Solar guides for Washington, DC homeowners
Twelve plain guides to the questions that decide whether solar fits your house. Costs, certificates, rowhouse roofs, historic review, batteries, the Pepco timeline and the Maryland line, each with its sources.
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All guides
Newest first. Each one cites its sources.
Maryland vs DC Solar: What Changes at the Line
How certificates, permits and incentives change at the Maryland line.
Read the guide
Solar for All in DC: Who Qualifies
Who qualifies for no-cost solar in DC and what the waitlist means.
Read the guide
What Solar Costs in Washington, DC in 2026
Per-watt prices, what moves them and what a system earns back in 2026.
Read the guideDC SRECs, Explained for Homeowners
How certificates are created, registered and sold, and why DC pays more.
Read the guideSolar on a DC Rowhouse: Flat Roofs and Parapets
Flat roofs, parapets, ballast and the membrane under the array.
Read the guideSolar in a DC Historic District: What Gets Approved
Where panels can go on a historic block and what review asks.
Read the guideIs Solar Still Worth It in DC Without the Federal Credit?
What changed in 2026 and what still makes the numbers work.
Read the guideFrom Permit to Power-On: The Pepco Timeline in DC
Each step from contract to permission to operate, and how long it takes.
Read the guideDo You Need a Battery With Solar in DC?
When storage earns its place and when net metering makes it optional.
Read the guideReplacing a Roof That Already Has Solar Panels
Removal, storage, reinstall and how to sequence the roofer.
Read the guidePigeons Under Your Solar Panels: What to Do
Why birds move in, what it costs you and how mesh keeps them out.
Read the guideAdding an EV Charger to a 100-Amp DC Panel
Load calculations, load management and when an upgrade is needed.
Read the guideGuides by topic
Costs and incentives
What solar costs in DC and what it earns, with the federal credit gone.
Roofs and approvals
How rowhouse roofs, historic review and reroofing shape the design.
Equipment and upkeep
Batteries, chargers, panel capacity and keeping animals out.
How we write them
Written from the work, checked against the sources
These guides are written by Truman Rountree, our solar and storage guides editor, from the questions our crews answer on DC roofs every week. Every figure links to the source it came from, and we update the guides when incentives or rules change.
They are general guidance, not a quote or tax advice. For your own house, the numbers depend on the roof, the shade and your bills, which is what a site visit is for.
About these guides
Our solar and storage guides editor writes them from the questions our crews answer, with every figure linked to its source.
They reflect 2026 sources. Incentives and certificate prices move, so check the source links and the updated date.
No. They are general guidance about solar in DC. Talk to a tax professional about your own situation.
Yes. Call any hour and we will tell you the next step for your house.
Where the rules differ, yes. The area pages cover each county and city in more detail.
Day or night
Have a question the guides do not answer?
Call and ask. If it is about your roof, we can usually tell you the next step on the phone.