Maryland’s 2026 solar incentives are real, but different from the ones you may have read about. The active stack is the income-qualified Maryland Solar Access Program grant ($750 per kW, up to $7,500), an active SREC market with 1.5x Certified SRECs under the Brighter Tomorrow Act, a 100% sales-tax exemption on solar equipment, a property-tax exemption on the added home value, and statewide net metering. The old $1,000 state rebate ended in 2024, and the 30% federal homeowner credit ended December 31, 2025.
Maryland has one of the stronger residential solar policy stacks on the East Coast, but its incentives changed a lot heading into 2026, and a lot of the advice online is out of date. The state’s flat $1,000 solar rebate is gone. What replaced it is actually more generous for the households that qualify, plus a tradable-certificate market that pays you for the power you generate. This page lays out the honest Maryland solar incentive stack for 2026: the income-qualified Solar Access Program grant, how SRECs and the Brighter Tomorrow Act work, the two tax exemptions, net metering, and the credits that no longer exist so you stop chasing them.
Maryland’s 2026 solar incentive stack, in plain terms
Maryland’s value in 2026 comes from four working parts, not a single big credit. There is a state grant aimed at low-to-moderate-income households, a certificate market that pays you per unit of solar power produced, two tax exemptions that protect your equipment cost and your home value, and net metering that credits the power you send back to the grid (DSIRE Maryland). Each one is administered by a different body, so they do not all apply the same way to every homeowner.
The most important thing to know is what is gone. Maryland’s flat $1,000 Residential Clean Energy Rebate for solar accepted its final applications on November 30, 2024, and was not renewed (DSIRE, Maryland Solar Access Program). Separately, the 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025 (IRS). Neither is available for a 2026 purchase, so ignore any site that still lists them as active.
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What solar makes on a Maryland roof
Solar pays in Maryland mostly because of the grid power it replaces. The average Maryland residential electricity price is about 21.77 cents per kWh (EIA retail sales, residential Maryland, period May 2026), well above the national average, so every kilowatt-hour your roof produces offsets a relatively expensive one you would otherwise buy.
Maryland sun turns that rate into solid production. According to MySolarFY’s own analysis (as of August 2026), a 6 kW rooftop system in Baltimore is modeled to produce about 8,351 kWh a year (NREL PVWatts v8 run, NSRDB typical-year data). At the state average price, that output offsets roughly $1,818 of grid power a year before any incentive. Actual production depends on your roof’s pitch, orientation, and shading, so model your own roof with NREL’s free PVWatts calculator before you size a system.
Maryland solar incentives at a glance
Here is the honest 2026 picture: what each Maryland program does, its status this year, and where to confirm it. Grant and certificate values are set by program rules and the market, so treat the figures as current-as-of references and verify before you count on them.
| Incentive | What it does | 2026 status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland Solar Access Program | State grant of $750 per kW of installed capacity, up to $7,500, for income-eligible households | Active; administered by the Maryland Energy Administration for low-to-moderate-income homeowners | DSIRE / MEA |
| SRECs (solar certificates) | You earn one certificate per MWh your system produces and can sell it into Maryland’s market | Active under Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard; prices are set by the market and fluctuate | DSIRE, Maryland RPS |
| Certified SRECs (Brighter Tomorrow Act) | Small in-state systems can earn Certified SRECs that count 1.5x toward supplier compliance | Active for qualifying systems placed in service July 1, 2024 through January 1, 2028 | Md. Code, PU 7-709.1 |
| Solar sales-tax exemption | Waives Maryland’s 6% state sales and use tax on qualifying solar equipment | Available statewide for residential solar energy equipment | DSIRE, MD sales-tax exemption |
| Solar property-tax exemption | Excludes the added home value from a solar system from Maryland real property tax | Available statewide for qualifying residential solar systems | DSIRE Maryland |
| Net metering | Credits the excess solar you export back to the grid on your bill | Required statewide for residential customers; verify current terms with your utility | DSIRE Maryland |
| State $1,000 solar rebate | A flat cash rebate for residential solar | Ended; final applications accepted November 30, 2024, not renewed | DSIRE / MEA |
| Federal residential credit (Section 25D) | A 30% homeowner tax credit | Ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025 | IRS |
Heads up on the incentives that ended: two things Maryland homeowners still ask about are gone. The state’s flat $1,000 Residential Clean Energy Rebate for solar took its final applications on November 30, 2024, and was replaced by the Solar Access Program grant (DSIRE / MEA). And the 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (IRS, as of January 2026). A Maryland homeowner buying with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim either one. Confirm every figure against the linked source, and ask a tax professional about your own situation. MySolarFY does not provide tax advice. For what the federal change means, see our guide to the federal solar tax credit in 2026.
The Maryland Solar Access Program grant
This is the incentive that replaced the old $1,000 rebate, and for the households that qualify it is worth far more. The Maryland Solar Access Program, run by the Maryland Energy Administration, pays a grant of $750 per kW of installed solar capacity, up to a maximum of $7,500, to income-eligible homeowners (DSIRE, Maryland Solar Access Program). On a typical residential system that is a meaningful chunk of the up-front cost.
The catch is that it is income-qualified, not open to everyone. The program targets low-to-moderate-income Maryland households, so eligibility depends on your income relative to program limits, and funding is limited and awarded while it lasts. Program rules, income thresholds, and available funds change year to year, so check the current terms and application window with the Maryland Energy Administration before you count on a grant. If your household does not qualify for the grant, the SRECs, tax exemptions, and net metering below still apply.
Maryland SRECs and the Brighter Tomorrow Act
Maryland pays you for the solar power you generate. Your system earns tradable certificates you can sell for cash, on top of the bill savings from net metering. Here is how the two certificate types compare.
| Certificate | How you earn it | Compliance value | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard SREC | One certificate per MWh (1,000 kWh) your system produces | Counts as 1x toward a supplier’s obligation | Active; price set by the market and fluctuates |
| Certified SREC (Brighter Tomorrow Act) | Same production, from a qualifying in-state system placed in service July 1, 2024 to January 1, 2028 | Counts as 1.5x toward a supplier’s obligation | Active for the qualifying window; can raise what small systems earn |
Every megawatt-hour you produce earns one SREC. For each megawatt-hour (1,000 kWh) your system produces, you earn one Solar Renewable Energy Certificate, or SREC, which you can sell to electricity suppliers that must buy them to meet Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (DSIRE, Maryland RPS). SRECs are separate from the bill savings you get from net metering, so they are an additional income stream on top of the power you offset. Prices are set by the market and move up and down, so treat any quoted price as a snapshot, not a guarantee.
A 2024 law made small Maryland systems worth more in that market. Under the Brighter Tomorrow Act, a qualifying in-state solar system placed in service between July 1, 2024, and January 1, 2028, can earn Certified SRECs that count as 1.5 times a standard certificate toward a supplier’s compliance obligation (Md. Code, Public Utilities 7-709.1). Because that multiplier makes each certificate more valuable to buyers, it can lift what small residential systems earn during the qualifying window. The registration and sale mechanics run through the Maryland Public Service Commission’s certification process and the PJM-GATS registry, so ask your installer or an SREC aggregator how to register and sell yours.
The Maryland sales-tax and property-tax exemptions
Maryland waives its 6% state sales and use tax on qualifying solar equipment. That exemption comes off the taxable amount of the panels, inverter, and related components at purchase, which is a direct up-front saving on a residential system (DSIRE, Maryland renewable-energy sales-tax exemption). It applies statewide and does not depend on your income or on the federal credit that ended after 2025.
Maryland also makes sure solar does not raise your property-tax bill. The state excludes the added value a qualifying residential solar system gives your home from Maryland real property tax, so a system that increases your home’s market value does not increase your annual property tax (DSIRE Maryland). Some Maryland counties also offer their own local property-tax credits for solar, and assessment is handled at the state and county level, so confirm the current form and any filing step with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation and your county before you rely on it.
Net metering in Maryland
When your panels make more power than your home uses, Maryland net metering credits the surplus. Residential customers of the state’s regulated utilities can send excess solar back to the grid and receive bill credits that carry forward, rather than losing that production (DSIRE Maryland). Combined with the state’s high retail rate, that is a big part of why solar pencils out here. For the mechanics of how export credits work, see how net metering credits your solar exports.
The exact terms depend on your utility. Credit rates, annual true-up handling, and program caps are set by the Maryland Public Service Commission and administered by each utility, and the details can change, so verify the current terms with your provider before you size a system. For utility-specific rules and the SREC picture, see our Maryland net metering and SREC guide and our BGE solar guide.
Is solar worth it in Maryland?
For many Maryland homeowners, yes, because the fundamentals line up. A high retail electricity rate, statewide net metering, an active SREC market, two tax exemptions, and an income-qualified grant add up to a solid case even without the credits that expired. The honest catch is that the federal homeowner credit is gone as of 2026, so a cash or loan purchase this year cannot claim it. Whether solar pays for your specific home comes down to your roof, your utility, your income eligibility, and your usage. For a deeper look at the numbers, see whether solar panels are worth it and what a system runs on our Maryland solar cost guide. For how programs stack across states, see our solar incentives overview, and start with the full picture on our Maryland solar hub.
How you pay decides which benefits you keep. The 30% federal homeowner credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, so it is not part of a 2026 purchase on any path. If you buy the system with cash or a loan, you own it and take the tax exemptions, the SRECs, the grant if you qualify, and full net-metering credit directly. If you lease or sign a power-purchase agreement, a third party owns the panels, you typically pay little or nothing up front, and the company that owns the system claims any commercial credit (Section 48E), not you. Solar panels are not free, and lease or PPA payments apply for the life of the contract. MySolarFY matches you with licensed Maryland installers so you can compare real local quotes side by side, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
What solar incentives does Maryland offer in 2026? Maryland offers the income-qualified Solar Access Program grant of $750 per kW up to $7,500, an active SREC market under its Renewable Portfolio Standard (with 1.5x Certified SRECs for small systems placed in service between July 1, 2024, and January 1, 2028, under the Brighter Tomorrow Act), a 100% sales-tax exemption on solar equipment, a property-tax exemption on the added home value, and statewide net metering. The old $1,000 state rebate ended in 2024, and the 30% federal homeowner credit ended after December 31, 2025. Confirm current terms with each source before you sign.
Did Maryland end its $1,000 solar rebate? Yes. Maryland’s flat $1,000 Residential Clean Energy Rebate for solar took its final applications on November 30, 2024, and was not renewed. It was replaced by the Maryland Solar Access Program, which pays an income-qualified grant of $750 per kW up to $7,500 instead of a flat rebate. Do not plan a 2026 purchase around the old $1,000 rebate, because it no longer exists.
Who qualifies for the Maryland Solar Access Program grant? The Maryland Solar Access Program, run by the Maryland Energy Administration, is aimed at low-to-moderate-income Maryland households and pays $750 per kW of installed capacity up to $7,500. Eligibility depends on your income relative to the program’s limits, and funding is limited and awarded while it lasts, so check the current income thresholds and application window with the Maryland Energy Administration before you rely on it.
How do Maryland SRECs work? Your system earns one Solar Renewable Energy Certificate for every megawatt-hour (1,000 kWh) it produces, and you can sell those certificates to electricity suppliers that must buy them to meet Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. Under the Brighter Tomorrow Act, small in-state systems placed in service between July 1, 2024, and January 1, 2028, can earn Certified SRECs that count 1.5x toward compliance, which can raise their value. SREC prices are set by the market and fluctuate, so they are not a guaranteed amount.
Does Maryland have a solar sales-tax and property-tax exemption? Yes. Qualifying solar equipment is exempt from Maryland’s 6% state sales and use tax, and the added home value from a qualifying residential solar system is excluded from Maryland real property tax, so adding solar does not raise your property-tax bill. Both apply statewide and do not depend on the federal credit that ended after 2025. Assessment is handled by the state and your county, so confirm the current forms locally.
What happened to the federal solar tax credit for Maryland homeowners? The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so a Maryland homeowner who buys solar in 2026 with cash or a loan cannot claim it. A separate commercial credit (Section 48E) can apply to leased and PPA systems, but the business that owns the system claims it, not the homeowner. Maryland’s own state programs and exemptions were not affected by that change.
Reviewed by the MySolarFY team. Figures were verified against the linked EIA, NREL, IRS, DSIRE, Maryland Energy Administration, Maryland Public Service Commission, and Maryland Code sources as of August 2026; Maryland program terms, grant funding, income limits, SREC prices, and utility net-metering rules change, so confirm the current terms with the program, your utility, and your county before you decide. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. See how we source our numbers in our data and methodology, and browse more states from our solar by state hub.
MySolarFY is a free service that matches homeowners with licensed solar installers. We are not an installer, financing company, or government program. “No up-front cost” refers to qualifying lease or PPA financing, where eligible homeowners may have no out-of-pocket cost at installation. Lease and PPA terms typically run 20 to 25 years, may include an annual price escalator, and total payments may exceed the cost of a cash purchase. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit that ended after December 31, 2025; on a leased system the company that owns it claims any commercial credit. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. Eligibility, savings, grants, incentives, and rates vary and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.
