Is Plug-In Solar Legal in Delaware?
Bill in progress. Delaware pays 19.4¢/kWh, and an 800-watt kit here makes roughly 826 kWh a year. Here is the law, the arithmetic, and what to do next.
- Status
- Bill in progress
- Bill
- SB 270
- System cap
- 800 W
- Latest action
- In committee
- Electricity rate
- 19.38¢/kWh (5% above the US average, 19 of 51)
- Est. output, 800 W
- ~826 kWh/year
- Net metering
- N/A
- Last checked
- September 8, 2026
Where Delaware stands
SB 270 is unusual in proposing an 800-watt cap rather than the 1,200 watts most states have settled on — closer to the German limit, but on 120-volt circuits that is a materially more conservative number.
Not yet, but it is moving. A bill exists and is still alive. Nothing stops you owning a system in Delaware today, but your utility's tariff most likely still requires an interconnection agreement for any parallel generation, and there is no small-system carve-out to point at.
The useful thing you can do is contact your state representative. Every law that has passed so far did so with lopsided bipartisan margins — these bills fail from inattention, not opposition.
What it is worth in Delaware
Delaware pays 19.38¢ per kWh, 5% above the national average of 18.44¢. That single number does more to determine whether plug-in solar is worth it here than anything about the hardware.
An 800-watt kit in Delaware should generate around 826 kWh a year once you allow for a realistic balcony orientation rather than an ideal roof tilt. What that is worth depends almost entirely on how much of it you use as you make it:
| Your situation | Self-consumption | Annual saving | Payback on a $1,000 kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Someone home during the day | 85% | $136 | 7.4 years |
| Mixed / partly occupied | 60% | $96 | 10.4 years |
| Out on weekdays | 30% | $48 | 20.8 years |
Run your own numbers with the savings calculator — it is pre-loaded with the Delaware rate.
Common questions
Is plug-in solar legal in Delaware right now?
Bill in progress. Not yet, but it is moving.
How much would plug-in solar save me in Delaware?
At 19.4 cents per kWh, an 800-watt kit generating about 826 kWh a year saves roughly $136 if someone is home using power during the day, and about $48 if the property is empty on weekdays. The difference is self-consumption, not the panels.
Will a plug-in solar system power my home during an outage in Delaware?
No. Every certified plug-in system includes anti-islanding protection and shuts down within milliseconds of losing grid power. That is a required safety feature, not a defect. Backup power needs a battery with a transfer switch.
Do I get paid for surplus power in Delaware?
Almost certainly not. The state laws that legalise plug-in solar generally exclude these systems from net metering — that trade is what made them simple enough to pass. Your saving comes entirely from power you use as you generate it.
Compare nearby situations
States in the same legal position, closest to Delaware on electricity price:
Read next
- The national picture — how the eight enacted laws are written and what they have in common.
- The safety question — breaker masking, and why a dedicated circuit matters more than anything else you will do.
- Which kit to buy — what is actually available in the US and what to check before ordering.
- Start from the beginning — what these systems are and what they will not do.