Community Solar in Maryland

Access Solar Power without owning Panels!

Sign up to a Solar Farm!

What do home grown tomatoes, solar powered homes, and blue crabs have in common?

They all depend on nature, and Marylanders can’t get enough of them!

Residential solar power in Maryland has been steadily on the rise. Recently the Old Line State has quadrupled its solar production, and has committed to raising its Renewable energy mix to a whopping 50% by 2030! [source]

Maryland is on track to make solar energy available for more people — especially with the rise of Community Solar!

Community Solar doesn’t require people to purchase panels or have them mounted to their roof. This makes residential solar power in Maryland accessible to renters, condos, and townhouses.

Community Solar in Maryland allows groups of people to subscribe to energy produced from local solar farms in Maryland.

Even better — you can expect to pay 10-25% less than the standard BGE rate! Save money on your energy bill every single month, and be part of a cleaner MD.

Go Solar without panels on your roof?

Residential solar power in Maryland has been limited by multiple hurdles that homes face around the country.

“If you own a home — and it has a roof that is the right size, type, orientation, exposure, etc. — then you can buy, finance, or lease panels that are bolted to your roof to generate energy.”

This makes solar energy out of reach for most people.

In fact — traditional solar power is accessible to only about 20% of Marylanders. But what about everyone else!?

Benefits of Community Solar in Maryland

Community Solar is like a membership to a local solar farm
where you can get clean energy at 10-25% off!

No Panels

You don’t have to purchase, finance, or lease a solar system or attach anything to your home! There is no maintenance or installation. Just easy access to clean energy at a discount!

No Roof

You don’t have to worry about your roof size, age, or if trees are shading it.

No Limit

You don’t have to own your home or apartment. Renters can access solar!

No Problem!

You don’t have to commit to decades of paying off panels. Bring it if you move!

How Does Community Solar Work?

Pay nothing, save money, help the environment AND a local business?? Really?

Instead of purchasing expensive solar panels and installing them on the roof of your house, community solar is more of a team-effort when it comes to producing solar power. Here’s the anatomy of a community solar project:

1. A solar farm site is built in a suitable location, with ready connection to the electricity grid

2. People from around the state contribute money for management and maintenance of the farm, typically via monthly subscription.

3. Large credits from power generated by community solar project are sent back to the participants, ultimately reducing their electricity bills. 

Because community solar doesn’t require participants to have a “solar-ready” property (with plenty of roof space, facing the right direction, and in enough direct sunlight), it’s accessible to more people. 

Even Maryland residents who rent or live in apartments can enjoy clean, renewable solar energy. 

Also, since the cost of installation and maintenance is split between the collective, nobody has to pay thousands of dollars up front to install solar panels. It’s a much more affordable option to traditional solar panel installation.

Support your Local Solar Farmers

Why buy dirty energy, often from the other side of the world, when we can capture clean energy — from Marylanders right outside of town?

Community Solar Farms in Maryland allow family farmers to lease some of their land for utilities and partners to set up small solar farms.

This supplements farm income and keeps energy local!

Find a Solar Farm Near Me

Get Your Energy from a Solar Farm!

Community Solar allows a group of people to “subscribe” to a solar farm.

The solar farm feeds clean energy into the electricity grid, which you get at a locked in savings rate every month!

Contact Us
Register Now!

Sign up for Community Solar in Maryland!

1

Get Started

Register your interest in saving money on electricity by joining a local solar farm in Maryland.

Register Your Interest!
2

Get Matched

If solar farms are open in your area, we’ll match you to see. Or select a project yourself here!

Join a Solar Farm
3

Start Saving!

Within 1-3 months your solar farm goes active, and you receive a new lower energy bill!

Save 10-25% on Energy
Sign up for Community Solar

Solar Power to the People

Community solar in Maryland is gaining popularity because of its affordability and accessibility.

Without the need to purchase and install panels on your roof, community solar is a much more affordable option that can benefit so many more people!

This includes renters, row homes, apartments, and rooftops that are not a good fit for solar panels.

— Sign up Now

Reviews of Community Solar in Maryland

Extremely easy to work with
Extremely easy to work with and to set up and I love being able to use solar to produce energy while also getting credits to save money!
Lauren C.
MD Solar Farm Subscriber
I cannot tell you how pleased I am
I am very proud that we get most of the electricity to run our house via solar energy. I would definitely recommend your company (and I have) because the transition to solar in this way has been very easy and seamless. 10 out of 10!
John H.
NY Solar Farm Subscriber
Perfect for what I needed!
I live in a townhouse where I was restricted to use solar panels. I am glad you have given me the opportunity to buy into solar energy!
Jennifer H.
ME Solar Farm Subscriber
I am very satisfied with the entire process to this point. I’ve recommended solar farms to anyone interested.
Elizabeth R.
MD Solar Farm Subscriber

Frequently
Asked
Questions

Pay nothing, save money on your bills, help the environment, and help a local business?? Seems too good to be true!

Contact Us

Switching to Community Solar is easy!

Register here with your email and we’ll show you which solar farms you’re eligible for, and how much you can save.

Your relationship with your utility company won’t change at all!

Only the electrons that power your house. You’ll still receive energy the same way — it will just be cleaner and cheaper!

Start here to see if Community Solar works for you!

Whether it’s “worth it” to get solar panels in Maryland is a tricky question. It really all depends on your property, budget, and goals.

If you’re looking to go completely off-grid or even sell power back to the utility company with then solar panels could be worth it. Alternative solar options like community solar will help you reduce your energy bills, but you’ll never generate enough electricity to power your entire house. 

While solar panels might be the best way to generate enough electricity to power your entire home, they’re not suitable for every property. You must have enough roof space to fit the panels, with the correct pitch, and facing the right direction for maximum panel efficiency. Of course, that also means you have to own your home—or have a roof, in the case of people living in apartments.

Of course, solar panel installation in Maryland can be quite expensive. It can turn away many homeowners just on sticker shock alone. However, purchasing panels outright isn’t the only option. You can also choose to rent-to-own or participate in a community solar project.

With a rent-to-own option, a company pays for the panels and installation, then you pay them back over time to use and eventually own the equipment. It helps disperse the cost over several years, but it also means you don’t own the equipment and, therefore, aren’t eligible for solar incentives. 

Community solar also helps you avoid that scary upfront installation cost and keeps monthly payments low. The downside to community solar is that you won’t be able to power your entire home with solar. You’ll save on your regular energy bills, but they’ll never go away completely. 

Which option is “worth it” all depends on your energy goals.

Solar panel installation is also very expensive. The average up-front cost to install a 6-megawatt solar panel system in Maryland is a whopping $15,540!  

While that number might be scary, it’s not the only number worth considering. Solar panels will save you money on your energy bills. Over time, they’ll eventually pay for themselves. 

According to trends, Maryland homeowners saved between $46,000 and $58,000 on average on their energy bills over 25 years using solar panels. That makes the average breakeven period somewhere around 6.8 years.

If you generate more power than you use, you can even sell electricity back to the utility company through net metering to make that payback period come even sooner. 

Solar panel installation might be expensive, but it’s more of an investment than a cost. You’ll eventually be able to make back more money than you spent. Plus, you’ll enjoy the peace of mind knowing you’re helping the environment.

Solar energy is clean and renewable. To inspire people to go solar and help save the planet, the Maryland and Federal governments offer several credits and incentives to make solar power more affordable. These incentives are for those who are installing convention solar energy, not for Community Solar.

If you choose to go solar, here are some of the Maryland solar incentives you can enjoy: 

  • Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) – A 26% federal tax credit applied to all systems installed by December 31, 2022.
  • Solar Renewable Energy Credits – Get a credit based on kilowatt-hour (kWh) produced by your system. Payments are based on energy market values. 
  • Solar Energy System Property Tax Exemption – Excludes your solar panel system from your home’s value to lower your property taxes. 
  • Solar Panel System Sales Tax Exemption – You don’t have to pay the MD 6% sales tax when installing a solar panel system on your home.
  • Residential Clean Energy Rebate Program (R-CERP) – A $1,000 rebate issued to qualified Maryland residents who install a solar panel system on their property.

All incentives aren’t available to everyone. For example, if you choose a rent-to-own option for your solar panels, you don’t technically own the equipment. Since you don’t own the equipment, you might not be eligible for incentives, even if the panels are installed on your home. 

It’s important to do your research before choosing a solar power option, so you know what to expect.

Thankfully, with Community Solar, you don’t have to worry about applying and qualifying for any of these changing incentives.

Overcome the Limits and Access Solar!

Save Money with a Local Solar Farm