Quick answer
No project certified today is required to offer 20%. The floor applies to projects certified on or after Sept 3, 2026. For those projects, income-qualified subscribers must save at least 20% after fees. That means household income at or below 350% of the federal poverty guideline or 80% of state median income.
Who counts as income-qualified?
For projects certified on or after Sept 3, 2026, you are income-qualified if your household income is at or below 350% of the federal poverty guideline or 80% of state median income, whichever is greater.
Projects certified on or after Sept 3, 2026 must use that definition. Older projects may use a different one, so ask any project you are offered which income rules it uses.
Sources: 26 Del. C. §1014(f)(16) · SB 321 text
Which projects must offer the higher minimum, and which don't?
| Project certified | Residential subscribers | Income-qualified subscribers |
|---|---|---|
| On or before Sept 2, 2026 | A net discount after fees, with no set percentage | A net discount after fees, with no set percentage |
| On or after Sept 3, 2026 | At least 10% after fees | At least 20% after fees |
The PSC list dated May 6, 2026 shows 34 projects, certified from June 12, 2024 to March 25, 2026. None of them falls under the new 10% or 20% floor. Every project on it still has to give a net discount after fees.
The law does not say what the savings rate is measured against. Read it as a discount on the solar credit, not on your whole Delmarva bill. See is community solar worth it.
Sources: 26 Del. C. §1022(c)(2)-(3) · PSC list of certified projects (xlsx)
What protects every residential subscriber?
These rules apply whatever your income:
- No project or subscription coordinator may require a credit check or an upfront enrollment fee.
- Security deposits are banned.
- Total cost to you, coordinator fees included, may not exceed the total benefit.
- You have 3 days after you sign to cancel with no penalty.
Sources: 26 Del. C. §1022(c)(1) · Reg 3013 §16.5, §16.6 (29 DE Reg 710) · Delaware PSC
How is income checked?
Ask the project, before you sign, how it checks income and what it needs from you. Our form doesn't ask about income.
Will credits affect my benefits?
Ask the agency that runs your benefits before you sign. Tell them the credit appears on your Delmarva bill and that you pay a monthly subscription to the project.
Need help paying now?
Community solar is not bill assistance. If you need help with a Delmarva bill today, start with the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) LIHEAP heating and cooling assistance page.
Common questions
Is the higher minimum available today?
Not as a legal minimum. The 20% floor covers only projects certified on or after Sept 3, 2026, and none of the 34 projects on the May 6, 2026 PSC list falls under it. A project may still offer more than the law requires, so read your contract.
Is the minimum discount measured on my whole bill?
No. Treat it as a discount on the solar credit. Fixed charges on your Delmarva bill are not offset by the credit.
Can renters who qualify on income join?
Yes, if the Delmarva account and meter are in your own name. See community solar for renters.
Sources: 26 Del. C. §1014(f)(1), §1022(c) · Reg 3013 §1.0 "Customer"
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. Retitled; the 20% floor is now dated by project certification; removed the output set-aside table and the self-attestation claim until both are confirmed.