Existing Commercial Solar in Washington, DC
Answers to what owners ask us most: what you have, what it means for your income, and what you can do next.
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Step 1 of 3 · What you have
What do I actually have?
Most owners don't know much about their system, and that's normal. An address and the utility account are enough to start.
I don't know anything about this system. Can you still look at it?
Yes. That's the normal case. With the address and the Pepco account, we can find the size, install date and state certification from public records and the utility.
Send us the address →How do I find out how old it is or who installed it?
Check the label on the inverter, your Pepco interconnection papers or old SREC statements. Or just send us the address and we'll look it up.
Is it even working?
Many owners don't know. If your electric bill went up and nothing else changed, it probably isn't. The online monitoring can also be down while the system still runs. We buy systems whether they're running or not.
How to tell if it's still performing →Do I own it, or does someone else?
This is the most important early question. With a power purchase agreement (PPA) or lease, another company may own the system and you only host it. If you don't own it, we can't buy it from you, but we may be able to buy it from the owner. Not sure? Contact us and we'll talk it through.
Talk it through with us →Is my DC system still earning SRECs?
DC has one kind of SREC, with no end date. What matters is whether your system is still certified and still sending readings.
What are SRECs, and am I still getting them?
SRECs are credits your system earns for the power it makes, which you sell for extra income. DC SRECs have no end date. Your system earns them as long as it stays certified and sends readings to GATS. That's the online system where SRECs are made.
My SREC payments stopped. Why?
Usually one of four things. The system stopped making power, readings stopped reaching GATS, no one is selling the SRECs, or a solar company that owns the system keeps them. Check your GATS account first, or send us the address and we'll look.
Ask us to look →What does certified mean?
The DC Public Service Commission (PSC), the city's utility regulator, approves each system to earn SRECs. It gives the system a certification number. Systems outside DC certified before February 1, 2011 lost theirs on January 1, 2025.
The PSC's list of certified systems ↗My system was never certified. Is it too late?
Maybe not. You can still apply. Once the PSC approves it, SRECs can count back to January 1 of that year.
I have SRECs sitting in an account. Are they part of the sale?
They can be. If your account holds unsold SRECs that can still be sold when we close, we'll include their value in your offer. Have your SREC or GATS account information ready, and we'll confirm what's eligible during due diligence. Each DC SREC can be used for five years after it's made.
How to check if your system is certified
- Find your PSC certification number. Look for your system on the PSC's list of certified systems. Its questions and answers explain the number.
- Log in to GATS. Your account shows your system and the last reading sent. Your installer or SREC broker may have the login. GATS also has a public list of systems.
- Get your Pepco papers. Pepco approved the system to connect and set up net metering. Its Green Power Connection team can help with copies.
- Still stuck? Ask us. We look these up all the time. See the documents that help.
Step 2 of 3 · What it means
Why are my DC SRECs worth less than before?
The fee that caps SREC prices is falling $20 a year until 2033. Supply has also caught up with demand. In April 2026, SRECs were worth about $370.
SRECs are still real money in DC. But a system that isn't working, certified or sending readings earns nothing from them.
When do my SREC payments end?
There is no set end date in DC. Your system earns SRECs as long as it is certified, working and sending readings to GATS.
What can cost me my SRECs?
A big change to the system, which the rules call a material change. Removing, replacing or moving it can cost you the certification. If you change the owner, size, panel angle or location, tell the PSC within 30 days.
Can I re-roof without losing them?
The rules don't say if taking panels off and back on counts as a big change. Ask the PSC in writing first. Then put the system back exactly as it was.
How far will the fee fall?
By law it's $440 in 2026 and drops $20 a year to $300 in 2033. It stays there through 2041, then drops to $100. The DC Council has changed it before, in 2016, 2019 and 2023.
What happens to my net metering?
Net metering stays in place. We keep the system net metered, and you pay us the per-kWh rate set in your power agreement. That rate is lower than what the grid charges you. We found no end date for existing DC systems. As part of due diligence, we'll confirm exactly what your system gets from Pepco today.
Do community solar or Solar for All apply to me?
Only if you own or host a community solar project. Those come with subscribers and a Pepco agreement, and we can talk them through with you. Solar for All is a city program for lower-income homes, not businesses.
Step 3 of 3 · Your options
What are my options with an existing DC solar system?
You can keep running it yourself, fix it up, or sell it as-is to a buyer who takes over everything. Here's what owners ask us before they decide.
Are you the right buyer?
Do you buy residential solar?
No. We buy commercial, industrial and institutional systems only: rooftop, ground mount and carport.
Is my system too small or too old?
It needs to be 6 or more years old. On its own, we look for at least 250 kW. That's about a 30,000 sq ft roof, 2 acres of ground mount or 100 carport spaces. There's no upper age limit.
Which systems we buy →I have more than one system. Can you buy them all?
Yes. You can add each one when you get your estimate, up to 7.5 MW in total. You can also pick just the ones you want to sell.
Why would anyone want a broken system?
Because fixing it costs less than building new, and the panels can keep producing for many more years. That's our whole business.
What's it worth, and what do I get?
What will you pay?
You'll get an estimate in about 23 seconds, based on recent market transactions and standard assumptions about systems like yours. A Letter of Intent follows immediately. The final price depends on what due diligence confirms: the system's age and condition, how many years of state incentive income it has left, and the terms of any power contract it has.
Get your estimate →Is the estimate a firm offer?
No. The price can change after our site visit and our review of the papers. Nothing is final until you sign our written offer.
Do I have to pay to remove it?
No. You avoid removal and cleanup costs completely. That's one of the main reasons owners sell.
What if the roof needs replacing?
This comes up a lot. We work out with you who pays for taking the panels off and putting them back, and we do the work.
Are there taxes when I sell?
Talk to your accountant about your own tax picture. We only buy systems after the 5-year federal tax credit (ITC) recapture window has closed, so selling to us won't trigger a recapture of the credit you or a prior owner claimed.
How does it work?
How long does it take?
You get an estimate in seconds and a Letter of Intent immediately. Due diligence moves at your pace: the faster you send us documents and site access, the faster it goes. Closing follows shortly after.
How selling works →My paperwork is a mess. Is that a problem?
No. Sorting it out is part of what we do. Gather what you can: utility bills, any contracts, SREC statements and the installer's name.
Documents that help →Does my bank, landlord or tenant need to sign off?
Often, yes. Loans, liens and lease approvals come up during our review, and we help you work through them.
Do you need to come on site?
Yes. We only buy in the Northeast, within driving distance, so we come and see the system ourselves.
What happens to my maintenance and monitoring contracts?
We take over the contracts that come with the system, including maintenance. If the company is doing good work at a fair price, we usually keep them on.
Why should I trust you?
Our founder has built and run more than 200 solar projects across the Northeast over 15 years.
Meet the team →What happens after I sell?
If the panels stay on my roof, am I still involved?
Only as the host, and on better terms than you have now. We'll put a roof lease and power agreement in place, and you'll pay a fixed per-kWh rate, agreed in that contract, that's lower than what the grid charges you. With utility rates rising, those savings grow over time. We run and maintain the system and pay for it, keeping it safe and secure. You don't manage anything.
Who do I call if something leaks or breaks?
Us. We carry the insurance and the liability.
What if I sell the building later?
We stay on the roof under the lease. That usually makes the sale easier, because a buyer who doesn't want to own solar doesn't have to.
Selling a building with solar on it →We're here to help.
Send us what you know about your system, even if it's just the address. We'll help you work out where you stand, whether or not you sell.
More from the solar guide
Other states we buy in
- New Jersey →Legacy SRECs, TRECs or SREC-IIs, and when each one ends
- New York →Net metering, Phase One or the Value Stack, plus NY-Sun
- Massachusetts →SREC-I, SREC-II or SMART, and what happens when they end
- Maryland →Falling SREC values, the 2 MW limit and the 2027 net metering change
- Vermont →Standard Offer contracts or net metering, and when the terms change
- Pennsylvania →Low SREC prices, supplier switching and the Act 44 decommissioning law
Start at the solar guide for the questions every owner has, or see the documents that help when you sell.
What is your system worth?
Get a price range in about 23 seconds, free and with no obligation. A final price depends on the system's condition, contracts and records.
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