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Maryland Solar Access Program: 2026-27 Rebate Guide

Maryland's rebate for income-eligible homeowners reopened on July 29, 2026 and runs on a first-come, first-served budget. Here is what it pays, who it covers, and why the calendar matters more than it used to.

By the Go Solar DMV news desk · Oct 26, 2026 · 5 min read

Maryland Solar Access Program: 2026-27 Rebate Guide

Key facts

What is the Maryland Solar Access Program?

The Maryland Solar Access Program is a Maryland Energy Administration rebate that helps income-eligible Maryland residents install a solar photovoltaic system on their home1. The Fiscal Year 2027 round is open: the My MEA Application Portal began accepting new rebate applications on July 29, 20261, and the FY27 Funding Opportunity Announcement, issued the same day, sets an application deadline of 3:00 PM Eastern Time on May 31, 2027, with a note that the portal may close earlier if budgeted funds are fully requested2.

Secondary incentive trackers describe the FY27 rebate as $750 per kW-DC of installed capacity, up to a maximum of $7,50034. The program is paid out of Maryland's Strategic Energy Investment Fund, a dedicated state clean energy account4. We have not been able to read the per-kW rate directly off the FY27 announcement, so confirm the figure in the current FOA before you build a budget around it.

How much money is in the program, and how fast does it go?

MEA anticipates up to $10 million will be available for rebates in this round5. The Department of Legislative Services analysis of the FY2027 Maryland Executive Budget lists the Maryland Solar Access Program at $10.0 million within a $98.0 million current authorization for solar, alongside Community Solar Grants at $26.8 million and DHCD's Solar for Income Qualified Multifamily Housing at $10.0 million6. For comparison, earlier program coverage cited a budget of $15 million for FY257. The pot is smaller than it was two years ago.

That matters because of how the last round went. The previous round accepted new applications only from July 21, 2025 to April 17, 2026, closing roughly six weeks ahead of its stated deadline5. One installer summary of an MEA status update reported that as of April 15, 2026, 99% of program funding was reserved for approved projects8. If you are planning a 2027 installation in Maryland, the application date, not the install date, is the thing that decides whether you are in.

Who qualifies for the Maryland solar rebate?

Summaries of the program describe four conditions: household gross income at or below 150% of the statewide Maryland median income, ownership of the property as a primary residence, use of an MEA-approved contractor, and installation of a new solar PV system on a Maryland residential property4.

On income, the published ceilings run from $136,785 for a one-person household to $257,910 for a household of eight5. The same bracket table appears in the FY26 Bridge Fund announcement, which lists $136,785 for one, $156,375 for two, $175,875 for three, $195,375 for four, $211,035 for five, $226,695 for six, $242,340 for seven and $257,910 for eight10. Check your household size against the FY27 announcement before you apply, because those figures were read off the Bridge Fund document rather than the current MSAP document.

How you pay for the system is flexible: the program covers systems bought outright, financed with a loan, leased, or taken under a power purchase agreement5. Two requirements from the FY26 announcement are worth asking your installer about, since they may carry forward: a NABCEP-certified PV Installation Professional had to be involved in the design or installation of the system9, and any third-party agreement had to specify that the third party owns the system and the applicant is either a PPA power purchaser or a lessee9. More detail on state programs sits on our Maryland solar incentives page.

How the two-step application works

This is where applications fall apart. Step 1 is an upfront rebate reservation, and MEA must approve that reservation before the solar PV system is installed1. Install first and you have spent the rebate. Step 2 is the request for rebate payment, submitted after the installation and interconnection are done2.

The reservation from Step 1 expires 180 calendar days from the date MEA notifies the applicant1. Under the FY26 announcement, MEA could extend that deadline for circumstances outside the applicant's control or for good cause, but the written extension request had to be submitted no later than 150 days after the effective date of the reservation9. In other words, if a permit or interconnection queue is going to blow the window, you ask at month five, not month six.

One change for FY27: the Participating Contractor List application form is closed and MEA has finalized the FY27 list, and selecting an FY27 participating contractor is required to submit a new Step 1 reservation request1. MEA also notes the FY27 list has no bearing on the eligibility of an existing FY26 or FY25 application1, so an older reservation is not voided by a contractor's FY27 status.

The federal credit is gone, and the state patch is closed

The IRS guidance on Public Law 119-21 states that the Section 25D residential clean energy credit will not be allowed for any expenditures made after December 31, 2025, and that the Section 25C energy efficient home improvement credit will not be allowed for property placed in service after that date11. An expenditure is treated as made when the original installation is complete, and unused credit carried over from earlier years can still be carried forward12. Paying for equipment before December 31, 2025 does not preserve the credit if installation finished afterward13.

The practical effect for a Maryland buyer: where a project once stacked the 30% federal credit on top of a state rebate of up to $7,5003, the state rebate is now the upfront incentive on its own11.

Maryland did try to patch the gap. MEA's FY26 Maryland Solar Access Bridge Fund was a one-time assistance program for MSAP applicants, designed to address the financial gap created by the early phase-out of the federal Residential Clean Energy Credit by providing grants approximating the value of the expired credit14. That portal has been closed to new applications since June 1, 2026, after a May 31, 2026 deadline, and MEA says it is working through the existing queue, moving eligible applications from requested to reserved to disbursed14. Eligibility required installation between January 1, 2026 and May 30, 202614. We have seen no MEA announcement of an FY27 Bridge Fund, so do not plan around one.

What D.C. and Virginia offer instead

In the District, Solar for All, administered by DOEE, provides solar at no cost to income-qualified residents, generally at or below 80% of area median income, with limited funding and a waitlist15. Solar Advantage Plus, administered through DCSEU, provides up to $10,000 toward a 3-4 kW system for income-qualified homeowners who do not qualify for Solar for All or whose homes are not suitable15. D.C.'s 2026 Solar Alternative Compliance Payment ceiling is reported at $440 per MWh, with market SREC prices running $360 to $400 per credit, though those figures come from an installer analysis rather than the D.C. Public Service Commission16. Our Washington D.C. incentives page covers the local picture.

Virginia has no state rebate of this kind. The durable benefits there are full-retail, one-to-one net metering, customer ownership of any SRECs generated, and a property-tax exemption for residential systems of 25 kW or less17. Code 58.1-3661 exempts the added assessed value automatically and statewide for residential systems up to 25 kW18. Residential systems up to 25 kW qualify for net metering with investor-owned utilities such as Dominion Energy, 20 kW with electric cooperatives, with surplus credits rolling forward19.

Questions people ask

Is the Maryland Solar Access Program still open in 2026?

Yes. The FY27 round opened to new applications on July 29, 20261, and the announcement sets a deadline of 3:00 PM Eastern Time on May 31, 2027, with the portal able to close earlier if funds are fully requested2. The prior round closed to new applications on April 17, 2026, ahead of its stated deadline5.

How much is the Maryland solar grant?

Incentive trackers describe the FY27 rebate as $750 per kW-DC of installed capacity, capped at $7,50034. It is funded through the Strategic Energy Investment Fund and is budget-limited4. Confirm the current rate against the FY27 announcement before relying on it.

Can I still claim the 30% federal solar tax credit?

No. IRS guidance states the Section 25D residential clean energy credit is not allowed for expenditures made after December 31, 202511, and an expenditure is treated as made when the original installation is complete12. Paying for equipment earlier does not preserve the credit if the install finished in 202613.

Do I have to use a specific contractor?

For a new Step 1 reservation, yes. MEA has finalized the FY27 Participating Contractor List, and selecting a contractor from that list is required to submit a new reservation request1. An existing FY26 or FY25 application is not affected by a contractor's FY27 status1. If you want to see what your roof and household would qualify for, start with Get Qualified.

Does the rebate cover leased or PPA systems?

The program covers systems bought outright, financed with a loan, leased, or taken under a power purchase agreement5. Under the FY26 announcement, a third-party agreement had to specify that the third party owns the system and that the applicant is either a PPA power purchaser or a lessee9.

Sources

  1. Maryland Solar Access Program - energy.maryland.gov
  2. Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) FY27 Maryland Solar Access Program - energy.maryland.gov
  3. Maryland Clean Energy Incentives 2026 — Solar, EV & Heat Pump Rebates - cleanenergycalc.com
  4. Maryland Solar Access Program (MSAP): Save on Home Solar - nedes.us
  5. Maryland Solar Incentives, Tax Credits & Rebates 2026 - energysage.com
  6. D13A13 Maryland Energy Administration - mgaleg.maryland.gov
  7. 2025 Maryland Solar Access Program (MSAP): Everything Maryland Homeowners Need To Know - americansentrysolar.com
  8. Maryland Solar Incentives 2026: Rebates, Tax Credits & Savings - Solar Energy Services, Inc. - solarsaves.net
  9. Wes Moore, Governor Aruna Miller, Lt. Governor Paul G. Pinsky, Director - energy.maryland.gov
  10. Wes Moore, Governor Aruna Miller, Lt. Governor Kelly Speakes-Backman, Director - energy.maryland.gov
  11. FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W, AND 179D under Public Law 119-21, 139 Stat. 72 (July 4, 2025), commonly known as the One, Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB) - irs.gov
  12. What happened to the federal heat pump tax credit (25C and 25D) - electrify-colorado.com
  13. Residential Clean Energy Credit 2026 Explained - Anker SOLIX US - ankersolix.com
  14. Maryland Solar Access Bridge Fund - energy.maryland.gov
  15. Is Solar Worth It in DC? An Honest Look at the 2026 Numbers - cityrenewables.com
  16. DC Solar Rebates 2026: Complete Guide to Local Programs - cityrenewables.com
  17. Virginia Solar 2026: Costs, Incentives & Net Metering - mysolarfy.com
  18. Virginia Solar Incentives (2026): Net Metering, SRECs & Tax Credits - virtuesolar.com
  19. Solar Panels in Virginia - gobrightsolar.com
  20. Maryland Solar Access Program - news.maryland.gov

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