Home | Newsletter | Advertise
loading...

A Solar Panel Primer for DC Residents

  • October 21st 2024

by UrbanTurf Staff

✉️ Want to forward this article? Click here.

DC solar potential map, courtesy of Mapdwell. Click to enlarge.

Today, UrbanTurf is taking a look at the current options for DC residents interested in taking advantage of solar power.

For homeowners, several incentives are available for those interested in installing solar panels, including the Investment Tax Credit that can offset the cost of solar panels by up to 30 percent. The Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE) has a tool which identifies the solar potential data specific to an individual address, including the potential kilowatt hours of solar yield, the number of panels needed to achieve that potential, and the likely cost of the solar array, minus the value of the federal tax credit. 

The DOEE tool also provides the potential average monthly and yearly revenue from the panels, estimated equivalent effect of or carbon offset by the installation (eg. number of trees planted, miles travelled by car or plane, etc.), and how long it would take the system to pay for itself. 

EnergySage enables homeowners to compare installation cost estimates from several providers. For those unable to purchase a solar panel system outright, there are also options to finance them. 

For homes in a DC historic district, any rooftop solar installations will need approval from the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). It may also be wise for homeowners to look into the rules governing the zone where their house is located and be mindful of what could potentially be constructed on adjacent and nearby lots.

Low-income homeowners, who may not have the savings to purchase a solar installation outright, also have options to get panels installed, either by applying to participate in a solar co-op or by leasing panels to be installed. Renters, or those whose homes may not be good candidates for a solar installation, can also take advantage of solar power by opting into one of DOEE's Solar for All projects. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/a-solar-panel-primer-for-dc-residents/15274.

DC Real Estate Guides

Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market

We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Start browsing below!

First-Timer Primers

Intro guides for first-time home buyers

Red Flags Revealed During a Home Inspection Top 5 Tax Breaks For Homeowners Tax Relief for DC Homeowners
Condo Fee Tutorial What is a Rent Back? 10 Ways To Tell If a Home Renovation is Well Done
Obtaining a Basic Business License For Your Rental What is an Adjustable Rate Mortgage? The Splitting the Rent Formula
How Much Cash Do You Need to Buy a House? Is This Condo Building Financially Healthy? Interest Rates and Mortgage Points
The Scoop on Mortgage Insurance

Unique Spaces

Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro

The Most Intriguing Loft in DC The R Street Firehouse DC’s One-Room House
Dupont Circle’s Old Frat House To Become Alley Home Best Transition From a Garage To a Home The Roundhouse
Tilden Gardens Restaurant-Turned-Home Hits Market Next Week Logan Circle’s Most Intriguing Garage Frank Lloyd Wright Goes Green in Kensington
Sears Bungalow Gets a Modern Makeover Old Town General Store Becomes Three-Level Home Making the Most of a Skinny House
A Studio 27 Renovation on Capitol Hill Once a Carriage House, Now a Home The Bank that Became a Home
From Pie to Hooch to Heroin to Home The Live-Aboards of Gangplank Marina A Treehouse with Rock Creek Park As A Backyard
Modern Tranquility in Sperryville Saddle Up For Stable Living Throwing a Curve at 550 Square Feet
A Modern Hilltop Retreat Tilden Street Restaurant Becomes Spacious Home Focus on Design: A Vastu Unit at 22 West
The DC Area’s First Net Zero Home A Yankee Goes Green DC’s First Carbon Neutral Home
Eco-Friendly Alley House Off H Street The Gym, The Stables and The Firehouse