Quick answer
With a Delmarva Power account in Delaware, you can subscribe to a PSC-certified solar project. A credit appears on your Delmarva bill each month. Today the project usually bills you separately for less than that credit. One Delmarva bill must be available to all projects by Oct 1, 2027.
What does the community solar credit on my Delmarva bill mean?
You subscribe to a share of a solar farm in Delmarva's Delaware territory. Each month, Delmarva puts a credit on your bill for your share of the farm's output. That credit lowers what you owe Delmarva.
You then pay the project a subscription for those credits. By law it must cost less than the credits are worth. Nothing is installed, and you stay with Delmarva.
The credit only offsets per-kWh charges. Fixed charges on your bill are not offset.
Sources: 26 Del. C. §1014(f)(1) and §1022(c) · PSC Reg 3013 §1.0, §2.1.4
What does a sample bill look like? Two bills today
Most subscribers get two bills today. Delmarva's bill shows the credit. The project sends its own bill for the subscription. Here is how that looks with made-up numbers.
Bill 1: your Delmarva bill
Made-up numbers, simplified
| Fixed charges | $10.00 |
| Distribution charges (per kWh) | $70.00 |
| Supply charges (per kWh) | $90.00 |
| Community solar credit | −$100.00 |
| You pay Delmarva | $70.00 |
Bill 2: the solar project's bill
Made-up numbers, simplified
| Solar credits on your Delmarva bill | $100.00 |
| Your subscription price | $90.00 |
| You pay the project | $90.00 |
Without community solar: $170.00 to Delmarva. With it: $70.00 + $90.00 = $160.00. You keep $10.00.
Example only. Savings apply to the solar credit, not your whole bill. Your contract sets your exact price.
When will there be one Delmarva bill instead of two?
SB 321 was signed on August 27, 2026. It is now part of the Delaware Code at §1022. Under it:
- One bill (consolidated billing) is the default for projects certified on or after September 3, 2026.
- Delmarva must make one bill available to all projects by October 1, 2027.
- Older projects may opt out by October 1, 2028.
No start date has been announced, so subscribers generally get two bills today. Ask which setup your project uses before you sign. More detail: the 2026 billing law (SB 321).
Sources: SB 321 at legis.delaware.gov · 26 Del. C. §1022(b)(2), (e)(3) · Delaware PSC consumer information
How is the credit valued per kWh?
Your credit is your share of the project's output times the per-kWh distribution and supply charges on your Delmarva rate schedule. Fixed charges are not offset. For the 2026 rate changes, see why your Delmarva Power bill went up.
Do you buy your supply from another company? Then the supply part of your credit is valued at Delmarva's standard offer rate. See community solar vs switching suppliers.
Credits larger than your bill roll forward as a negative "Balance Forward." At the end of the 12-month period, you may ask Delmarva for a refund.
Your credits are capped at 110% of your expected use. Expected use is the average of your two previous 12-month periods, at sign-up.
Source: 26 Del. C. §1014(f)(1), (2) and (5)
How do I verify a project before I sign?
- Check the project on the PSC list. Only projects with a PSC Final Certificate to Operate may enroll customers. Being on the list does not mean a project has open spots. See the PSC-certified project list.
- Check your size. Credits are capped at 110% of your expected use. You may join up to 4 projects.
- Check the money terms. No project or coordinator may require a residential subscriber to pass a credit check or pay an upfront enrollment fee, and security deposits are banned.
- Check who you're talking to. Marketing in any medium may not suggest a relationship with Delmarva, the standard offer supplier, a government agency or another project that doesn't exist. It also may not say you must choose a party.
- Know your exit. You have 3 days after you sign to cancel with no penalty. After that, your contract can't require more than 90 days' notice to cancel, and any early cancellation fee must be written in it. Moving out of Delmarva's Delaware service area ends it with no fee. Moving inside it, your subscription moves with you.
Want the full checklist? Read is community solar legit.
Sources: Delaware PSC consumer information · PSC project list (xlsx) · 26 Del. C. §1014(f)(2), §1022(c)(1) · PSC Reg 3013 §9.3.11, §9.3.13.4, §9.4.5, §9.4.6, §10.3, §16.4.2, §16.6
Is this Delmarva's program? Which customers can join?
No, it isn't Delmarva's. Community solar is a program created by Delaware law and regulated by the PSC. Delmarva shows the credit on your bill. Free Solar DE is not Delmarva Power, the PSC or any government agency.
Only customers with a Delmarva Power account in Delaware can join, and the projects must sit in Delmarva's Delaware territory.
| Who sends your bill | Can you join this program? |
|---|---|
| Delmarva Power, in Delaware | Yes, if the account and meter are in your name. Homeowners and renters both count. |
| Delaware Electric Cooperative | No. The Co-op has its own option. See Co-op members and community solar. |
| A city or town utility | No. |
| Your landlord (power is in the rent, or one master meter) | No. The landlord is the customer. |
Sources: PSC Reg 3013 §1.0, §2.1.4, §10.11, §16.4.2.3 · Delaware PSC consumer information
Full details: who can join community solar in Delaware.
In Maryland? Free Solar MD.
Common questions
Do I need to install anything?
No. Nothing is installed, and you stay with Delmarva. The panels are at the project's site.
Can I join if I buy my supply from another company?
Yes, if you have a Delmarva account in Delaware in your own name. The supply part of your credit is valued at Delmarva's standard offer rate.
What if my credits are bigger than my bill?
They roll forward as a negative "Balance Forward." At the end of the 12-month period, you may ask Delmarva for a refund.
Does the credit lower my fixed charges?
No. The credit is valued at your per-kWh distribution and supply charges. Fixed charges are not offset. That's why the saving on your whole bill is smaller than the discount on the credit. See is community solar worth it.
What happens if I move?
Moving out of Delmarva's Delaware service area ends it with no fee. Moving inside it, your subscription moves with you. See cancelling or moving.
Written by the Free Solar DE team. Fact-checked against PSC sources and the Delaware Code on October 13, 2026.
What changed: October 13, 2026. Rewritten for the 2026 PSC rules (Reg 3013) and SB 321; added the sample bill illustration.