Maryland Solar Access Program: who qualifies and how to apply

The Maryland Solar Access Program (MSAP) is a state rebate for homeowners whose household income falls under Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) limits and who hire a contractor from MEA’s list. For fiscal year 2027 it pays $750 per kilowatt of direct current capacity, up to $7,500.¹ MEA has to approve your reservation before any installation work starts.²

The Brighter Tomorrow Act of 2024 created MSAP, and it’s codified in section 9-2016 of the State Government Article, where the statute calls it the Customer-Sited Solar Program.^2,3 What follows comes from MEA’s program page and its fiscal year 2027 documents. If MEA changes a rule, MEA’s documents win.

Who qualifies for the Maryland Solar Access Program?

Your household qualifies when its gross yearly income is at or below the limit for its size, the household owns the Maryland home, and the system is permanent.^4,5 You attest to your income, and MEA may ask you to prove it.⁶ Contractor and timing rules also decide eligibility, and they come below.

MEA’s fiscal year 2027 funding opportunity announcement (FOA), issued July 29, 2026, sets these limits.⁶

Maximum gross yearly income

• Household size 1$136,785
• Household size 2$156,375
• Household size 3$175,875
• Household size 4$195,375
• Household size 5$211,035
• Household size 6$226,695
• Household size 7$242,340
• Household size 8$257,910

View the data as a table

Household size	Maximum gross yearly income
Household size 1	$136,785
Household size 2	$156,375
Household size 3	$175,875
Household size 4	$195,375
Household size 5	$211,035
Household size 6	$226,695
Household size 7	$242,340
Household size 8	$257,910

The statute defines low to moderate income as at or below 150 percent of the State’s average median income.⁷ MEA publishes one statewide table with no county column.⁶

MEA’s income guidance adds up every source, for every household member, over the 12 months leading up to the reservation. It counts wages before deductions, Social Security payments, dividends, interest and net rental income. It excludes capital gains, tax refunds, child support and federal non-cash benefit programs such as Medicaid.⁸

Take a two-person household whose wages sit just under the limit but who also collect dividends and interest. The wage line passes. The household total may not, and the total is what MEA compares. This is a hypothetical, not a ruling on any real household.

Four more conditions apply:

• Ownership. The home is in Maryland and owned by the household. MEA accepts a deed, a property tax bill or a Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation printout.⁴
• Who holds the system. The household owns it, by cash or loan, or benefits from a third-party lease or power purchase agreement (PPA). A purchased system has to be paid in full before MEA approves payment.⁹
• SREC status. The system must be certified, or have a pending application, in Maryland’s Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) program. Our SREC prices guide covers how that market works.¹⁰
• Fossil fuel policy. If MEA’s policy applies, the project can’t expand fossil fuel use.¹¹

How much is the rebate, and where does the cap bite?

For fiscal year 2027 the rebate is $750 per kilowatt of direct current nameplate capacity, with a $7,500 maximum per system.¹ The statute sets the same formula.³ The final payment can come in below the reserved amount but never above it.¹²

The cap bites at 10 kilowatts.¹ At $750 per kilowatt, a system of 10 kilowatts or more reaches the $7,500 ceiling, so a 12-kilowatt system gets the same rebate as a 10-kilowatt one.¹ Smaller systems scale down with the formula.

Only solar capacity counts toward the formula. MEA’s consumer protection policy lists battery storage and roof replacement among the non-solar costs that can be left out of the maximum offer, while modules, inverters, permitting fees, interconnection fees and required electrical work are eligible costs.¹³ For the separate battery rebate, see our RCES guide.

You pick one of three routes for who applies and who gets paid.¹⁴

The rebate may be taxable, and MEA may issue a 1099-G form to the recipient. MEA gives no tax advice, so ask a tax professional whether the rebate counts as income for you.¹⁵ If you owe delinquent State debt, the Comptroller of Maryland may intercept the payment.¹⁶

How do you find and check a participating contractor?

A participating contractor is the prime solar contractor that MEA approved and listed. The company must be on the fiscal year 2027 list on the day the reservation request goes in.¹⁷ MEA finalized that list with an update dated September 30, 2026, and says it doesn’t endorse or prefer any listed contractor.¹⁷

Your contractor signs the agreement with you, signs MEA’s Authorizations and Disclosures form and takes responsibility for program compliance.¹⁸ Any subcontracted installer, outside salesperson or lease or PPA provider on your job also has to be approved and listed.¹⁹

To check, open MEA’s Maryland Solar Access Program page and match the exact legal name on your contract to a name on the list.¹⁷ A brand name won’t do. The contractor application closed August 28, 2026, and MEA’s announcement makes an application ineligible if the contractor isn’t on the list when Step 1 is filed.¹⁷ Joining the list is voluntary for contractors, and MEA doesn’t rank the companies on it.¹⁷

For a wider look at vetting installers, our guide to checking a solar contractor’s license in Maryland shows where to look.

What contract protections does MEA require?

The statute says MEA’s consumer protection policy must prohibit an annual rate increase of more than 3 percent in a PPA or lease, and must allow a customer-generator to cancel an agreement with a third party up to 30 days after signing.²⁰ MEA’s policy for this program adds warranty, insurance and pricing minimums for participating contractors.

MEA says the PPA rate figures can change during the fiscal year because utility rates change.²² The policy also sets required insurance types and requires a PV installation professional holding the industry’s voluntary installer certification to have a role in the design or installation.²³ Compare your contract with this table before you sign. For how warranties work in general, see our guide to solar panel warranties.

How long will the money last?

MEA accepts fiscal year 2027 applications until 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 31, 2027, but the portal can close sooner if requests exceed the budget.²⁴ MEA expects up to $10 million from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, and it updates a funding table on the program page.²⁵

Share, as of October 19, 2026 (scale 0 to 100)

• Requested22.58 percent
• Reserved12.78 percent

View the data as a table

Measure of the budget	Share, as of October 19, 2026
Requested	22.58 percent
Reserved	12.78 percent

Those shares move whenever MEA updates the table, so read the current figures on MEA’s page before you plan around them.²⁵

A posted deadline isn’t a safe plan. The fiscal year 2026 announcement gave a June 5, 2026 deadline “or until budgeted funding is exhausted,” yet MEA lists new reservations accepted only from July 21, 2025 to April 17, 2026.²⁶

The General Assembly’s statute page carries the note “effective until June 30, 2027 per Chapter 595 of 2024.”³ If your project could stretch into mid-2027, check MEA’s page for the program’s status before you count on the rebate.

How to apply, step by step

You apply through MEA’s My MEA online portal in two steps. Step 1 is the upfront rebate reservation, which MEA must approve before installation. Step 2 is the payment request after installation and utility permission to operate. MEA doesn’t accept applications sent by email.^24,27,28

1. Compare your household income with the table above and the income rules.
2. Pick a contractor from MEA’s list and sign an agreement that falls inside the date window described in the next section.
3. Decide who applies, using the three options above, and create the matching account in My MEA.²⁸
4. Submit Step 1 with an Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 for whoever receives the rebate, proof of ownership, the signed agreement, the signed Authorizations and Disclosures form, the Maximum Offer Calculator and a District of Columbia (DC) SREC feeder check.²⁹
5. If MEA asks for missing information, respond within 14 calendar days.²⁹
6. Wait until MEA marks Step 1 approved. Only then can installation begin.³⁰
7. Install, get utility permission to operate, show SREC certification or a pending application, and submit Step 2 before the reservation expires 180 days after approval.^27,10

MEA takes program questions at solaraccess.mea@maryland.gov.³¹

Signed a contract before applying? The order of events matters

You may sign before approval. You may not install before it. The agreement has to be dated no earlier than 90 days before your reservation request, and after April 17, 2026. MEA won’t approve a rebate for a system installed before it approves the reservation.³⁰

A mistake that voids the rebate. A household signs in September, and the installer books a crew for early October while the reservation is still pending. The signing date fits the window, but starting work first makes the system ineligible. This is a hypothetical.

If the agreement changes after approval, file a modification request before you install. Changing the contractor, the agreement type, the project location or the rebate recipient means a new application.³² If permitting or interconnection runs long, you can ask for more time, but the request has to reach MEA at least 30 days before the reservation expires, and MEA may still say no.³³

Which homes and systems don’t qualify?

MSAP excludes systems on feeders that tie into the DC grid, properties that already got money from certain earlier MEA programs, portable or plug-in systems, self-installed systems and anything installed before approval. Each exclusion comes from MEA’s announcement.^10,34,5

• DC feeders. A system that qualifies for the DC SREC program can’t receive MSAP. The announcement tells applicants to check a feeder map.¹⁰
• Earlier awards. A property that received money from the listed MEA programs, including the fiscal year 2025 or 2026 MSAP rounds, is ineligible. A household can’t benefit from more than one incentive for solar at the same property.³⁴
• Portable systems. Anything showing portability, plug-in solar included, fails the permanence test.⁵
• Unlicensed work. A system installed without the required certifications and licenses is ineligible.⁵
• Contractor not listed. A contractor missing from the list at Step 1 makes the application ineligible.¹⁷
• Later review. MEA may rescind a rebate if activity conflicts with program rules, and recipients must give MEA site access for at least three years after payment.^16,35

What should you confirm before signing with an installer?

Check your household total against the income table, the exact contractor name against MEA’s list, your installation date against MEA’s approval, and the funding table on MEA’s page. Any of these can change when MEA posts a new announcement or closes the portal.^17,25 Take these questions to any installer:

• Which legal name are you listed under for fiscal year 2027?
• Who will submit the application, and who receives the rebate?
• What is the installation date, and does it come after MEA’s approval?
• Does the agreement carry the 30-day cancellation right and the warranty minimums?

Get a proposal that states the system size in kilowatts, because that’s the capacity MEA uses. For the wider picture of state and local programs, read our Maryland solar incentives overview. Soleil Energy’s residential solar service page and the solar frequently asked questions describe how a site review works.

Ask any installer whether it is on the program’s contractor list. Then talk through your roof and your bill: book a free consultation or call (301) 953-4140.

Solar savings and incentive eligibility depend on your roof, your usage, your utility, and your tax situation. Incentive programs change and some have limited funding. We are not tax advisors — we will review your bill with you and tell you what you may qualify for. Confirm any tax credit with a qualified tax professional.

Program rules decide who qualifies. Ask any installer whether it is on the program’s contractor list.

Sources (35)

1. MEA, FY27 Maryland Solar Access Program Funding Opportunity Announcement, section 7, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. MEA, Maryland Solar Access Program page, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program.aspx; current page, read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩²

3. Maryland General Assembly, State Government Article section 9-2016, https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gsg&section=9-2016&enactments=false, current statute text; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, sections 11.5, 12.4 and 19.2, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩²

5. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, sections 10.2.3 and 10.2.4, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

6. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, section 11.3, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

7. Maryland General Assembly, State Government Article section 9-2016(a)(3), https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gsg&section=9-2016&enactments=false, current statute text; and MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, footnote 7 to section 11.3; read October 25, 2026. ↩

8. MEA, FOA Attachment B, Guidance for Calculating Household Annual Gross Income, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FOA%20Attachment%20B%20-%20Guidance%20for%20Calcula%2E%2E%2Ed%20Annual%20Gross%20Income%20-%20Issued%207.29.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩

9. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, sections 11.11 and 11.13, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩

10. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, sections 10.2.1, 11.10 and 12.8, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

11. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, section 11.1, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; and MEA, Fossil Fuel Policy for Fiscal Year 2027, effective July 1, 2026, https://energy.maryland.gov/SiteAssets/Pages/all-incentives/MEA%20Fossil%20Fuel%20Policy%20Version%201%20for%20Fiscal%20Year%202027%20-%20present.pdf; read October 25, 2026. ↩

12. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, section 7.2, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩

13. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, section 9.1, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; and Attachment A, Appendix 1, as cited at ²¹; read October 25, 2026. ↩

14. MEA, Maryland Solar Access Program page, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program.aspx; current page, read October 25, 2026; and FOA section 4.1, issued July 29, 2026. ↩

15. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, sections 17.2 and 19.11, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩

16. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, sections 11.15 and 12.2.1.4, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩²

17. MEA, Maryland Solar Access Program page, participating contractor list, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program.aspx; list final update September 30, 2026, contractor application closed August 28, 2026; current page, read October 25, 2026; and FOA sections 10.2.5 and 11.4, issued July 29, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

18. MEA, Maryland Solar Access Program page, participating contractor section, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program.aspx; current page, read October 25, 2026. ↩

19. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, section 11.4.2, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩

20. Maryland General Assembly, State Government Article section 9-2016(l), 3 percent rate cap and 30-day cancellation, https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gsg&section=9-2016&enactments=false, current statute text; read October 25, 2026. ↩

21. MEA, FOA Attachment A, FY27 MSAP Consumer Protection Policy, sections 1.3, 2 and 3.3, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FOA%20Attachment%20A%20-%20FY27%20MSAP%20Consumer%20Protection%20Policy%20-%20Issued%207.29.26.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

22. MEA, FOA Attachment A, FY27 MSAP Consumer Protection Policy, Appendix 1 (rates MEA says may change during the fiscal year), https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FOA%20Attachment%20A%20-%20FY27%20MSAP%20Consumer%20Protection%20Policy%20-%20Issued%207.29.26.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³

23. MEA, FOA Attachment A, FY27 MSAP Consumer Protection Policy, section 2, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FOA%20Attachment%20A%20-%20FY27%20MSAP%20Consumer%20Protection%20Policy%20-%20Issued%207.29.26.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩

24. MEA, Maryland Solar Access Program page, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program.aspx; current page, read October 25, 2026; and FOA section 3, issued July 29, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³

25. MEA, Maryland Solar Access Program page, FY27 MSAP Program Budget table, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program.aspx; table last updated October 19, 2026; page read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

26. MEA, Maryland Solar Access Program page, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program.aspx; current page, read October 25, 2026; and MEA, FY26 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY26%20MSAP%20FOA%20-%20Issued%203.2.26.pdf, issued March 2, 2026. ↩ ↩²

27. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, section 11.8, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩²

28. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, sections 18.1 and 18.2.2, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩²

29. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, sections 12 and 16.1.2, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩²

30. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, sections 11.7 and 12.5, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩²

31. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, section 20, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩

32. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, section 14, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩

33. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, sections 11.8.1 and 13, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩

34. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, section 10.2.2, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩ ↩²

35. MEA, FY27 MSAP Funding Opportunity Announcement, section 19.1, https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/SiteAssets/Pages/incentives/Maryland-Solar-Access-Program/FY27%20MSAP%20Funding%20Opportunity%20Announcement%20-%20Issued%207.29.26%20v2.pdf, issued July 29, 2026; read October 25, 2026. ↩