Maryland solar calculator
Size a Maryland home solar system from your electric bill — kW, panel count, roof area, true cost with no federal credit for 2026 installs, and payback.
Quick answer: At $0.214/kWh and 4.4 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about 9.43 kW — 23 × 410 W panels covering ~46 m². Gross cost is ~$24,188 with no federal credit for systems installed after 2025, offsetting $2,400 a year for a ~10.1 year payback.
Your details
Ballpark, not gospel. Sized at 78% real-world output with the Maryland sun-hour average — confirm shading, roof angle and your utility’s net metering terms with a local installer before buying. Maryland offers full-retail (1:1) net metering with credits rolling forward — but legislation passed in April 2026 closes the current program to new customers on July 1, 2027.
The 30% credit ended — what changed
The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) gave homeowners a 30% credit on solar installed from 2022 through 2025. The July 2025 tax law ended it: no credit is available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. That is why every figure on this page is ~30% higher than pre-2026 guides show. If your system went live by the end of 2025, tick the box above to see the credit applied; leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit. Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
Typical Maryland system sizes by monthly bill
| Monthly bill | System size | Panels (410 W) | Net cost (no 2026 federal credit) | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 4.92 kW | 12 | $12,620 | 10.5 years |
| $200 | 9.43 kW | 23 | $24,188 | 10.1 years |
| $300 | 13.94 kW | 34 | $35,756 | 9.9 years |
Computed at $0.214/kWh, 4.4 peak sun hours and $2.57/W installed, with no federal credit for 2026 installs. Run your exact bill above.
Solar in Maryland: the details
Solar cost in Maryland
Solar is affordable to install in Maryland. The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.57 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically landing $2.18–$2.95/W — at the low end of the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~13 kW Maryland system grosses around $33,345, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
What moves the number: roof complexity, panel tier, and how competitive the quote market is in your metro. Get at least three quotes — spreads of $0.50/W between installers are common.
Export rules: getting paid for surplus power
Maryland offers full-retail (1:1) net metering with credits rolling forward — but legislation passed in April 2026 closes the current program to new customers on July 1, 2027 (or when a 3 GW cap is hit). That is a hard deadline: new systems must be connected before then to get full-retail terms.
Practical takeaway: if you’re considering solar, the calendar now matters as much as the quote.
Maryland solar incentives
Maryland’s solar RPS carve-out lets homeowners sell SRECs — roughly $40–$55/MWh in 2026 — with the Brighter Tomorrow Act adding a multiplier for systems installed through 2027. Income-eligible homeowners may also get the MSAP rebate up to $7,500. No statewide solar tax credit.
Is solar worth it in Maryland?
Verdict: solid. ~10.1-year payback with no federal credit, before SREC income that shortens it further. The real driver is the deadline: connect before July 1, 2027 to lock full-retail net metering; after that the program closes to new customers.
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers, no fluff. Then run your own numbers above.
How many solar panels do I need in Maryland?
It follows your bill. At the Maryland average of $0.214/kWh and 4.4 peak sun hours, a $200/month bill needs about a 9.43 kW system — roughly 23 × 410 W panels covering ~46 m² of roof.
What is the average cost of solar panels in Maryland in 2026?
The EnergySage marketplace averaged about $2.57 per watt installed in 2026, with market quotes typically $2.18–$2.95/W — at the low end of the $2.50–$3.50/W national band. A typical ~13 kW system grosses around $33,345, with no federal credit for 2026 homeowner installs.
Does Maryland have net metering?
Maryland offers full-retail (1:1) net metering with credits rolling forward — but legislation passed in April 2026 closes the current program to new customers on July 1, 2027.
Does Maryland offer any solar tax credit or rebate?
Maryland’s solar RPS carve-out lets homeowners sell SRECs (roughly $40–$55/MWh in 2026), with the Brighter Tomorrow Act adding a multiplier for systems installed through 2027. Income-eligible homeowners may also get the MSAP rebate up to $7,500.
Is the 30% federal solar tax credit still available?
Not for homeowner purchases anymore. The residential clean energy credit (26 U.S.C. § 25D) is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, under the July 2025 tax law (Public Law 119-21). Systems installed by the end of 2025 can still claim 30%, and leased systems may still benefit because the leasing company claims the commercial credit instead. (Source: IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.)
Is solar worth it in Maryland?
Solid: a ~10.1-year payback with no federal credit, before SREC income. The real driver is the deadline — connect before July 1, 2027 to lock full-retail net metering; after that the program closes to new customers.
Figures last checked October 2026. Sources: priceofelectricity.com (21.41¢/kWh), NREL PVWatts/NSRDB (~4.4 peak sun hours), DSIRE, Maryland Public Service Commission; IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit.
More US solar calculators
Compare other states: Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts. And the national US solar calculator for country averages.
Comparing quotes? The solar cost calculator breaks down cost per watt and the solar ROI calculator maps your payback year by year. Going deeper: installation cost guide, how net metering works, how much you can save with solar and the solar batteries guide.