Greensboro, 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 energy 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 means you need to either claim depreciation on the system when filing your federal income taxes (using Schedule C) or recognize income from selling electricity back to your utility company. If you participate in a simple net metering arrangement where you only receive credits on your utility bill—rather than actual income payments—and don’t claim depreciation, your system is considered non-business personal property and is completely exempt from property taxes (no exclusion needed).

There are no application deadlines for this ongoing program, as it applies automatically based on how you use and report your solar system. Your county tax assessor will determine your eligibility based on documentation like your tax returns, system receipts, and your agreement with your utility company. It’s important to understand how you plan to use your system before installation, as this determines whether you’ll receive the 80% exclusion or complete exemption from property taxes.

Solar for All (EnergizeNC) is a $156 million state program designed to help North Carolina households—especially 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 make solar energy accessible to families who typically face barriers to adoption. The initiative focuses on reducing energy costs for households where utility bills represent a significant portion of their monthly budget.

While specific financial benefit amounts have not yet been announced, the program is designed to provide meaningful cost savings by covering a substantial portion of solar installation expenses for eligible households. The program will coordinate with existing low-income energy efficiency programs to maximize long-term affordability. Priority will be given to low-income and disadvantaged communities across North Carolina, including state- and federally recognized Tribal lands. The program also aims to expand accessible home energy financing options for households statewide.

As this is a newly awarded program, specific eligibility requirements, application processes, and deadlines are still being developed. Homeowners interested in participating should visit www.energizeNC.org to sign up for updates and learn when applications will open. The program emphasizes quality installations that are safe, durable, and reliable, ensuring that systems perform as expected to deliver the promised financial and environmental benefits to participating families.

Duke Energy’s PowerPair pilot program offers North Carolina homeowners a one-time incentive of up to $9,000 to help reduce the upfront cost of installing a solar panel system paired with battery storage. The total incentive amount depends on the specific type of solar array and battery system you install. This program is available to residential customers in both Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress service areas throughout North Carolina.

To participate, you’ll need to work with a Duke Energy-approved Trade Ally installer and apply during a four-week application window that opens May 10th. Participants are selected through a random selection process to ensure fair access to the program. You can 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’ll be required to enroll in Duke Energy’s Power Manager or EnergyWise Home Battery Control program, which allows Duke Energy to temporarily access your battery’s stored energy 30-36 times per year during peak demand periods. In exchange, you’ll receive additional monthly bill credits on top of the initial incentive. Keep in mind that not all solar and battery equipment qualifies for this program, so you’ll want to check the approved equipment list on Duke Energy’s website at duke-energy.com/PowerPair before making your purchase decision.

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 system offsets 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 in a given month is valued at this lower export rate rather than your full retail electricity rate.

To participate in NMB, you must submit your interconnection application before the program reaches its annual capacity limit. Once enrolled, you’ll pay additional monthly charges: Duke Energy Progress customers pay a $28 minimum monthly charge plus $0.62 per kilowatt of your system’s DC capacity, while Duke Energy Carolina customers pay a $22 minimum monthly charge plus $0.28 per kilowatt DC. It’s important to note that NMB is a temporary bridge program—once annual 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. If you installed solar before October 1, 2023 under the previous 1-to-1 net metering program, you’re grandfathered in until January 1, 2027.