Consider two not-so-hypothetical D.C. homes right next to each other.
One has solar panels on the roof. With 15 hours of sunlight on some summer days, the homeowners could be paying next to nothing every month for electricity — even as they run their air-conditioner frequently because of the heat.
Their neighbors, though, don’t have solar panels. Their monthly Pepco bill bites hard, especially since electricity prices have jumped 23% in D.C. over the last year — more than anywhere else in the country.