Is solar worth it in Maryland?
A 7.0 kW rooftop system near Baltimore produces about 9,743 kWh a year. Priced against the 27 residential tariffs currently on file in Maryland, payback runs from 9 years on the best of them to 94 on the worst.
Why the tariff matters more than the panels
Two households in Maryland with identical roofs and identical systems can see paybacks 9 and 94 years apart, purely because they are on different tariffs. Solar produces at midday; households consume in the evening. Only 53% of what these panels make is used as it is made — the rest is exported, and what an exported kWh earns is set by the tariff and by state net metering rules, not by the hardware.
That is why the figures here are computed hour by hour against each real tariff rather than by taking a bill and assuming solar removes a share of it. How this is modeled →
Payback by tariff in Maryland
7.0 kW system at $3.00/W, household using 1000 kWh a month, no incentives. A range means the export credit is not filed with the tariff and the outcome depends on net metering rules — 27 of 27 tariffs here belong to a utility that reports residential net metering.
| Utility | Tariff | Structure | Annual saving | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Gas & Electric Co | Residential Service (Schedule R) | Flat | $1,176–$2,233 | 9–18y |
| Baltimore Gas & Electric Co | Residential Electric Vehicle Time-of-Use (Schedule EV) | Time-of-use | $1,069–$2,194 | 10–20y |
| Baltimore Gas & Electric Co | Residential Optional Time of Use (Schedule RL) | Time-of-use | $1,122–$2,178 | 10–19y |
| Baltimore Gas & Electric Co | Residential Delivery and Energy Time of Use (Schedule RD) | Time-of-use | $828–$2,158 | 10–25y |
| Delmarva Power (Maryland) | RESIDENTIAL TIME OF USE NON-DEMAND "R-TOU-ND" | Time-of-use | $978–$1,864 | 11–21y |
| Potomac Electric Power Co | Residential Apartments-Master Meter-Schedule MMA | Time-of-use + tiered | $957–$1,793 | 12–22y |
| Potomac Electric Power Co | Residential - Schedule R | Time-of-use + tiered | $987–$1,753 | 12–21y |
| Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc | Residential Service | Time-of-use | $891–$1,691 | 12–24y |
| Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc | Residential Service Time of Use | Time-of-use | $829–$1,685 | 12–25y |
| Delmarva Power (Maryland) | RESIDENTIAL "R" | Time-of-use + tiered | $855–$1,620 | 13–25y |
| Delmarva Power | Residential Service | Time-of-use + tiered | $762–$1,448 | 14–28y |
| Delmarva Power (Maryland) | RESIDENTIAL TIME OF USE PILOT PROGRAM "R-TOU-P" | Time-of-use | $764–$1,409 | 15–27y |
| Delmarva Power | Residential Space Heating Service | Time-of-use + tiered | $719–$1,361 | 15–29y |
| Delmarva Power | Residential TOU Non-Demand Service | Time-of-use | $687–$1,322 | 16–31y |
| Delmarva Power (Maryland) | RESIDENTIAL TIME OF USE NON-DEMAND "R-TOU-ND" | Time-of-use | $487–$932 | 23–43y |
Price it for your own usage and system size →
What would change this
Your roof. Production is modeled for Baltimore on a south-facing array at 20° tilt. Shading, orientation and pitch all move it, and solar resource varies within Maryland itself.
Your usage pattern. A household at home during the day self-consumes more and exports less, which shortens payback wherever export credit is poor.
Rising rates. These figures hold today's prices flat. Electricity prices have been rising, and every rise shortens payback — so treat these as a conservative bound.
State and local incentives. Not included here, and in some states they are worth more than the federal credit was. Check your state energy office before deciding.