EastWest Solar in Baltimore: Residential Installation with Maryland Tax Credit Navigation
EastWest Solar is a residential solar installation company serving the Baltimore area, focused on helping homeowners navigate Maryland's substantial state tax incentives alongside federal credits. The firm handles design, permitting, and installation for rooftop systems on single-family homes and small multifamily properties.
What EastWest Solar actually does
EastWest Solar designs and installs grid-tied photovoltaic systems for Baltimore-area homeowners. The company handles the full process: site assessment, system design using roof measurements and shading analysis, permit applications with the city, interconnection paperwork with BGE, installation, and final inspections. They do not offer battery storage or off-grid systems. Work focuses on residential properties in Baltimore City and the surrounding counties where BGE serves as the utility.
Services and pricing
EastWest Solar charges on a per-watt basis after design and initial consultation, with typical residential systems in Baltimore ranging from 5 kilowatts to 10 kilowatts. A 6 kW system, appropriate for a typical Baltimore rowhouse with good southern exposure, costs between $12,000 and $16,000 before incentives. A 8 kW system, suitable for larger homes or those with higher consumption, runs $16,000 to $21,000 before incentives. These prices are before the federal Investment Tax Credit (30% in 2024) and the Maryland state tax credit. Maryland offers a tax credit covering up to 50% of the cost of the system (capped at $2,500) for systems installed by state-approved contractors, making it one of the most substantial state incentives on the East Coast. EastWest Solar is Maryland-approved.
The company charges a consultation and site-assessment fee of $300, credited toward the project cost if the customer proceeds. This eliminates speculative quotes and ensures they've actually analyzed your roof before providing an estimate. Permitting and interconnection fees (roughly $200 to $500 depending on the city or county) are typically rolled into the final project cost rather than charged upfront.
Installation timelines run 6 to 12 weeks from contract to completion, including city permit review, which can be slow during peak season (spring and summer).
How EastWest Solar compares to other Baltimore-area installers
Baltimore's solar market includes national installers like Sunrun and Vivint Solar, which operate via financing and lease models, as well as regional installers including Chesapeake Solar and Terrapin Solar. The key differences matter for Baltimore homeowners.
Sunrun and Vivint Solar primarily offer power purchase agreements (PPAs) or leases, meaning you don't own the system. You pay a fixed monthly rate for the power generated, with no upfront cost. This eliminates permitting hassle and design responsibility, but the company retains the federal tax credit and the Maryland state credit. Over 25 years, you typically save 20% to 30% on electricity costs but have no asset to show at the end.
EastWest Solar sells systems outright, meaning you own the equipment and claim both the federal and state tax credits yourself. After applying credits, net cost for a typical Baltimore system drops by $5,500 to $7,500 (30% federal plus up to $2,500 Maryland). Ownership also means you benefit from all electricity production; a owned 6 kW system in Baltimore generates roughly 6,500 to 7,000 kWh annually depending on roof angle and shading, worth $900 to $1,050 per year at current BGE rates.
Chesapeake Solar and Terrapin Solar, also regional ownership-based installers, operate on similar models but with different service areas and pricing. Chesapeake Solar typically serves a wider region (DC to Virginia) and may have longer scheduling windows. Terrapin Solar focuses more narrowly on Maryland and tends to emphasize design customization.
Choose EastWest Solar if you plan to stay in your home for 10+ years, want to own the equipment, and value hands-on support through the permitting process. Choose a lease or PPA if you want zero upfront cost and don't care about tax credits. Choose a national installer like Sunrun if you're financing and prefer a single company handling everything, though expect less local permitting familiarity.
Who it suits and who it does not suit
EastWest Solar suits homeowners in Baltimore with good southern or western roof exposure, no major shading from trees or buildings, and a roofline in decent structural condition. They work on rowhouses (common in Baltimore), detached homes, and flat-roof townhouses, though flat roofs require additional racking and are less common in their portfolio.
They do not suit renters or those planning to move within five years. They also do not work on roofs needing replacement within the next two years; the economics don't work, because the roof replacement cost should be factored separately.
Homeowners with roofs heavily shaded by mature trees often find systems too small to justify the cost; EastWest Solar will assess this but may recommend against proceeding.
What the first visit involves
After booking a consultation, a designer visits your home, photographs your roof, measures its orientation and pitch, and checks for shading using specialized software. They also review your last 12 months of BGE bills to understand your consumption pattern. Inside, they assess electrical panel capacity; older Baltimore homes sometimes need a panel upgrade (cost: $1,500 to $2,500 additional) to accommodate the new solar breaker.
Within a week, EastWest Solar provides a detailed proposal including system size in kilowatts, estimated annual production in kWh, expected annual electricity bill savings, 25-year net savings, and a price quote. They also walk through the federal and Maryland tax credits, permitting timelines, and financing options (many customers use a home equity line or a solar-specific loan, though EastWest Solar does not directly finance).
If you proceed, they handle the permit application with the city and BGE interconnection requests. You sign a solar lease with BGE to be on their grid, which is free and standard.
Hours, logistics, and permitting
EastWest Solar operates Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Consultations are by appointment; virtual consultations are available via video call, though an in-person site visit is required for a real estimate.
Installation crews typically work Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., often finishing a residential system in two to three days. Electrical final inspection by the city usually happens within two weeks of completion.
Baltimore City permitting is slower than surrounding counties; plan for 6 to 8 weeks from application to approval. Baltimore County runs closer to 4 to 6 weeks. EastWest Solar monitors the permit status and follows up with the office if needed.
For parking during installation, crews typically use street parking. Inform the company if you have limited access or HOA rules that affect work.
EastWest Solar is one of the few Baltimore installers that consistently handles the full Maryland state tax credit application, something many national installers outsource or do poorly. For a Baltimore homeowner eligible for both credits, that coordination saves confusion and money.
