Solar for All aims to bring the benefits of solar energy to 100,000 low to moderate income families in the District of Columbia. The DC Department of Energy and Environment is partnering with organizations across the District to install solar on single family homes and develop community solar projects to benefit renters and residents in multi-family buildings. All Solar for All participants should expect to see a 50% savings on their electricity bill over 15 years and can be proud to have gone solar! In order to be eligible, residents must meet the income guidelines below.
4 Steps To Going Solar Info Sheet
How to Apply
Solar for All Community Solar:
- Online application
- Solicitud en Español (Spanish online application)
- Downloadable PDF application
- Downloadable PDF application (Español)
- Terms
Solar for All Single-Family Solar:
DOEE is working with the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) on the Solar for All program. Single-family DC residents can apply to get solar systems installed directly on their roofs by working with the DCSEU. Contact the DCSEU at (202) 479-2222 or visit DCSEU - Solar For All to find out more and apply.
Grid Alternatives Mid-Atlantic is offering no-cost installs to single-family, income-eligible households through Solar Works DC, the District's solar systems installation and job training program. To see if you qualify, please call Solar Works DC at 866-921-4696 or 202-602-0191. See Solar Works DC website for more details.
Contact Us
For more information about Solar for All, contact the DOEE Solar for All hotline at (202) 299-5271 or [email protected].
For current Solar for All Subscribers
Groundswell has received a grant from DOEE to provide engagement and support to Solar For All subscribers. Their mission is to build community power, and develop and manage community solar programs that connect clean power with economic empowerment. They are a 501c3 nonprofit founded in the District in 2009. Learn more >>
Solar for All subscribers who need help with their subscription and benefits can reach Groundswell by phone at 202-681-3692 or by email at [email protected].
Eligibility
Washington DC residents can participate in Solar for All single family solar or community solar options if the household income is below 80% of the area median income (AMI) threshold, as listed below.
Persons in household |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Income threshold |
$79,700 | $91,100 | $102,500 | $113,850 | $125,250 | $136,650 | $148,050 | $159,400 | $170,800 | $182,200 |
Household income amounts listed in the eligibility table are effective as of 04/18/22, but may change.
Please visit the US Dept of Housing and Urban Development website for the most up-to-date numbers.
In April 2022, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has determined that D.C. Solar for All’s community-net-metering (CNM) credits will be excluded from household income and utility allowance calculations and therefore will not increase housing costs for residents in properties participating in HUD Multifamily rental assistance programs. The official HUD memo is available here and letter from Deputy Assistant Secretary of Office of Public Housing and Voucher Programs are available for review.
Community Solar
Community solar provides the benefits of solar to residents who can’t install systems on their home, including renters and homeowners whose rooftops are shaded or need repairs. A community solar project is not located on the home, but offsite, and the benefiting household receives a credit on their Pepco electricity bill each month.
Innovation and Expansion Authorized Vendors
To verify whether a solar developer / contractor is operating a DOEE Solar for All program, please email [email protected] or call 202.299.5271.
#DCSolarStories
Solar for All celebrates the successes and documents the challenges of the first two years of implementing Solar For All, Mayor Muriel Bowser's initiative to provide 100,000 low-to-moderate income families with the benefits of locally generated clean energy. One of the most progressive solar mandates in the U.S., #DCSolarStories exhibits how the District is using innovation and the concept of equity or "equal access" to local, clean energy to slash resident's utility burdens and protect underserved communities in the face of the changing climate.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Sunny Awards for Equitable Community Solar (The Sunny Awards) recognize community solar projects and programs that employ or develop best practices to increase equitable access to the meaningful benefits of community solar for subscribers and their communities.