Delaware solar installation & market data
The Delaware solar market at a glance.
Delaware has about 15,380 solar systems totalling 163.8 MW, as reported by its utilities through July 2026. 2 MW of residential solar was added in the trailing twelve months, down 77.1% on the twelve months before. 5.1% of owner-occupied homes have gone solar and 0.3% of solar customers have a battery. SolarDNA tracks 8,413 individual installations here, with a median residential cost of $4.45 per watt, from 46 installers.
Delaware's SolarDNA Market Score: 31 out of 100.
Delaware scores 31 out of 100 on SolarDNA's Market Score, a 0-to-100 scale benchmarked against every other state market. That is higher than 18% of U.S. states. Grade D (Fair).
The score combines 5 subscores, each computed from observed market data:
- Velocity (0): trailing-12-month growth in solar added versus the prior twelve months, so accelerating markets score higher.
- Cost (43): median installed $/W relative to the national median (a cheaper market scores higher).
- Incentives (68): net-metering coverage, RECs a new system can earn, state tax credit, rebate program and tax exemptions (components listed below).
- Resource (23): annual solar irradiance, so the same system produces more where this score is high.
- Depth (29): proven demand: how many systems are already installed, with a bonus for markets that show adoption without being saturated.
Green Energy Program grants through the state's utilities.
Federal: Federal residential credit (25D) ended for systems placed in service after Dec 31, 2025. Third-party-owned systems can still use the commercial credit (48E) through 2027 under construction-start rules.
State-level averages hide wide variation. Here's how to go deeper in the app:
- 1Narrow to a zip codeZip metrics give a far more accurate picture of the exact neighborhoods you are considering.
- 2Apply filtersFilter by score, growth, $/W, adoption and permits to reach the markets that actually match your model.
- 3Benchmark the installersSee who already wins there, how fast they are growing, and what they charge per watt.
How SolarDNA defines these metrics
Solar systems
Solar systems is the market-size figure: the systems utilities report on their lines, plus an estimate (sized from reported capacity) for systems outside net metering. It is current for every state.
How SolarDNA calculates solar systems →Tracked installations
Tracked installations are the individual residential, commercial and utility-scale systems SolarDNA holds a record for. SolarDNA de-duplicates the same system across records. Pricing, installers, equipment and every zip-level figure come from these records.
How SolarDNA calculates tracked installations →Median installed cost
Median installed cost is the middle price per watt (DC) that homeowners paid for a residential system in the trailing twelve months, before incentives. Quartiles show the spread.
How SolarDNA calculates median installed cost →Adoption rate
Adoption rate is the share of owner-occupied homes with a residential solar system. It measures how saturated a market is, not how fast it is growing.
How SolarDNA calculates adoption rate →12-month growth
For a state, growth compares the residential solar capacity added in the trailing twelve months with the twelve months before, from utility-reported totals with one-off reporting corrections smoothed out. For cities and zip codes it compares tracked installations.
How SolarDNA calculates 12-month growth →Battery share
Battery share is the portion of a state's solar customers whose system includes a battery, as reported by utilities.
How SolarDNA calculates battery share →Permits
Permits count the solar building permits filed in the last twelve months. They lead installations by several months, which makes them the earliest read on demand.
How SolarDNA calculates permits →Market Score
SolarDNA's Market Score grades each market from 0 to 100 on solar sales potential, weighing velocity, cost, incentives, solar resource and installer depth. Markets are benchmarked against every other market in the country, and the letter grade is set on a curve: A is the top 10% of markets, C the middle 40%, F the bottom 10%.
How SolarDNA calculates market score →See what a specific Delaware zip code looks like
Drop in any Delaware zip code and SolarDNA opens its market card: score, installs, median $/W, growth and permits, benchmarked against the state.
Dive deeper into the Delaware market
Market size & momentum
Systems, capacity, monthly additions, battery share and solar customers by utility.
- •How many solar systems are there in Delaware?
- •Is solar still growing in Delaware?
- •Which utility territories are adding the most?
Pricing & economics
Installed $/W, quartiles, system sizes and simple payback.
Growth & adoption
Installs by year, adoption, TAM penetration and battery attach.
Installers
The league table: volume, momentum, system size and pricing per installer.
- •Who installs the most in Delaware?
- •Which installers are growing fastest?
- •What do they charge per watt?
Utilities & incentives
Retail rates by utility, net metering, SREC value and the planned utility pipeline.
- •What are electricity rates in Delaware?
- •Which utilities offer net metering?
- •How big is the utility-scale pipeline?
How big Delaware's solar market is, and where it is heading
Totals reported by Delaware's utilities through July 2026 (latest months are preliminary)
Solar customers by utility in Delaware
Net-metered solar customers through July 2026
| Utility | Solar customers | Capacity | Added, 12 mo | Growth | With battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delmarva Power | 10,990 | 115 MW | 62 | ▼ 90.8% | — |
| Delaware Electric Cooperative | 3,554 | 43 MW | 154 | ▼ 47.9% | 1.1% |
| City of Dover - (DE) | 602 | 8 MW | 14 | — | — |
What solar costs in Delaware
Residential systems, trailing twelve months
How fast Delaware is going solar
From SolarDNA's installation records, which run through December 9, 2024; current momentum is in the market totals above
Top installers in Delaware
Ranked by installations on record. Installer names in Delaware's records end in 2016; newer systems are counted without one
| # | Installer | Installs | 12-mo | Avg kW | $/W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SUNGEVITY | 126 | 0 | 7.71 | $4.71 |
| 2 | CLEAN ENERGY USA | 102 | 0 | 7.7 | $5.00 |
| 3 | LIBERTY SERVICES | 88 | 0 | 7.13 | $3.52 |
| 4 | TESLA | 67 | 0 | 8.05 | $5.10 |
| 5 | CMI SOLAR ELECTRIC | 54 | 0 | 8.97 | $5.44 |
| 6 | ADVANCED SOLAR | 43 | 0 | 7.29 | $3.75 |
| 7 | FLEXERA | 41 | 0 | 9.82 | $3.85 |
| 8 | KW SOLAR SOLUTIONS | 35 | 0 | 7.84 | $3.65 |
| 9 | ALUTECH UNITED | 30 | 0 | 8.73 | $2.84 |
| 10 | CNC SOLAR | 30 | 0 | 6.61 | $3.37 |
| 11 | SUNTRICITY | 26 | 0 | 4.97 | $6.36 |
| 12 | LIBERTY ELECTRIC | 11 | 0 | 5.51 | $3.73 |
| 13 | SOLAIR | 11 | 0 | 14.18 | $3.50 |
| 14 | WISE POWER SYSTEMS | 8 | 0 | 10.79 | $8.28 |
| 15 | DELAWARE RENEWABLE ENERGY | 4 | 0 | 7.04 | $7.72 |
Top zip markets in Delaware
Ranked by installations · click for the zip market
| Zip | Installs | $/W | Growth | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19709 Middletown | 871 | $3.87 | — | 52.2 A |
| 19701 Bear | 685 | $4.34 | — | 49.1 B |
| 19971 Rehoboth Beach | 612 | $3.57 | — | 52.4 A |
| 19720 New Castle | 556 | $4.90 | — | 45.8 B |
| 19702 Newark | 549 | $4.31 | — | 48.6 B |
| 19958 Lewes | 449 | $5.00 | — | 44.8 C |
| 19711 Newark | 350 | $4.80 | — | 45.2 C |
| 19734 Townsend | 298 | $4.20 | — | 47.8 B |
| 19808 Wilmington | 286 | $4.66 | — | 45.6 B |
| 19970 Ocean View | 273 | $4.04 | — | 48.5 B |
| 19713 Newark | 258 | $4.53 | — | 46.1 B |
| 19966 Millsboro | 250 | $5.00 | — | 43.8 C |
| 19810 Wilmington | 184 | $4.35 | — | 46.5 B |
| 19707 Hockessin | 175 | $4.35 | — | 46.5 B |
| 19968 Milton | 171 | $4.68 | — | 44.9 C |
Counties in Delaware
Zip markets grouped by county · click for the county market
| County | Zip markets | Installs |
|---|---|---|
| New Castle County | 30 | 4,994 |
| Sussex County | 22 | 2,644 |
| Kent County | 18 | 741 |
Utilities and retail rates
Implied residential rate per utility
| Utility | Type | Res. customers | ¢/kWh | Net metering |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delmarva Power | Investor Owned | 275,018 | 16.4 | ✓ |
| Delaware Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | 104,839 | 14.2 | ✓ |
| City of Dover - (DE) | Municipal | 21,601 | 15.5 | ✓ |
| Adjustment 2024 | 13,254 | 16.7 | ✓ | |
| City of Newark - (DE) | Municipal | 11,888 | 19.0 | ✓ |
| Town of Middletown - (DE) | Municipal | 9,071 | 17.1 | ✓ |
| City of Milford - (DE) | Municipal | 7,169 | 15.2 | ✓ |
| Reliant Energy Northeast LLC | Retail Power Marketer | 4,049 | 14.3 | — |
Other solar markets in Delaware
Three ways to slice Delaware's 8.4K installations
See how the market splits by sector, by battery attach and by installer, updated with every refresh.
See all breakdownsWhen demand peaks in Delaware
Quick answers about Delaware's market
🛡 Why trust SolarDNA data?
How many solar installations are there in Delaware?
How much does solar cost in Delaware?
Is the Delaware solar market growing?
What is the solar adoption rate in Delaware?
Is Delaware a good market for solar sales?
How many solar installers work in Delaware?
How many solar permits were filed in Delaware?
How current is Delaware's solar data?
There's a lot more inside the SolarDNA app.
- ◇Zip and city market pages
- ◇Installer league tables
- ◇Territory builder
- ◇Solarizer deal estimates
- ◇Permit activity where reported
- ◇Export the data