Fayetteville, 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 typically increase your property’s value. Normally, this would mean higher property taxes. However, this state program excludes 80% of your solar system’s appraised value from property taxation, significantly reducing the tax impact of your investment.

To qualify for this exclusion, your solar system must be classified as business personal property. This typically applies if you’re selling excess electricity back to the utility company and reporting that income, or if you’re claiming depreciation on the system as a business expense. However, if you have a standard net metering arrangement where you simply receive credits on your utility bill (rather than actual income payments), your system is considered non-business personal property and is completely exempt from property taxes—meaning you won’t pay any additional property tax on your solar investment.

There are no application deadlines for this exclusion, as it applies automatically based on how your system is used and owned. Your county tax assessor will determine your eligibility based on documentation like your income tax returns, utility company agreements, and system purchase receipts. It’s important to understand how your net metering arrangement works and whether you’re receiving income versus bill credits, as this determines whether you receive the 80% exclusion or complete exemption from property taxes on your solar system.

Solar for All (EnergizeNC) is a state program that provides funding to help North Carolina households install rooftop solar systems, with a focus on making solar energy accessible to families who need it most. Led by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s State Energy Office in partnership with Advanced Energy, the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center, and the North Carolina Clean Energy Fund, this $156 million EPA-funded initiative aims to reduce energy costs and expand clean energy access across the state, including state- and federally recognized Tribal lands.

The program specifically targets low-income and disadvantaged communities, helping eligible households overcome traditional barriers to solar adoption. While the announcement doesn’t specify exact dollar amounts per household, the program is designed to deploy rooftop solar systems that will lower monthly energy bills for participating families. The initiative also coordinates with existing low-income energy efficiency programs and explores accessible home energy financing options to ensure long-term affordability. The program emphasizes quality installations that are safe, durable, and reliable, ensuring systems perform as expected to deliver real financial savings.

To learn more about eligibility requirements, application processes, and program updates as they become available, visit www.energizeNC.org. Since this is a newly funded program announced in April 2024, specific deadlines and detailed eligibility criteria are still being developed in collaboration with community stakeholders across North Carolina.

Duke Energy’s PowerPair pilot program offers North Carolina homeowners a one-time incentive of up to $9,000 to help reduce the cost of installing a solar panel system paired with battery storage. The exact incentive amount depends on the type of solar array and battery you choose to install. This program is designed to make home solar plus battery systems more affordable while helping Duke Energy manage the state’s growing clean energy grid.

To participate, you must be a Duke Energy Carolinas or Duke Energy Progress customer in North Carolina and work with a Duke Energy-approved Trade Ally installer. You’ll need to choose between two enrollment options: the Residential Solar Choice rider (RSC) or the Net Metering Bridge rider (NMB). If you select the NMB option, you’re required to also 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 battery power to support the grid 30-36 times per year, though you can opt out of up to four events annually.

The application process uses a random selection system that opens on May 10, with a four-week window to apply through Duke Energy’s website. Not all solar and battery systems qualify for this program, so you’ll want to check the approved equipment list at duke-energy.com/PowerPair before making your purchase decision. Since this is a pilot program with limited capacity, applying early during the selection window is important.

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 usage in real-time during the month, and any excess energy you send back to the grid is credited to your account at a reduced rate of $0.034 per kilowatt-hour (3.4 cents/kWh). This means you’ll receive full retail value for solar energy you use immediately, but a lower wholesale rate for surplus energy exported to the grid.

To participate in NMB, you must submit your interconnection application during the enrollment period before the program reaches its annual capacity limit. Once capacity is filled, new customers will transition to the Residential Solar Choice (RSC) program, which requires enrollment in a Time of Use rate with Critical Peak Pricing. Both programs include additional monthly charges: Duke Energy Progress customers pay a $28 minimum monthly charge plus $0.62 per kilowatt DC of system capacity, while Duke Energy Carolina customers pay a $22 minimum monthly charge plus $0.28 per kilowatt DC. All excess credits are settled monthly rather than carried forward, so any unused credits don’t accumulate over time. If you installed solar before October 1, 2023, you may be grandfathered under the previous 1-to-1 net metering program until January 1, 2027.