Solar Energy Deployment Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to award competitive grants to state and local governments for the design, purchase, and installation of qualifying solar equipment on rooftops or parking structures owned by the state or local government.
Directs the Secretary, in determining grant recipients, to consider: (1) the speed with which solar energy systems can be deployed, (2) the total amount of solar energy to be deployed, (3) financial need, (4) the use of best practices to ensure maximum efficiency of deployed systems, and (5) the use of materials and components that are manufactured in the United States.