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Civic Works’ Baltimore Shines program brings affordable solar installations to low-income homeowners
Apr. 6, 2026 at 5:00pm
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The Baltimore Shines program, a partnership between the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development and Civic Works, is making solar power more accessible for low-income residents. By providing free solar panel installations, the program has helped over 50 Baltimore City homeowners reduce their electricity bills by an average of $1,500 annually. Despite some challenges with communication and seasonal fluctuations in savings, the program is a crucial step in addressing the energy burden faced by the city’s most vulnerable residents while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
As utility rates continue to rise, low-income Baltimore residents are disproportionately impacted by high energy costs. The Baltimore Shines program aims to alleviate this ‘energy burden’ by making solar power more accessible, helping families save hundreds of dollars per year on their electricity bills. This not only provides direct financial relief, but also contributes to the city’s broader goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainability.
The Baltimore Shines program covers the full cost of solar panel installation for income-qualifying homeowners, with no out-of-pocket expenses. Civic Works owns and operates the solar systems for a 20-year lease term, handling any maintenance or replacements. However, due to the loss of federal funding for the Solar for All program in 2025, the program has had to scale back the size of the solar systems it can install, limiting them to 5.7 kilowatts instead of the previous 11 kilowatts. This has reduced the potential savings for participants, though the program still aims to bring solar power to as many low-income residents as possible.
A nonprofit organization working to improve energy accessibility in Maryland and the primary partner in the Baltimore Shines program.
The city agency that partnered with Civic Works to launch the Baltimore Shines program.
A Baltimore City resident who joined the Baltimore Shines program and has seen her electricity bills reduced by about 50%.
A Baltimore Shines participant who saves around $50 per month in the winter and $10-$30 per month in the summer on her electricity bills.
The Maryland Energy Administration program manager, who notes the significant savings the Baltimore Shines program has provided to participants.
“I originally assumed that solar panels were for people who had bigger land or lived in a better neighborhood. I just didn’t think it was for us.”
— Janete Gonzalez, Baltimore Shines participant
“Our goal is to really make it as easy and worry-free a process as possible for the resident.”
— Eli Allen, Senior program director at Civic Works
“It’s great for the summer, not too much for the winter.”
— Tyresa German, Baltimore Shines participant
The Maryland Energy Administration Residential Energy Equity Program is expected to serve as a key funding source for the Baltimore Shines program going forward, as demand for the program is anticipated to grow due to the termination of the federal Solar for All grants.
The Baltimore Shines program demonstrates how targeted solar initiatives can provide significant financial relief and environmental benefits to low-income communities. Despite recent funding challenges, the program’s commitment to making solar power accessible to underserved residents is a model for other cities looking to address energy inequity and promote sustainability.
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