Solar payback / By state / Maryland
Solar panel cost in Maryland, 2026
Electricity here costs 18.3 cents a kWh, above the national average of 17.1 cents. A kilowatt of panels makes about 1,300 kWh a year on a Maryland roof. Put your own bill in below.
Your house
Pays for itself in
11 yr
At today's bill, rising
System you need
8.2 kW
about 21 panels
Cost after credits
$23,697
no federal credit in 2026
25 year net gain
$42,576
savings minus what it cost
What you have saved, year by year
Your monthly bill
On grid power you pay $180 a month, every month, for as long as you live there.
An 8.2 kW system in Maryland makes about 10,623 kWh a year, which covers most of the 11,803 kWh your house uses. It costs $23,697 installed, and because the federal credit ended on 31 December 2025 that is also what you pay. Over 25 years you would otherwise hand the utility $78,752.
What these numbers mean in Maryland
Two things decide whether solar pays here, and only one of them is sunshine. The first is what you are paying now: Maryland sits 14 of 51 for residential electricity price, so every kWh the roof makes is worth 18.3 cents that stays in your pocket. The second is how much the roof makes, and Maryland ranks 26 of 51 there.
A state with expensive power and moderate sun beats a sunny state with cheap power almost every time. That is why solar pays back faster in the northeast than in parts of the south, which surprises most people.
On a $180 a month bill, a Maryland house uses roughly 11,803 kWh a year. Covering ninety percent of that needs about 8.2 kW of panels, which costs $23,697 installed at the national average price per watt, and produces about 10,623 kWh a year.
Those savings pass the cost of the system in year 11. Over 25 years you save $66,274 against a grid bill that would have totalled $78,752, leaving you $42,576 ahead. Panels are generally warranted for 25 years and keep working after that at reduced output.
One thing every figure above assumes: no federal tax credit. The 30 percent credit ended on December 31, 2025. If a salesperson or a calculator shows you a shorter payback, check whether they have quietly subtracted a credit that no longer exists.
Common questions
- How much do solar panels cost in Maryland?
- A system big enough for a typical Maryland home is around 8.2 kW, which is about 21 panels. At the national average of $2.90 a watt that is $23,697 installed. Because the 30 percent federal tax credit ended on December 31, 2025, that is also what you pay: there is no longer a credit to subtract.
- Is solar worth it in Maryland in 2026?
- Yes, on these figures. Electricity in Maryland costs 18.3 cents a kWh and a kilowatt of panels makes about 1,300 kWh a year here, so the system pays for itself in about 11 years and is ahead by $42,576 over 25. That is with no federal credit at all.
- Is there still a solar tax credit in Maryland?
- Not a federal one. Section 25D, the 30 percent residential credit, ended on December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill, with no phase down. State and utility programs are separate and some still run, so check with your own utility before you sign. Any calculator still showing you 30 percent off is about three years optimistic on payback.
- How many solar panels does a Maryland home need?
- About 21 panels, taking a modern 400 watt panel. That comes from a house using 11,803 kWh a year and each kilowatt of panels producing 1,300 kWh a year in Maryland.