Solar panels need access to full sun. For help calculating the potential energy production of a solar energy system, you can use the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s PVWatts® Calculator.

If you are interested in a rooftop system, you need to determine the age of your roof and make sure it has the structural integrity to support solar panels for the 20- to 30-year lifespan of the solar energy system.

Find a solar installer that is certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) or Roof Integrated Solar Energy (RISE). You can also refer to Solar Energy Industry Association of Maryland, DC and Virginia (MDV-SEIA) or the Maryland Clean Energy Center for Maryland-based contractors.

Solar co-ops are groups of neighbors that use their collective buying power to get a discounted price on the purchase and installation of solar panels. As a group, the co-op members solicit and review bids from local installers and select one firm to do all of the installations for members. This can make solar panel installation on individual homes more affordable. More…

Community solar gives people who aren’t able to install solar on their own property a unique opportunity to directly support and benefit from a shared solar power source. A landowner with an appropriate location installs the solar panels and then solicits investors or subscribers to pay for the panels. The subscribers then receive a credit on their utility bills proportional to their contribution and how much energy is produced by the solar panels. More…