Washington, dc property owners
Apply For Free Solar Today!
DC's Solar Incentive Program is the best in the country, by far. It’s so good that we’re able to offer 100% FREE (yes, literally free) solar power systems to residential and commercial property owner in DC to help them save money with solar at $0 cost.
Installation is FREE
All of the Equipment is FREE
$0 Ongoing Monthly Payment of Any Kind
FREE Warranty & Maintenance, So You're Covered if Anything Breaks
Fully Transferrable (If You Ever Sell the Property)
$50,000+ in Lifetime Savings on Average (at $0 Cost!)
You Only Have Until 2027 to Apply for Free Solar.
The clock is ticking. Due to recent tax changes from the federal government, the Free Solar Program is only accepting applications until early 2027. So don't delay, apply today!
HOW IT WORKS
How FREE Solar Works in DC
Washington, DC is legally requiring Pepco to power the entire city with renewable energy by 2032. The DC law requiring this is called the Clean Energy Amendment Act (if you want to look it up.) It was originally passed in 2018, and is the most progressive, pro-solar legislation passed anywhere in the country. Long story short, DC set HUGE fines for Pepco if they're not hitting the targets DC has set for them, and to avoid those fines, Pepco will pay a private solar leasing company to provide you with solar panels and power your home with renewable energy at $0 cost to you. (And yes, it's really free.) You can learn more below.
Washington, DC is Legally Requiring Pepco to Power the Entire City with Renewable Energy by 2032
In 2018, the city of DC passed the Clean Energy Amendment Act, legally requiring Pepco to power the entire city with renewable energy by 2032. To further their commitment, they passed additional legislation in 2023, doubling down on their requirements for Pepco and demanding even faster adoption of renewable energy in the years leading up to 2032.
Pepco Has to Pay Huge Fines to DC if They're Not Producing Enough Renewable Energy
DC has set huge fines for Pepco if they're not able to hit the renewable energy targets DC has set for them in the years that lead up to DC's 2032 deadline, potentially costing them millions of dollars.
So Pepco Will Pay Private Solar Leasing Companies to Provide You the Panels at No Cost to You ($0)
If you lease solar anywhere else in the US there is obviously a monthly payment associated with it. But since the leasing companies in DC know that Pepco will pay them for producing renewable energy, they're willing to offer you the system for free. They make as much, if not more money from Pepco than they would charge you a monthly fee for the lease. These payments Pepco makes to them are called Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) and again are made possible by the legislation that DC passed, as mentioned above. That’s why it’s free to you.
Essentially, It's Cheaper for Pepco to Pay to Have You Produce the Renewable Energy for Your Property on Their Behalf
It's cheaper for Pepco to pay a private solar leasing company to provide you rooftop solar panels for your home, than it is for them to pay the fines they'd otherwise have to pay to the city of DC.
With FREE Solar,
Everybody Wins
Whether you're a Homeowner, or a residential or commercial Landlord, or Tenant, the DC Free Solar Program is a huge benefit to all parties involved.
Property owners get free, $0 / month electricity for 20-30 years. A typical DC homeowner, for example, can save over $2,000 per year, and the savings increase in value over time as Pepco rates continue to increase.
Pepco saves money relative to the fines they would otherwise have to pay to the city.
Solar leasing companies make as much, if not more money from the SREC payments from Pepco than they would otherwise charge you to lease the system.
The city of DC gets to help residents save money on electricity costs, and take steps towards its goal of powering the entire city with renewable energy.
Our planet gets more solar installed to help offset CO2 and stop climate change. 🌎
Apply Today
Don't Delay - The DC Free Solar Program is Only Accepting Applications Until Early 2027!
Unfortunately, given recent tax changes due to the passing of the Trump Administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill, the federal tax credit that solar leasing companies rely on to make the DC Free Solar Program possible is set to expire at the end of 2027. In order to qualify for the tax credit, all systems must be fully completed by the end of 2027. And since it takes a few months to get the necessary permits and complete the installation - especially given the flood of applications that are expected as DC homeowners rush to hit the deadline - the DC Free Solar Program is expected to stop accepting applications in early2027 as a result.
Installing Free Solar Can Also Increase Your Property Value
Numerous studies of over 25,000+ homes by firms like the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Appraisal Institute, and Zillow have shown that installing solar on a property increases the property's value. This is primarily due to the savings solar can provide Homeowners on their annual electricity costs. While these studies are about solar that's been purchased by a Homeowner, having solar installed via the DC Free Solar Lease Program provides the exact same functional benefit; Savings on electricity costs!
Based On Studies of Over 25,000+ Homes By:
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you can also purchase solar
Want to Own Your Solar Instead of Using the Free Lease? Ask Us About Purchasing!
While we provide the Free Solar Lease to most of our customers, some opt to purchase a solar power system from us so they can earn the Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) themselves. When annual SREC payments are combined with the annual savings property owners can generate with solar, the returns can be very attractive.
Let us create a custom proposal for you and your property, complete with a customized spreadsheet showing how much you could earn with DC solar, by scheduling a consultation with us using the link below.
free consultation today!
Have Friends in DC? Join Our Referral Program!
You can earn $350 for every friend you refer to work with us. That means earning money for giving away FREE solar power systems and thousands of dollar in FREE electricity to your friends and family. What could be better?!
Just click the link below to get in touch with us and make the introduction.
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faqs
Frequently Asked Questions
Any questions? Check out our FAQs below, or schedule a free consultation with us.
To apply for Free Solar, simply click one of the 'Apply Today' buttons featured on this page and fill in our short application form. A Sales Representative from our team will reach out to you shortly to let you know if your property qualifies.
From the date of your initial site survey, it typically takes about four months for us to get the permits we need from Pepco and DC's Department of Buildings to install a residential solar project. Small commercial projects follow a similar timeline, but larger commercial projects can take up to a year.
Aside from the property being within Washington, DC city limits, the two main requirements for Free Solar are (1) that there is enough roof space for us to fit an adequate amount of solar panels, and (2) that the roof space where the panels are placed get an adequate amount of sunlight. To find out if your property qualifies, click one of the 'Apply Today' buttons featured on this page and fill in our short application form.
Almost any type of property in Washington, DC - both residential and commercial - can qualify for Free Solar. To find out if your property qualifies, click one of the 'Apply Today' buttons featured on this page and fill in our short application form.
Yes! While we have to evaluate each property's eligibility for Free Solar individually, you can certainly have Free Solar installed on more than one of your properties. To find out if your properties qualify, click one of the 'Apply Today' buttons featured on this page and fill in our short application form with information on one your properties. Then, when you speak to a Smartr Solar Sales Representative, let them know you have other properties you'd like to look into.
With Free Solar, a private solar leasing company owns the solar power system being placed on your property's roof, so it's their responsibility to repair the system if it's damaged or broken. And since they need the system to be working and producing power in order to earn the SREC payments from Pepco, they're highly incentivized to make sure your system is online and producing power.
At the moment, our Free Solar Program is only available in Washington, DC. But we're hopeful other states will make similar programs available in the coming years to fight back against the climate crisis!
