Should you go solar? Adjust the sliders below to match your home, then scroll for the answer. Note: Federal 30% tax credit expired Dec 31, 2025 — this calculator reflects post-ITC economics.
Your Home & System
Defaults are for an average Maryland home. Adjust to match your situation.
System Cost$28,000
~10.0 kW at $2.80/W
Annual Usage (kWh)12,000 kWh
Check your BGE account for 12-mo total
Monthly Bill$180
Electric Rate (¢/kWh)18.8¢
All-in: supply + delivery + riders
Rate Escalation (%/yr)4.0%
BGE rates doubled since 2012
SREC Price$55/MWh
MD Certified SRECs get 1.5× multiplier yrs 1-4
How Long You'll Stay10 years
Key factor in whether solar pays off
Sun Hours/Day4.2 hrs
MD average: 4.2 peak sun hours
✓
Yes — Solar makes financial sense
Your system pays for itself in ~8 years. Holding 10 years means you're cash-positive well before moving. Over 25 years you net $74,406.
Offset
100.0%
Year 1 net
$3,197
Payback
Yr 8
25-yr ROI
412%
💰 Net System Cost
$23,820
Gross $28,000 − $1,680 tax exempt − $2,500 county credit
⚡ Year 1 Production
12.6 MWh
100.0% of your 12k kWh usage
📍 Payback Year
Year 8
From energy savings + SRECs
Maryland Incentive Stack (2026)
Anne Arundel County Solar Tax Credit−$2,500MD Sales Tax Exemption (6%)−$1,680MD Property Tax ExemptionongoingNet Metering (1:1 retail rate)ongoingCertified SRECs (1.5× yrs 1–4)~$1,037/yrFederal ITC (Section 25D)EXPIREDWould have saved $8,400 — ended Dec 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Your system qualifies for Certified SRECs (Brighter Tomorrow Act) which helps offset this loss.
Cumulative Net Savings
■ Negative ■ Positive — hover bars for values
1
5
PAYBACK
10
15
20
25
Monthly Bill: Without vs With Solar
Year 1
$180/mo
$9/mo
Year 5
$211/mo
$9/mo
Year 10
$256/mo
$9/mo
Year 15
$312/mo
$16/mo
Year 25
$461/mo
$43/mo
BGE rates have been climbing ~4%/yr since 2012. Without solar, your bill reaches ~$461/mo in 25 years.
What If You Still Had the Federal Credit?
2026 Reality
$23,820
net cost
~8yr payback
With 30% ITC
$15,420
would have been
~4yr payback
The expired ITC adds ~3-4 years to payback. Maryland's Certified SRECs and rising BGE rates help close the gap.