Solar Panels Cost $5.2k-$15k in Washington, DC | May, 2025

Beginning in 2005, the District of Columbia has been required to meet certain investment quotas under renewable portfolio standard laws. The District must derive 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2032, with intermediate investment targets increasing annually. Sources qualifying to meet the standard were divided into two tiers based on efficiency and emissions; as of 2019, energy from the less efficient tier no longer counts toward the standard. Compliance is measured through credits pegged to a dollar value. Retail customers "generate" these components through their use of renewable energy and "sell" them to utilities through net metering arrangements. Once "in the custody" of the utilities, credits will then go to meet the standard. Additional information on the District RPS can be found on the DCPSC website.

Beginning in 2006, the District of Columbia has required certain new construction to meet green building requirements. Unique to the District, new municipal buildings amd private buildings over 50,000 square feet are subject to the requirements. Any new city building should meet at least the Silver level of the appropriate LEED standard. New public schools are subject to the LEED for Schools Gold standard, while new public housing projects must meet different Green Communities standards. Beginning in 2009, new and renovated non-residential private buildings over 50,000 square feet should meet at least the Certified level of the appropriate LEED standard. Private schools should meet the LEED for Schools Gold standard. To incentivize compliance with the green building requirements, new private projects pursuing LEED Gold certification may have permit reviews expedited. Additional information is available from the DC environment department website.

The Sustainable Energy Trust Fund and Energy Assistance Trust Fund provide low-income energy assistance, efficiency improvements, and renewable adoption to D.C. residents. Currently, the D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility holds custodianship. The District obtains funds for the trust via a mandatory surcharge on consumer electric and gas bills. Surcharges go toward assisting low-income families in installing energy-efficient appliances, insulation, lighting, and distributed energy devices (such as solar PV/thermal systems), as well as educational and public outreach initiatives. Currently, the Fund has invested $1.2 billion in total energy improvements and prevented 6.2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Additional information is available from the DC SEU website.

Distributed-energy customers in the District of Columbia who source power from solar, wind, fuel cells, or other sustainable means are compensated through a net metering arrangement. Upon installation of a distributed energy device, the utility will place a bidirectional meter measuring net excess energy (NEG) generated on-site that is returned to the grid. The utility will credit the customer for the cycle's NEG at a fixed kilowatt-hour rate. Should generation exceed consumption for a cycle, extra credits will carry over to the following month. "Virtual net metering" is available for customers who choose to source their energy from a community solar farm or other renewable "microgrid" within the district limits. These customers will be credited at a proportional "CREF rate" based on the overall net metering credits for the entire microgrid. Additional information is available from the DC PSC website.