3,000 MW limit fills, new homes go to the next program. Its incentives are meant to be lower.
- You live in Baltimore County or Prince George’s County and count on the county credit this year. Both pay in the order received once the yearly budget runs out.
- Your quote still shows a federal tax credit. It ended for home systems finished after December 31, 2025. Ask for a new quote.
What to file in Maryland, and in what order
- Check the income table and pick a listed contractor. The rebate needs both.You.
- Reserve the rebate before any work starts. Wait for MEA’s approval. Adding a battery? Reserve the battery grant before it goes in, too.You or your contractor, in the My MEA portal.
- Your installer applies to connect the system. This is the interconnection application, the request for your utility’s permission to connect. On it, or on a separate form, you choose how leftover credits are handled. If you do not choose, you get the 12 months option.Your installer files it. You make the choice.
- After switch-on: certify the system for SRECs. Apply at pscrec.com, answer yes to the Brighter Tomorrow question and pay the $50 fee. The rebate needs this certification too, or at least a pending application.You or your installer. Settle who in the contract.
- Request the rebate payment within 180 days of the reservation. The system must have permission to operate first.You or your contractor, in the My MEA portal.
- File your county or city credit form. Deadlines differ: June 1 in Anne Arundel County, June 1 in Baltimore County and October 1 in Harford County, where this year’s deadline was October 1, 2026.You.
Compare Maryland quotes against the dates on this page
Enter your ZIP code to request quotes from installers in your area. Ask each one if it is on the state rebate contractor list and when it expects your system to be switched on.
The form asks about your home first, then your contact details. EcoGen or its installer partners may contact you.
- A quote request, free of chargeYour ZIP code starts a request for quotes from local installers. You decide if you go ahead.
- Your home first, your details lastA few questions about your home come first. Name, email and phone come at the end.
- Take the checklist with youUse the filing steps above to check what each quote promises.
More Maryland solar guides
Maryland solar incentive questions
Does Maryland Have a Solar Tax Credit?
No. Maryland has no state income tax credit for solar panels. The state’s list of personal income tax credits, Form 502CR, has none for solar. A separate credit for batteries ended on December 31, 2024. The federal credit ended for home systems finished after December 31, 2025. Maryland’s help is a rebate, bill credits, SRECs and two tax exemptions.
Is the Maryland Solar Access Program Open in 2026?
Yes. This year’s round opened on July 29, 2026. It takes requests until May 31, 2027, or until its $10 million budget is requested. It pays $750 per kW of system size, up to $7,500, to households at or below 150% of the state median income.
When Does Net Metering End in Maryland?
For new customers, on July 1, 2027, or sooner if net-metered systems in the state reach 3,000 MW. A home under a net metering contract on that date keeps it. A new program with lower incentives is due to start the same day.
How Much Is a Maryland SREC Worth?
There is no official price. A market sets it. The law gives one guide: a supplier that is short pays a fee of $45 for each 1,000 kWh in 2026 and $35 in 2027. A typical 7.78 kW system earns about 11 SRECs a year. Newer home systems can be certified so that each certificate counts 1.5 times.
Do Solar Panels Raise Property Taxes in Maryland?
No. Under Tax-Property § 7-242, solar equipment is not subject to real property tax, and there is nothing to file. Five counties and cities also take money off one property tax bill, up to $2,500 in Anne Arundel County and $5,000 in Baltimore City.
Do You Pay Sales Tax on Solar Panels in Maryland?
No. The 6% sales tax does not apply to solar energy equipment under Tax-General § 11-230. The seller leaves it off. The law does not mention batteries, so ask how a battery is taxed on your invoice.
Does Maryland Have a Battery Rebate?
Yes, a state grant. State law caps it at 30% of the installed cost or $5,000, whichever is lower. The program is open until May 31, 2027 or until its money is requested, but this year’s terms were not posted when we checked. You must reserve it before the battery is installed.
Sources (30)
- Maryland Energy Administration, Maryland Solar Access Program (checked September 30, 2026): energy.maryland.gov
- Maryland Energy Administration, fiscal 2027 Maryland Solar Access Program Funding Opportunity Announcement, issued July 29, 2026 (checked September 30, 2026): energy.maryland.gov
- Maryland State Government Code § 9-2016, Customer-Sited Solar Program (checked September 30, 2026): mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Maryland Public Utilities Code § 7-306, net energy metering, with 2026 enactments (checked September 30, 2026): mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Chapter 353 of 2026, House Bill 1532, Utility RELIEF Act (checked September 30, 2026): mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Maryland Public Service Commission, 2025 report on net energy metering (checked September 30, 2026): psc.maryland.gov
- Maryland Public Service Commission, Notice Convening a Public Conference, PC 78, May 14, 2026 (checked September 30, 2026): psc.maryland.gov
- Code of Maryland Regulations 20.50.10.01, net metering eligibility (checked September 30, 2026): regs.maryland.gov
- Maryland Public Service Commission, Solar Renewable Energy Certification (checked September 30, 2026): psc.maryland.gov
- Maryland Public Service Commission, SB 783 Brighter Tomorrow Act fact sheet, April 2026 (checked September 30, 2026): psc.maryland.gov
- Maryland Public Utilities Code § 7-705, compliance fees (checked September 30, 2026): mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Maryland Tax-General Code § 11-230, sales tax exemption for solar energy equipment (checked September 30, 2026): mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Maryland Tax-General Code § 11-104, sales and use tax rate (checked September 30, 2026): mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Maryland Tax-Property Code § 7-242, solar energy property (checked September 30, 2026): mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Maryland Tax-Property Code § 9-203, local property tax credit option (checked September 29, 2026): mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Comptroller of Maryland, Form 502CR (2025), Income Tax Credits for Individuals (checked September 30, 2026): marylandcomptroller.gov
- Maryland Energy Administration, Residential and Commercial Energy Storage Program (checked September 30, 2026): energy.maryland.gov
- Maryland State Government Code § 9-2012, Energy Storage System Grant Program (checked September 30, 2026): mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Maryland Energy Administration, Maryland Energy Storage Income Tax Credit, inactive (checked September 30, 2026): energy.maryland.gov
- Anne Arundel County, Solar Energy Property Tax Credit Application (checked September 30, 2026): aacounty.org
- Baltimore City Code, Article 28, § 10-31 (checked September 30, 2026): codes.baltimorecity.gov
- Harford County Code § 123-44 (checked September 30, 2026): ecode360.com
- Baltimore County Code § 11-2-203.3 (checked September 29, 2026): library.municode.com
- Prince George’s County Code § 10-235.06 (checked September 29, 2026): library.municode.com
- Maryland Public Service Commission, Community Solar Program (checked September 30, 2026): psc.maryland.gov
- Maryland Public Service Commission, Balcony solar (checked September 30, 2026): psc.maryland.gov
- Maryland Real Property Code § 2-119, solar collector systems (checked September 29, 2026): mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Maryland Clean Energy Center, news post on the Solar for All grant (checked September 29, 2026): mdcleanenergy.org
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit (checked September 30, 2026): irs.gov
- Harford County Department of the Treasury, Solar/Geothermal Energy Tax Credit application and summary (checked October 1, 2026): harfordcountymd.gov
