SRECs Explained for 2026: Prices Move

A solar renewable energy credit is a certificate for renewable generation, often one megawatt-hour, that a utility or supplier can buy to meet a portfolio standard. It is not the same thing as net metering, and it is not a check this website sends.

Figures we can actually cite

Maryland's Brighter Tomorrow Act lets eligible systems apply for certified SRECs that carry a 1.5x compliance value. The PSC fact sheet ties eligibility to systems placed in service from July 1, 2024 through January 1, 2028, inside megawatt caps. On November 4, 2026, Flett Exchange listed a sell-now price of $58.50 for the 2025 and 2026 certified vintages. That is a broker quote for that day. It is not a promise, and a standard Maryland SREC is a different product. Details and the July 2027 net-metering date are in the Maryland net metering guide.

Illinois does not send a homeowner to that spot market. Illinois Shines procures RECs through the Illinois Power Agency. For the year starting June 1, 2026, systems up to 10 kW are priced at about $70.37 per REC in Ameren territory (Group A) and about $80.77 in ComEd territory (Group B). Projects approved on or after June 1, 2026 get 50 percent at energization and the rest over six years. The Illinois Shines guide cites the guidebook and the price sheet. The homeowner sees the value only as the vendor disclosure shows it.

Pennsylvania, Delaware, Ohio, and Virginia also have credit regimes. Ohio-sited credits have often traded below Maryland. Virginia ownership belongs in the contract. This page does not quote those other prices, because a second broker screenshot would be stale before you sign. Connecticut folds certificates into the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions tariff instead. California, Florida, and Texas are in our service area and do not use this Mid-Atlantic spot-market story.

What we will not do

We will not say you are eligible. Registration, system size, in-state rules, and the contract decide that. A proposal that needs the credit to beat the cash price should attach the contract.

The federal residential credit under section 25D ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. An SREC does not replace it. Net metering is the bill credit for electricity. Net metering covers that half. City pages name the utility.

Sources: Maryland PSC fact sheet on Senate Bill 783; Flett Exchange Maryland certified SREC dashboard, checked November 4, 2026; Illinois Shines 2026-27 REC price sheet and Program Guidebook; IRS FAQ on Public Law 119-21 (August 21, 2025).