Qualified customers are offered a solar installation for free. The pilot also offers cost assistance for moderate-income households.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) announced it is launching a two-year pilot program for low- to moderate-income households, offering free solar panels or cost assistance, depending on eligibility.
Interested low-income households must first apply for installation services through the DNREC’s Weatherization Assistance Program, a cost-free program that improves residential energy efficiency through weatherproofing and other home improvements. Homes that qualify can receive a free solar installation of up to 4.0 kW.
Households that are classified as moderate-income can receive a solar installation 70% covered by the assistance program, and 30% is paid by the homeowner, for systems up to 6.0 kW in capacity.
Contractors approved by DNREC for the program include CMI Solar & Electric, KW Solar Solutions, and Clean Energy USA.
The low-income qualifications for household size are as follows:
| 1 | $25,520 |
| 2 | $34,480 |
| 3 | $43,440 |
| 4 | $52,400 |
| 5 | $61,360 |
| 6 | $70,320 |
| 7 | $79,280 |
| 8 | $88,240 |
*For families with more than eight persons, add $8,960 for each additional person.
The moderate-income qualifications for household size are as follows:
| New Castle | Kent | Sussex | |
| 1 | $59,050 | $43,250 | $47,050 |
| 2 | $67,450 | $49,400 | $53,800 |
| 3 | $75,900 | $55,600 | $60,500 |
| 4 | $84,300 | $61,750 | $67,200 |
| 5 | $91,050 | $66,700 | $72,600 |
| 6 | $97,800 | $71,650 | $78,000 |
More details on the program can be found here.
Solar incentives in Delaware
Delaware benefits from a few solar incentives in addition to the federal solar Investment Tax Credit, which offers a credit to taxes for 26% of the cost of the equipment installed.
The state offers a full retail rate for net metering, which means the utility will pay homeowners for their excess solar-generated electricity the same rate that homeowners pay for grid-supplied power.
Customers of Delmarva Power are eligible for a cash rebate from the utility of $0.70 per watt of solar generating capacity installed up to 50 kW, up to a maximum of $6,000. The average solar array in the United States is about 8.5 kW.
Customers of Delaware Electric Cooperative can receive $0.50/W of solar power installed (up to 5 kW), and $0.20/W for any additional solar capacity.
A complete list of solar incentives available to Delaware residents can be found here.