Delmarva Power’s Green Energy Program provides Wilmington solar homeowners with an upfront cash rebate of $0.70 per watt of installed capacity, up to a maximum of $6,000 for residential systems. On a typical 8kW Wilmington system, this delivers $5,600 directly applied to reduce installation cost. The rebate is administered through Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) via the Green Grant Delaware online system. Applications require an acceptable energy audit and installation by an approved contractor — confirm your installer is on DNREC’s approved list before signing a contract.
An important trade-off: Delmarva Power Green Energy Program participants must sign over their Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) to the state as part of the grant application. This means you receive the upfront rebate but forfeit the ongoing SREC income stream. For most Wilmington homeowners, the upfront $5,600–$6,000 rebate is worth more than Delaware’s modest SREC income (approximately $30/SREC for years 1–10, $10/SREC for years 11–25, in a competitive procurement program where acceptance is not guaranteed). But the trade-off should be understood before applying — you cannot receive both the Green Energy rebate and retain your SRECs independently.
Delmarva Power provides full 1:1 retail-rate net metering under Delaware’s net metering mandate. Every kilowatt-hour exported to Delmarva’s grid earns a credit at the current retail rate. Credits accumulate through a 12-month period; you select your true-up month (conventional wisdom: March or April, after winter draw-down). At the annual true-up, any remaining credits expire with no cash payout — identical to Delaware’s standard net metering structure for all utilities.
Delaware provides two structural financial advantages that apply to all solar installations regardless of utility. First, Delaware has no statewide sales tax — the First State’s longstanding zero-sales-tax environment means solar equipment and installation are not subject to any state or local sales tax. On a $25,000 Wilmington system, this prevents approximately $1,750–$2,500 in sales tax cost that Pennsylvania homeowners pay on equivalent installations. The absence of sales tax is a quiet but real advantage for Delaware solar economics relative to neighboring Pennsylvania and, to some extent, Maryland.
Second, Delaware’s property tax exclusion for solar prevents the added value of a solar installation from increasing annual assessed value. Wilmington homeowners who install solar do not face higher New Castle County property taxes as a result of the installation’s value. The exclusion applies across Delaware and reduces the long-term cost of ownership relative to states like Pennsylvania that have no property tax exemption.
Net metering in Delaware operates identically across all utilities under Delaware law: full 1:1 retail-rate credit for exports, 12-month billing period with homeowner-selected true-up month, and year-end credit expiration with no cash payout. Residential systems are capped at 110% of the previous 12 months’ consumption. Fixed monthly utility charges — meter connection fees, distribution charges — cannot be offset by kilowatt-hour credits and must be paid in cash regardless of solar production.
Delaware solar installations typically run $2.70–$3.10 per watt in 2026 — reflecting the mid-Atlantic market that serves Wilmington from both the Philadelphia and Baltimore installer ecosystems. A typical Wilmington system of 7kW–9kW costs approximately $18,900–$27,900 before incentives. After Delmarva’s Green Energy rebate (up to $6,000) and with Delaware’s no-sales-tax advantage (saving approximately $1,323–$1,953 versus a taxed state), effective out-of-pocket cost for a cash purchase runs approximately $10,947–$19,947. No federal residential ITC for cash or loan purchases in 2026. At Delmarva’s residential rate, Wilmington cash-purchase payback runs approximately 9–12 years — competitive with comparable mid-Atlantic markets. If homeowners retain their SRECs (by not applying for the Green Energy rebate), Delaware’s SREC income adds modest annual value — approximately $120–$300 annually in years 1–10 at $30/SREC — but the competitive procurement process means SREC acceptance is not guaranteed.
