FY23 Residential Clean Energy Rebate Program

Program Purpose: The Residential Clean Energy Rebate Program provides an incentive for Maryland homeowners to purchase and install eligible renewable energy generating systems at their primary place of residence.

Program Description: MEA offers rebates to eligible Maryland homeowners who have installed a qualified clean energy system at their homes. Eligible system types include solar PV panels, solar shingles, solar hot water, geothermal tied to a ground source heat pump, and ground source heat pump replacements for systems that have not already received a geothermal system rebate or grant from MEA.

Official rebate levels from the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) are copied below.

Clean Energy Technology	Eligible System Capacity Range	Rebate Amount
Solar Photovoltaic (PV)	Minimum 1 kW-DC	$1,000
Solar Shingles	Minimum 1 kW-DC	$1,000
Solar Water Heating (SWH)	Minimum 10 sq. ft.	$500
Geothermal*	Minimum 1 ton	$3,000

*The incentive is only for systems that include a new geothermal heat pump and new heat exchanger loop (e.g., well field).

End of Geothermal Heat Pump Replacement Incentive: The incentive for geothermal heat pump replacement is being phased out. However, MEA will continue to accept applications for geothermal heat pump replacement projects that are under contract on or before September 15, 2022. The deadline to submit an application for a geothermal heat pump replacement project under contract as described above is June 15, 2023, or 12 months after the project completion date, whichever is earlier. The geothermal heat pump replacement incentive amount will be $500 per project.

Type of Program: The Residential Clean Energy Rebate Program is a statewide, non-competitive (first come, first-served) rebate program.

Program Application Deadline: Applications are accepted July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023; however, issuance of a rebate by MEA cannot be assured if the Program Budget has been exhausted.

Current Award Status: The status of applications that are currently under review by MEA is provided here:Weekly Status Report 2023.03.22

Anticipated Program Budget: An anticipated total of $3,600,000 is available from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to fund both this program and the Clean Burning Wood and Pellet Stove Rebate Program.

Regulations: Regulations governing the Residential Clean Energy Rebate Program (also known as the Clean Energy Grant Program) can be viewed here.

Program Documents:

Residential Clean Energy Rebate Program Funding Opportunity Announcement (FY23):FY23 Funding Opportunity Announcement R-CERP
To submit an application via the web portal for solar PV, solar thermal, and new geothermal system applications (preferred method of submission), click here.
To download a Paper Application Form, click here.

Application Submission Guidance: Submission of applications through MEA’s online web portal is the preferred application process. If you submit an application using the web portal, look for the “signature sheet” that will IMMEDIATELY be sent to your email address in response from no-reply@egov.com. In order for your application to be considered complete, you must fill in your name, date, and social security number on this sheet, sign it, and mail it to MEA. Without this signature sheet, MEA will not consider your application to be complete and will not process it.

To minimize rebate processing times, MEA developed a process that enables the electronic submission of Clean Energy Rebate Program “paper applications” and electronic application “signature sheets” via Virtru, the State of Maryland’s secure email encryption tool. If you are interested in this option, please send an email indicating your interest in doing so to cerp.mea@maryland.gov. Do not attach your application to this initial email. Please indicate your first and last name, your zip code, and your email address in the body of the email. Someone from MEA will then contact you with more information about how to submit your application via Virtru. More information about Virtru can be found on the Maryland Department of Information Technology's webpage at: https://doit.maryland.gov/support/Pages/email-encryption.aspx.

Historical Reviews: MEA will no longer refer Residential Clean Energy Rebate Program projects to the Maryland Historical Trust for review; however, applicants must obtain permission for a project from all local historic preservation commissions with authority over the project, if required. MEA may deny an application if the project results in an adverse effect on a historic property.

For more information, contact MEA regarding the Residential Clean Energy Rebate Program by email at cerp.mea@maryland.gov or by phone at 410-537-4000 to speak with an MEA energy specialist.

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