This week, distributed solar developers have secured funding across US projects, including the Maryland Clean Energy Center in Maryland, Aligned Climate Capital in Delaware and Catalyst Power in Connecticut.
Maryland Clean Energy Center deploys US$2.7 million for 2.7MW solar rollout
Government-backed renewable energy firm Maryland Clean Energy Center has deployed approximately US$2.7 million through the Maryland Strategic Revolving Fund (SRF) to accelerate rooftop solar and battery storage installations across 25 affordable housing properties in the state.
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The capital deployment, completed across three funding draws, will support around 2.72MW of rooftop solar capacity.
“By providing the working capital needed to bridge the gap between design and construction, we are ensuring that the benefits of solar and storage reach the communities that need them most while securing millions in federal incentives that would otherwise be lost,” said Kathy Magruder, executive director for the Maryland Clean Energy Center.
The programme is expected to benefit 2,422 affordable housing households across six jurisdictions, including the Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Harford, Howard and Prince George’s counties.
The SRF is a US$4.5 million revolving line of credit established in partnership with the Maryland Energy Administration to address early-stage financing gaps that typically delay solar and storage deployment in multifamily affordable housing. It operates on a revolving model, with repayments recycled into new clean energy deployments through 2030, extending the impact of the initial US$5 million Strategic Energy Investment Fund allocation.
The facility was used by Enterprise Community Development to bridge upfront costs including engineering, procurement and interconnection, for projects that aimed to meet federal safe harbour requirements ahead of the 31 December 2025 deadline.
The funding also supports deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and solar carports at select sites to improve resilience and provide backup power.
In January 2026, Maryland governor Wes Moore launched the US$70 million Solar and Energy Storage Gap Financing Programme to invest in local solar and storage projects across the state.
The initiative, established under the Lower Bills and Local Power Act, was positioned as a response to recent federal policy changes under the Trump administration that reduced clean energy support.
The programme, administered by the Maryland Energy Administration and funded via the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, targeted “shovel-ready” solar-plus-storage projects to improve energy affordability in Maryland.
Aligned secures US$33 million financing for 11.8MW Delaware community solar projects
New York-headquartered independent power producer (IPP) Aligned Climate Capital has closed US$33 million in construction financing for two community solar projects in Delaware.
The financing covers Rifle Range Solar in Bridgeville and Delaware Avenue Solar in Harrington, both held within Aligned’s Solar Partners 6 (ASP6) fund. The combined portfolio totals approximately 11.8MWdc and is currently under construction. The financing was supported by Live Oak Bank’s Renewable Energy Lending team.
“These projects reflect why we continue to invest in the middle market of solar,” said Peter Davidson, CEO of Aligned Climate Capital. “Community solar is an important part of the nation’s energy infrastructure, delivering clean power close to the communities that use it. Live Oak Bank understands how to finance projects like these, and their support will help move Rifle Range Solar and Delaware Avenue Solar toward commercial operation.”
The assets are being developed by ReWild Renewables and constructed by Solar Gaines. Both projects participate in Delaware’s Community Energy Facility programme, which requires that at least 15% of subscribers are low-income customers.
The projects are also eligible for the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) under the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with Delaware Avenue Solar qualifying for an additional 10% bonus credit due to its location in an Energy Community in Kent County.
Aligned Solar Partners, which invests in distributed solar, storage and related infrastructure, operates 72.4MW of distributed solar capacity. It also has 44.8MW under construction and is targeting a 150MW portfolio across seven US states through ongoing development-stage deployments alongside commercial financing partners.
Catalyst Power, Connecticut Green Bank finance 1MW Connecticut distributed solar portfolio
Catalyst Power and the Connecticut Green Bank have closed financing on a five-site distributed solar portfolio totalling 1,025kW DC across Hartford and Trumbull, Connecticut.
The portfolio consists primarily of sub-200kW rooftop systems on commercial buildings, a segment often constrained by high fixed transaction costs, including engineering, underwriting and structuring requirements.
“The Connecticut Green Bank’s work is critical to maintaining momentum for commercial solar in the state. This size of project is becoming increasingly difficult to deploy as project economics face growing pressure from rising costs, financing complexity, and federal incentive volatility,” said Gabriel Phillips, CEO of Catalyst Power.
The partnership is focused on improving deployment efficiency through standardised engineering, streamlined diligence processes and dedicated workflows tailored to distributed solar assets.
Catalyst Power operates across 11 US states and 33 utility territories, serving more than 8,500 customers across manufacturing, industrial, hospitality, education and commercial real estate sectors.
