Solar power in Maryland is supported by the state's legislation regarding the Renewable Portfolio Standard and Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) program. The target for renewable energy as of 2017 was 20% by 2020, including 2% from solar power.
According to the Maryland Energy Administration,Maryland Energy Administration Maryland is exposed to approximately 5.3kWh per square meter of solar energy on a daily basis, and as of 2016, the state had 508 MW installed which ranks Maryland 11th in the nation for installed solar capacity.
State and local incentives
Various tax credits are available for Maryland solar power system installations. As of January 2017, the vast majority of county property tax credits have expired. A full list of remaining tax credits is available from DSIRE.DSIRE The Maryland Energy Administration offers a $1000 grant for residential PV systems between 2 and 20 kW of DC power at STC and $500 for solar hot water (solar thermal). Commercial installations are granted $60/kW (max. 100 kW) for solar panels and $20/square foot (max. 250 square feet) for solar thermal systems.
Net metering
Consumer net metering and SRECs are available in the state of Maryland for owners of both solar PV systems and, as of the May 22, 2012 signing of S.B. 791, solar hot water systems. Solar hot water systems have a 5 SREC limit. The passage of H.B. 1187, also on May 22, 2012, accelerated the state's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard with a target of 20% by 2020, of which 2% must be solar. Currently, there is no limit on the system size for a photovoltaic system.
In the state of Maryland, one SREC is equal to one MWh of electricity production, and is redeemable for three years. As of January 2017, an SREC is valued at $18, and if the RPS is not increased is expected to further decline as the solar/renewable energy further saturates the electricity supply. In addition, solar thermal that is installed for recreational purposes, such as heating a swimming pool, is not eligible for incentives.
Legislation
Bill Date enacted Summary S.B. 791/H.B. 1187 May 22, 2012 Accelerated renewable energy goals by two years H.B. 258 April 10, 2012 Changed minimum 15-year contract for SREC sale between solar generator and energy supplier to apply to generators greater than 10 kW only S.B. 717 May 19, 2011 Solar thermal systems installed after June 1, 2011 eligible for SREC generation
Economic impact Maryland's goals for the Renewable Portfolio Standard have led to various monetary incentives, and to the expansion of local companies offering solar panel installation and services. Additionally, Governor Martin O'Malley stated that he aims to add 100,000 local green jobs by 2015. There are currently at least 183 companies in Maryland involved in installing, distributing, designing or selling solar systems.
Impact on farmland By 2016, citizens had raised concerns about plans to build solar farms on prime farmland in Washington County, and on the Eastern Shore, in Kent County and Talbot County.
Statistics Installed capacity Source: NREL
Grid-connected PV capacity (MW)Maryland SolarYearCapacityInstalled% change 2007 0.9 0.3 50% 2008 2.8 1.9 211% 2009 7.5 4.7 168% 2010 12.8 5.3 71% 2011 37.1 24.3 190% 2012 116.8 79.7 215% 2013 175.4 58.7 50% 2014 205 30 17% 2015 349 144 70% 2016 645 296 84.8% 2017 888 243 37.6% 2018 1,011 123 13.8% 2019 1,202.8 191.8 18.9% 2020 1,288.7 85.9 7.1% 2021 1,426.5 137.8 % 2022 1,670 243.5 % A 5.5-MW solar farm near Hughesville generates enough power for 600 homes, and offsets the pollution of 1,600 cars.
A 4.3 MW solar farm in Cambridge supplies about 40% of the power for the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and saves about 1,300 metric tons of carbon dioxide during the summer.
Utility-scale generation + Utility-scale solar generation in Maryland (GWh) Year Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2012 23 0 0 1 1 1 1 4 3 3 3 3 3 2013 65 2 4 5 4 6 6 5 5 9 8 6 5 2014 97 4 5 8 9 11 12 11 11 10 7 6 3 2015 119 5 7 7 11 14 11 13 15 13 10 8 5 2016 210 9 11 16 19 19 24 24 25 20 19 14 10 2017 269 15 19 24 26 28 26 28 26 24 21 18 14 2018 396 18 17 29 42 39 42 42 45 34 37 28 23 2019 492 27 28 44 47 51 49 54 47 46 38 34 27 2020 527 29 33 43 49 56 61 60 50 45 38 36 27 2021 631 34 28 60 62 62 63 62 65 67 49 47 32 2022 712 33 39 60 72 67 78 70 70 65 54 57 47 2023 967 45 55 78 89 105 103 111 104 87 81 63 46
Major solar companies in Maryland Maryland has a diverse mix of both regional solar installers and most of the national installers. Many specialize in specific types of transactions, such as large scale commercial projects or residential leased system. There are an estimated 183 companies in Maryland involved in solar.
American Sentry Solar Chaberton Energy Direct Energy Solar Maryland State Solar Solar Energy World Solarcity Standard Solar Trinity Solar Vivint
See also Wind power in Maryland Solar power in the United States Renewable energy in the United States Choosing a solar company in Maryland Maryland solar statistics
References