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DC’s Solar for All Program to Complete 150 Home Solar Projects for Income-Qualified Families

The DC Sustainable Energy Utility selects six local contractors to support the investment in the District’s clean energy economy. 

Washington, D.C. – The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), in partnership with the District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), has selected six local solar developers and contractors to support 150 solar installations on single-family homes for income-qualified residents in Fiscal Year 2025. Families participating in the Solar for All program can expect to save up to $500 a year on their electricity bills. 

This investment builds on the historic success of the DCSEU’s work on the District’s Solar for All program which has provided 668 low-to-moderate income single-family households in DC with the benefits of rooftop solar at no cost since 2019. When combined with community solar installations also included in DOEE’s Solar for All program, the DCSEU has helped expand solar power access to more than 11,000 income-qualified families that will deliver more than $80 million in lifetime electricity bill savings.

Following a competitive request for proposals, the DCSEU has selected the following contractors who are ready to complete solar projects in the District this year:

• Greenscape Environmental Services
• Solar Solution LLC
• Uprise Electric Company, LLC
• GRID Alternatives
• Flywheel Development LLC
• Revolution Solar LLC

In addition to these contractors, the DCSEU is hard at work bringing on more solar contractors and developers to support this year’s ambitious target. 

“We’re excited to lead Solar for All into its sixth program year,” said Ben Burdick, Interim DCSEU Managing Director. “These projects directly lower costs for DC families, reduce pollution, and contribute to the city’s economy with opportunities for DC businesses and jobs for DC residents.”

In Fiscal Year 2024, the DCSEU provided $333 million in lifetime cost savings for DC residents and businesses, created 90 green jobs, and invested $14.4 million in low-to-moderate income communities across the District. The investments supported the addition of 3.5 MW of solar capacity for the city and, together with other DCSEU programs, reduced lifetime greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over one million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

To remove barriers to participation, the Solar for All program will continue to cover the costs of electric panel upgrades (“heavy ups”) and roof repairs for qualified projects. It will also extend the Home Battery Pilot program into Fiscal Year 2025 to keep learning how to best pair solar and battery storage for greater energy savings.

The DCSEU has made several program updates that make it easier for residents, including renters, to participate such as: 

• Streamlining applications for Affordable Home Electrification and Solar for All to confirm program eligibility faster and allow residents to apply for both programs at once
• Launching a Find Your Program tool to help customers quickly find the services best suited to their needs
• Expanding residential rebates to include new equipment such as electric or induction stoves and electric panel improvements
• Higher incentives and more options for several electrification and fuel-switching upgrades that are not limited by income limits

In addition to Solar for All, DC residents can also participate in the DCSEU’s Affordable Home Electrification Program (AHEP). The program helps low-to-moderate income residents living in single-family homes transition away from fossil fuel equipment to cleaner and more energy-efficient technologies like heat pumps, induction stoves, heat pump dryers, and heat pump water heaters at no cost. 

DC households that qualify for no-cost electrification upgrades through AHEP are also eligible for single-family or community solar benefits through Solar for All, helping limit any potential increases to their electricity bills.

As the District gets closer to reaching its goals of reducing GHG emissions and energy consumption by 50% by 2032, DOEE and the DCSEU serve as the main resource for residents looking to lower electricity costs and participate in DC’s clean energy transition.

About Solar for All

Solar for All, a program of the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment, seeks to provide the benefits of solar electricity to 100,000 low-income households and reduce their energy bills by 50% by 2032.