| Program | Commercial and Canopy Solar Program |
|---|---|
| Category | Financial Incentive |
| Implementing sector | State |
| Last Update | |
| State | Maryland |
| Administrator | Maryland Energy Administration |
| Website | https://energy.maryland.gov/business/Pages/Commercial-Solar.aspx |
| Budget | Up to $13,000,000 (FY 2026) |
| Start Date | |
| Technologies | Solar Photovoltaics |
Current status: the fiscal year 2026 budget is exhausted. MEA said it anticipated launching its FY27 grant programs in the summer and autumn of 2026, and for FY27 it folds commercial renewable energy, efficiency, electrification and storage work into the Commercial and Community Buildings Program. Check MEA's grants and incentives page for what is open now.
This program was renamed and merged. From fiscal year 2026 the Commercial Solar Grant Program was combined with the Solar Canopy and Dual Use Technology Program into a single Commercial and Canopy Solar Program (“CCSP”), covering rooftop-mounted systems, ground-mounted systems, and canopies over parking areas or bodies of water. Both applicant-purchased and third-party-owned systems qualify. Two things changed with the merger: the combined program serves a narrower list of eligible applicants, and a participating parking facility must be “EV ready” but no longer has to install EV charging equipment alongside the canopy.
Who it is for
The program directs benefits to low-to-moderate income and overburdened communities, under two areas of interest:
- Area of Interest 1 — Equitable Solar Access for Organizations: non-profit organisations, businesses and other organisations registered to operate in Maryland that are designated as, or are actively in the process of being designated as, a non-profit organisation or a Small Business Enterprise, or that are Veteran-Owned.
- Area of Interest 2 — Commercial Solar for Sustainability: Maryland businesses and organisations that own or operate eligible facilities.
Homeowners are not eligible for this program. Maryland's residential solar rebate is the Maryland Solar Access Program.
Fiscal year 2026 terms
Kept for reference. Statewide and non-competitive, awarded first-come first-served, with an application deadline of 3:00 p.m. ET on Monday 11 February 2026 and up to $13 million anticipated. Grant amounts were calculated by formula from the area of interest, the installation type and the system capacity:
| Area of interest | Installation | Solar energy purchase agreement incentive | Third-party owned solar energy incentive |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: Equitable Solar Access for Organizations | Non-canopy | $2,000/kW-DC, or 90% of total project cost, whichever is lower | $750/kW-DC |
| 1: Equitable Solar Access for Organizations | Canopy | $2,500/kW-DC, or 90% of total project cost, whichever is lower | $1,000/kW-DC |
| 2: Commercial Solar for Sustainability | Non-canopy | $1,700/kW-DC, or 75% of total project cost, whichever is lower | $750/kW-DC |
| 2: Commercial Solar for Sustainability | Canopy | $2,125/kW-DC, or 75% of total project cost, whichever is lower | $1,000/kW-DC |
The maximum grant award was $500,000 per property owner, with further detail in the Funding Opportunity Announcement.
Verified against MEA's own program page on 28 October 2026.
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