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Costco Solar Panels in 2026: What DMV Homeowners Need

The Costco–Sunrun solar partnership ended in 2024, and Costco has not announced a new rooftop solar partner. Here is what that means for a DMV homeowner pricing a system in 2026.

By the Go Solar DMV news desk · Nov 14, 2026 · 4 min read

Costco Solar Panels in 2026: What DMV Homeowners Need

Key facts

Does Costco sell solar panels for your house?

Not for your roof. Costco and Sunrun ended their solar sales partnership in 2024, and Sunrun left Costco warehouses by the end of that year1. As of November 2026, Costco has not announced a new rooftop solar partner in the U.S.1. So if you searched "solar panels Costco" expecting a warehouse price on a home system, there is no current program behind it.

What Costco does still list is portable power stations, some of them bundled with foldable solar panels1. Those are built for camping trips and short-term emergency backup rather than powering a whole home1. A separate October 2026 review of Costco's U.S. listings reached the same conclusion: Costco does not currently sell or install rooftop solar in the U.S., and that review found no standalone portable panels either — the panels come packaged with a power station2.

Why you still see "Costco solar 10% Shop Card" pages

Several marketing pages still circulating in 2026 describe a live Costco–Sunrun program with a Costco Shop Card worth 10 percent of the pre-tax equipment cost3, and list "Solar energy systems — Sunrun panels and battery storage, 10% Shop Card" among Costco's home-services categories4. Those pages also describe the Shop Card as stacking with "the 30 percent federal Investment Tax Credit that applies to solar systems purchased or financed (not leased) in 2026"3.

Both claims conflict with the reporting that the partnership ended1 and with the federal tax law as it now stands6. Treat them as stale. If an offer sounds like it was written for a different year, check the date on the page before you build a budget around it.

Solar panels cost to install and cost per watt in the DMV

In Washington, D.C., a fully installed residential solar system runs $3.00 to $3.40 per watt in 2026, which puts a typical 8 kW system at $24,000 to $27,200 before incentives16. Market surveys put the range a little lower, at roughly $2.70 to $3.20 per watt17. Cost per watt is the number worth comparing between quotes, because it normalizes for system size — a bigger system almost always costs more in total and less per watt.

There is no single "cost per panel" figure that travels well, because the panel itself is only part of the job. Racking, inverters, wiring, permitting, interconnection and labor all sit inside that per-watt price. When you compare bids, compare dollars per watt and the equipment list side by side rather than the headline total.

If you want the specifics for your own roof — orientation, shading, usable area — our Roof Score walkthrough is a reasonable starting point before you collect quotes.

The 30% federal solar tax credit ended December 31, 2025

This is the change that matters more than any retailer promotion. The 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D ended on December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Public Law 119-21, signed July 4, 202556. If you buy a solar system with cash or a loan in 2026, you receive $0 from the IRS — the credit went from 30% to zero on January 1, 2026, with no phase-down and no transition period7.

There is a timing trap worth knowing. The statute says the credit "shall not apply with respect to any expenditures made after December 31, 2025," and per IRS FAQ 7 in FS-2025-05, an expenditure counts as made when installation is completed — so paying in 2025 for a system installed in 2026 does not qualify8. Homeowners with qualifying Section 25D expenditures made by December 31, 2025 can still claim the 30% credit on their 2025 federal return using IRS Form 56959, and unused credit from an eligible 2025 project can generally be carried into future tax years10.

Home battery storage sat under the same Section 25D credit and expired December 31, 2025 as well11. Businesses are a separate question: Section 25D ended after 2025, while qualifying commercial and certain third-party-owned projects may still access Section 48E subject to timing, ownership, sourcing, PFE and other requirements9. For a small business owner, or a homeowner weighing a lease or PPA where a third party owns the system, that distinction is now the central one.

One note if you go checking yourself: as re-checked on September 4, 2026, the IRS consumer landing page for the Residential Clean Energy Credit read "The credit is not available for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025" while still referencing a phase-out beginning in 2033 — stale, pre-OBBBA framing13. Confirm your own situation with a tax professional.

What replaces it in Washington, D.C.

D.C. has the strongest incentive stack in the region, and it is local rather than federal. In 2026, DC SRECs are trading at approximately $360 to $400 per MWh, with the Solar Alternative Compliance Payment ceiling at $44014. One installer reports the 2026 vintage trading around $350 sell-now on Flett Exchange as of September 2026, with the $440 price cap falling $20 a year to $360 in 203015. An 8 kW system producing 9,200 kWh per year generates roughly 9 SRECs annually — worth $3,240 to $3,600 per year at current prices14.

For income-qualified households, Solar for All covers the full installed cost if household income is at or below 80% of Area Median Income, with no loan, no lien and no monthly payment14. Program status and administration are described inconsistently across sources: one lists it as waitlisted for FY202617, others name DCSEU1820 or DOEE19 as administrator. A Solar Advantage Plus program worth up to $10,000 also appears in D.C. incentive listings18. Check current status directly with DOEE and DCSEU before counting on either. Our D.C. incentives page tracks what we are seeing on current projects.

Virginia and Maryland

Virginia's 2026 picture rests on net metering rather than a state rebate: full retail-rate net metering for Dominion and Appalachian Power customers, Solar Renewable Energy Credits, and a property tax exemption12. The regulatory risk that hung over Virginia net metering has largely cleared, which matters more to a 20-year payback than any one-time rebate.

Maryland runs a different mix of state and county programs, and those terms change by fiscal year and by budget remaining. Current Maryland details live on our Maryland incentives page.

Questions people ask

Does Costco sell solar panels for a home roof?

No. Costco and Sunrun ended their solar sales partnership in 2024, Sunrun left Costco warehouses by the end of that year, and as of November 2026 Costco has not announced a new rooftop solar partner in the U.S.1. An October 2026 review of Costco's listings found no rooftop solar and no standalone portable panels — the panels sold come bundled with a power station2.

What do solar panels cost to install per watt?

In Washington, D.C., a fully installed residential system runs $3.00 to $3.40 per watt in 2026, or $24,000 to $27,200 for a typical 8 kW system before incentives16. Market surveys put the range at roughly $2.70 to $3.20 per watt17.

Is there still a 30% federal tax credit for solar in 2026?

No. The 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit under Section 25D ended on December 31, 2025 under Public Law 119-2156. A system bought with cash or a loan in 2026 receives $0 from the IRS, with no phase-down7.

I paid in 2025 but the install finished in 2026. Does it qualify?

Per IRS FAQ 7 in FS-2025-05, an expenditure counts as made when installation is completed, so paying in 2025 for a system installed in 2026 does not qualify8. Qualifying 2025 expenditures are claimed on your 2025 return using Form 56959.

Do batteries still get a federal credit?

Home battery storage was covered under the same Section 25D credit and expired December 31, 202511. Some state-focused pages still advertise a 30% credit for storage installed with solar12; that conflicts with the current federal law, so verify with a tax professional before relying on it.

Sources

  1. Costco Solar Panels in 2026: Is the Sunrun Deal Still Available? - energysage.com
  2. Costco Solar Generator: What They Sell vs What to Buy (2026) - solargenadvisor.com
  3. The Costco Solar Panels Guide 2026: Sunrun Partnership, the 10% Shop Card and the 30% Federal Tax Credit - mojosalesandbranding.com
  4. Costco Home Improvement Services: Solar, HVAC and Shop Card - fractionalbrandmanagers.com
  5. Solar Tax Credit 2026: What Ended, What's Left & Form 5695 - solarsavingshub.org
  6. Solar Tax Credit in 2026: Why the 30% Federal Credit Ended (and What Replaced It) - solarcostbystate.com
  7. Solar Tax Credit 2026: The Federal Credit Expired — What Homeowners Can Still Get - thegreenwatt.com
  8. The Residential Solar Tax Credit (§25D) Ended After 2025 - veritastaxcredits.com
  9. Federal Solar Tax Credit 2026: What Ended, What Remains - greenlancer.com
  10. Solar Tax Credit 2025: What Changed in 2026? - greenlancer.com
  11. Key Home Energy Tax Credits Ended in 2025: What's Left in 2026 - goodleap.com
  12. Solar incentives Virginia 2026: Cost, ROI and Financing Guide - surgepv.com
  13. Home Energy Tax Credits 2026 — What Ended and What Survives - realcostiq.com
  14. How Much Does Solar Panel Installation Cost in DC? - cityrenewables.com
  15. Solar Installation Washington DC - aduusolar.com
  16. Cost of Solar Per Watt in DC 2026: What's a Fair Price? - cityrenewables.com
  17. Solar incentives Washington DC 2026: Cost, ROI and Financing Guide - surgepv.com
  18. Renewable Energy for Your DC Home: Solar, Heat Pumps & Electrification - cityrenewables.com
  19. Is Solar Worth It in DC? An Honest Look at the 2026 Numbers - cityrenewables.com
  20. Electrification Incentives in DC After the Federal ITC Sunset (2026) - cityrenewables.com

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