Delaware Solar and Battery Installation

Start with your home and electricity use

A Delaware solar-and-storage plan begins with electricity bills, roof or site conditions, existing electrical equipment and homeowner goals. Lower purchased energy, selected-load backup and broader home resilience are different design objectives. Current RS serves Delaware as part of its existing Mid-Atlantic service territory; this article does not add unverified licensing or participating-contractor claims.

New solar versus an existing-system upgrade

For a new system, solar production assumptions should reflect the site's orientation and shading, not a generic statewide savings promise. For existing solar, collect inverter model details, monitoring records and interconnection documents before choosing storage. Keeping existing equipment or replacing an inverter must follow supported manufacturer configurations.

Manufacturer guides, such as Tesla's Powerwall overview and Enphase's battery material, explain storage and backup benefits. They do not establish universal retrofit compatibility. A project recommendation should identify the actual equipment and its documented limitations.

Define the backup scope

When properly designed, a compatible storage system can support planned protected loads during an outage while available energy lasts. Decide which circuits matter, which large loads can be managed and what outage duration you are planning for. Whole-home connection does not mean unlimited energy or unrestricted appliance use.

Review Delaware program eligibility early

DNREC's Green Energy Program is available to eligible Delmarva Power customers under its published rules. The program requires an acceptable energy audit and an approved renewable-energy contractor before applying. Other Delaware utilities administer separate programs; being located in Delaware is not enough to qualify for the Delmarva-funded program.

The current Solar + Storage Pilot provides a residential incentive of $250 per kWh, capped at $6,000 and no more than 50% of eligible storage cost. Eligibility includes ownership, interconnection timing and operational requirements. Existing solar must meet the pilot's prior-GEP and specified 12-month criteria. Funding or approval should never be promised.

Keep federal and state incentives separate

The IRS confirms that Section 25D ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025. Installation completion controls timing for an item; an advance payment does not preserve a credit for a later-completed installation. Construction/reconstruction has an original-use timing rule. New 2026 projects should not be priced with a presumed 30% residential federal credit. State and utility programs remain separate.

Plan the installation and approval process

A professional review should address electrical capacity, equipment siting, manufacturer instructions, utility interconnection, required permits and inspection. Request gross project pricing and identify any rebate assumption separately. Program applications, grant payments and operating obligations should be explained before a homeowner commits to an incentive-based budget.

Request a site-specific evaluation

Bring recent bills, the utility account information, existing solar equipment labels and a list of desired protected loads. The evaluation should explain design assumptions, equipment compatibility and outstanding approvals without promising fixed savings or backup duration. Use the existing Current RS contact flow to discuss the home.

Current RS is an independent local contractor and is not affiliated with Delmarva Power, PECO, Atlantic City Electric or any utility company. A reference to a utility identifies service-area or eligibility context, not sponsorship or endorsement.

Compare equipment on the same technical basis

Two illustrative product references are the US Tesla Powerwall 3 datasheet and the North American Enphase IQ Battery 5P datasheet. Powerwall 3 lists 13.5 kWh nominal AC battery energy and configurable nominal AC output through 11.5 kW. IQ Battery 5P lists 5.0 kWh usable energy and 3.84 kVA continuous output at 240 V. These are different measurement labels, product architectures and operating constraints, not directly interchangeable systems or endorsements of either option.

Ask a proposal to identify the exact region, model, controller, installation revision, protected circuits and equipment supplied. Avoid a comparison that uses a product's surge power on one side and another product's continuous output on the other. Manufacturer data does not confirm that a site qualifies for an incentive.

A commissioning handover should explain safe homeowner controls, monitoring access, planned reserve settings, maintenance contacts and how to report an alert. Ask for the approved drawings, inspection records and interconnection documents that support the finished configuration. Equipment specifications are not evidence of a Current RS installation or contractor certification; only owner-confirmed project records should be used as installation evidence.