Your solar panels
might be worth more
than just lower bills.
In a handful of states, rooftop solar owners can sell certificates tied to their generation - separate from the electricity itself. Here's how it actually works, and where it doesn't apply.
One megawatt-hour.
One certificate. Separate
from your electricity.
A Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) is a tradeable certificate representing 1 megawatt-hour (1,000 kWh) of solar electricity generated. It's separate from the electricity itself - you can use the power AND sell the certificate that proves you generated it.
States with a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) - a legal requirement that utilities source a percentage of their power from renewables - create demand for these certificates. Utilities buy SRECs to prove compliance. If they can't find enough, they pay a penalty instead - which sets a rough ceiling on SREC prices.
A typical 5kW rooftop system generates roughly 6 SRECs per year. A typical 800W balcony solar kit generates barely enough electricity in a YEAR to produce a single SREC, if that. This is a rooftop-solar-scale opportunity, not a balcony solar one - more on that below.
Three states Sol Country
covers have real SREC
markets.
A 10kW system could earn roughly $700+/year at current Certified SREC prices. Maryland's 2024 Brighter Tomorrow Act created "Certified SRECs" worth 1.5x a standard credit, but only for systems placed in service before January 1, 2028 - a real, dated deadline. SRECs now have a five-year lifespan (up from three).
Maryland rooftop solar guide →Under the Virginia Clean Economy Act, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power must specifically buy a share of their SRECs from small residential ("Distributed REC") systems - creating real, dedicated demand for homeowner-scale solar, not just utility-scale projects. The state's Alternative Compliance Payment effectively caps SREC prices around $50.
DC consistently has the highest SREC prices in the country - around $415/credit in recent trading, driven by an aggressive 100% renewable-by-2032 target and limited space for solar within the District.
Four things that have
to be true first.
Leased systems and PPAs typically don't qualify - the SREC usually belongs to whoever owns the equipment, not who uses the power.
Registration isn't automatic. You or your installer register with a tracking system - PJM-GATS for Maryland, Virginia, and DC - before any credits can be issued.
Once registered, a broker (Sol Systems, Xpansiv, Flett Exchange, Carbon Solutions Group are established options) handles selling the credits, usually automatically, with payments deposited monthly or quarterly.
If you don't complete registration in the same calendar year your system gets Permission to Operate, your eligibility may only date back to when you actually sign - potentially losing months of credits. Register promptly.
Balcony solar and community
solar work differently.
A 395-800W balcony panel generates roughly 560-1,140 kWh per year - not even a full megawatt-hour in many cases. SREC markets are built around 5-10kW rooftop systems. The registration overhead almost certainly isn't worth it at balcony scale. Your savings here come from reduced bills, not certificate sales.
See your balcony solar savings →If you subscribe to a community solar farm, you don't generate or own SRECs yourself - those belong to the farm's developer and are typically already priced into the bill discount you receive. Your 5-15% savings already reflects this; there's no separate credit for you to claim.
Community solar marketplace →SRECs and VPP payments
are both "extra money from
your energy" - but different.
Find my power.
See community solar, balcony solar, rooftop, and rebates that apply at your exact address - in about 60 seconds.