District coverage, answered 24/7
Solar for Capitol Hill rowhouses, inside DC's largest historic district
Capitol Hill is DC's largest historic district, and its rooflines are part of what is protected. That does not rule out solar. It means the layout has to sit low and out of sight from the street, and the review package has to show it clearly.
Solar in Capitol Hill at a glance
- Review
- Historic Preservation Office
- Typical roof
- Flat rowhouse behind a parapet
- Solar credits
- DC SRECs
- Updated
- October 2026
Short answer
Solar on Capitol Hill is allowed but goes through historic review, because the Capitol Hill Historic District, with about 8,000 contributing buildings, is the largest in DC. Low racks set back behind the front parapet keep panels out of street view, which is what reviewers look for, and the system still earns full DC SRECs.
The district
What the historic district means for solar
The Capitol Hill Historic District has about 8,000 contributing buildings, roughly twice as many historic properties as Georgetown. It was first designated in 1973 and listed in the National Register in 1976, and most of its buildings are row houses from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Every solar install in the District needs a building permit and a Pepco interconnection agreement. On the Hill, a historic review sits alongside them, so we prepare it with the permit rather than after.
Rooflines
Why low, hidden layouts move fastest
In one HPRB staff report for five Capitol Hill rowhouses, rooftop penthouses visible from points around a nearby park were found incompatible because historic rooflines are a character-defining feature. Solar panels are much lower than a penthouse, but the same thinking applies: what matters is what can be seen from the street and the park.
A low tilted rack set back behind the front parapet is usually invisible from the sidewalk. We draw sightline sections to show that in the review package, which is the most common thing missing from submissions that come back.
How a job runs
From roof check to SRECs
The first visit checks the membrane, the parapets, the hatch, shade from neighbors and the main electrical panel. Then the design, the historic review package and the permit go in together, followed by the Pepco interconnection, installation, inspection and permission to operate.
Once Pepco approves, we certify the system for DC SRECs, which sold for about $360 to $455 each in 2026. Only systems inside the District can earn them.
Side by side
Why District solar pays more than solar over the line
| Washington, DC | Nearby Maryland and Virginia | |
|---|---|---|
| Solar credits | DC SRECs, $360 to $455 each in 2026 | Maryland about $40, Virginia about $22.50 to $35 |
| Who qualifies | Only systems inside the District | Systems in each state |
| Net metering | Full retail with Pepco | Full retail in Maryland, one to one with Dominion |
Work we do in Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill jobs we take on
Historic District Solar
Layouts and review packages for protected blocks.
See this job about Historic District SolarRowhouse & Flat Roof Solar
Low racks behind the parapet, out of street view.
See this job about Rowhouse & Flat Roof SolarCritter Guard & Pigeon Proofing
Mesh that keeps pigeons out from under low racks.
See this job about Critter Guard & Pigeon ProofingSolar Panel Removal & Reinstallation
Panels off and back on when the membrane is replaced.
See this job about Solar Panel Removal & ReinstallationDC SREC Registration
Certification so every credit is counted.
See this job about DC SREC RegistrationStraight answers
Solar questions from Capitol Hill
Yes. It goes through historic review, and layouts that keep panels out of street view move through fastest.
The Historic Preservation Office, with the Historic Preservation Review Board where a case needs it.
On most flat rowhouse roofs, a low rack set back behind the front parapet is not visible from the sidewalk.
Yes. Every certified system inside the District earns DC SRECs.
Tell us what you want the system to do
Give us the address and the goal: lower bills, backup power, an EV charger or a fix. We will say plainly whether it fits and what the job involves.
Phones answered 24/7 from our 4702 14th St NW office.
Call us, or find the office
- Phone
- (202) 978-0232
- Hours
- Answered 24 hours a day, every day
- Service office
- 4702 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20011
- Head office
- 743 South Route 73, Berlin, NJ 08009
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