Is solar allowed in the Anacostia Historic District?

Yes. It goes through historic review, and layouts that keep panels out of street view move fastest.

Where do panels go on an Anacostia frame house?

Usually on rear or side roof slopes, low to the roof and in all-black panels.

Do Anacostia systems earn DC SRECs?

Yes. Every certified system inside the District earns DC SRECs.

District coverage, answered 24/7

Solar in historic Anacostia, DC, for frame houses and rowhouses

Q: Are there rebates for lower-income households?

DC's Solar Advantage Plus offers up to $10,000 for households at or below 80 percent of area median income. Solar for All was waitlisted as of mid-2026.

Historic Anacostia has the best concentration of frame houses in the District, and it is a designated historic district. Solar fits here with the same care as on Capitol Hill: layouts that respect the houses, and a review package that shows it.

Call 24/7 (202) 978-0232 All areas we cover

Homes with rooftop solar in Anacostia, DC

Solar in Anacostia at a glance

Review: Historic Preservation Office
Typical house: Frame house with a front porch
Solar credits: DC SRECs
Updated: October 2026

Short answer

Solar in the Anacostia Historic District goes through historic review, as on other protected DC blocks. Most original houses here are free-standing or semi-detached frame houses with front porches, so arrays usually go on rear or side slopes, and flat roofs follow the HPRB guidance that panels sit out of view from the street.

The district

Frame houses with front porches

The Anacostia Historic District was first designated in 1973, listed in the National Register in 1978 and expanded in 2021. Its roughly 550 original buildings date from 1854 to about 1930 and are mostly free-standing or semi-detached frame houses with front porches. DC's Historic Preservation Office describes Anacostia as the best concentration of frame residences in the District.

That means pitched roofs are common here, and rear and side slopes are where panels usually belong.

Historic Anacostia frame house with rear-slope solar

Review

What the guidance says

One of the HPRB staff reports most often quoted on solar comes from Anacostia, and it repeats the guideline that on a flat roof, panels should sit where they are not visible from the street. On pitched roofs, rear slopes, low profiles and all-black panels keep the houses reading as they always have.

We prepare the review package with the building permit, including sightline drawings and equipment details, so review is not the step that holds the job up.

How a job runs

From roof check to SRECs

After the roof and panel check come the design, the review package and permit, the Pepco interconnection, installation, inspection and permission to operate. Then we certify the system for DC SRECs, which sold for about $360 to $455 each in 2026.

Households at or below 80 percent of area median income may also qualify for DC's Solar Advantage Plus rebate of up to $10,000; Solar for All was waitlisted as of mid-2026. We check before pricing.

Work we do in Anacostia