Charlotte, NC Solar Panels

North Carolina’s Solar Energy System Property Tax Exclusion helps homeowners save money on their annual property taxes when they install a solar panel system. When you add solar panels to your home, they increase your property’s value—but this incentive ensures you won’t pay property taxes on 80% of that added value. Only 20% of your solar system’s appraised value gets added to your taxable property assessment.

To qualify for this exclusion, your solar system must be considered non-business personal property. This means you’re using the system solely for your home’s electricity needs through a net metering arrangement with your utility company (where you receive credits on your electric bill rather than income payments). You cannot claim depreciation on the system as a business expense or report income from electricity production on your tax return. If you do either of these things, your system would be classified as business property and wouldn’t qualify for this exclusion.

There are no application deadlines or time limits for this benefit—it applies automatically each year as long as your system remains non-business property. Your county tax assessor determines eligibility, and you may need to provide documentation such as your utility net metering agreement to confirm your system qualifies. This exclusion continues for as long as you own the system and use it for personal, non-income-producing purposes.

Solar for All (EnergizeNC) is a $156 million state program designed to help North Carolina households—particularly those with low to moderate incomes—install rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems. Led by the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s State Energy Office in partnership with Advanced Energy, the NC Clean Energy Technology Center, and the NC Clean Energy Fund, this program aims to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions while making solar accessible to communities that have traditionally faced barriers to clean energy adoption.

The program provides funding to cover the costs of solar installation for eligible low-income households, allowing homeowners to benefit from reduced utility bills without upfront expenses. The initiative also coordinates with existing energy efficiency programs to maximize long-term savings. While specific dollar amounts per household haven’t been finalized, the program is designed to deliver meaningful financial relief to families for whom energy costs represent a significant portion of their household budget. Eligibility focuses on low-income and disadvantaged communities across North Carolina, including state- and federally recognized Tribal lands. To learn about specific eligibility requirements, application processes, and program timelines as they become available, visit www.energizeNC.org to sign up for updates.

Duke Energy’s PowerPair program is a pilot incentive that helps North Carolina homeowners reduce the upfront cost of installing solar panels paired with battery storage. This one-time incentive provides up to $9,000 based on the type of solar array and battery system you install. The program is available to residential customers in both Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress service areas across North Carolina.

To participate, you must work with a Duke Energy-approved Trade Ally installer and apply during the four-week application window that opens May 10th. Participants are selected through a random selection process to ensure fair access. You’ll choose between two enrollment options: the Residential Solar Choice (RSC) rider or the Net Metering Bridge (NMB) rider. If you select the NMB option, you’re required to enroll in Duke Energy’s Power Manager or EnergyWise Home Battery Control program, which provides additional monthly bill credits. Through these battery control programs, Duke Energy can temporarily access your stored energy 30-36 times per year to support the grid during peak demand, though you can opt out of up to four events annually. Not all solar and battery systems qualify for the program, so check the approved equipment list at duke-energy.com/PowerPair before making your purchase.

The Net Metering Bridge Rider (NMB) is a transitional solar compensation program available to Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolina customers in North Carolina. Starting October 1, 2023, this program replaced the previous 1-to-1 net metering option for new solar customers. Under NMB, your solar panels offset your electricity use in real-time during the day, and any excess energy you send to the grid is credited to your account at a reduced rate of $0.034 per kilowatt-hour (3.4 cents/kWh). These credits are applied monthly, meaning any surplus energy you generate beyond what you use each month carries forward at this lower rate rather than the full retail electricity rate.

To participate in NMB, you must submit your interconnection application during the enrollment period before the annual capacity limit is reached. Duke Energy Progress customers will pay a minimum monthly charge of $28 plus $0.62 per kilowatt (DC) of your system size each month. Duke Energy Carolina customers will pay a $22 minimum monthly charge plus $0.28 per kilowatt (DC) per month. It’s important to note that once the annual capacity for NMB is filled, new solar customers will need to enroll in the Residential Solar Choice (RSC) program instead, which requires participation in a Time of Use rate plan with Critical Peak Pricing. If you installed solar before October 1, 2023 under the previous 1-to-1 net metering program, you’ll remain grandfathered under those more favorable terms until January 1, 2027.