Greenville, NC

The Solar Energy System Property Tax Exclusion is a valuable North Carolina tax incentive that reduces the property tax burden for solar system owners. Under this program, qualifying solar photovoltaic (PV) systems receive an 80% exclusion from property tax assessments. This means you’ll only pay property taxes on 20% of your solar system’s appraised value, significantly reducing your annual property tax liability.

Eligibility depends on how you use your solar system. If you’re a homeowner using solar panels solely to offset your own electricity usage through net metering (receiving credits from your utility company), your system qualifies as non-business personal property and is completely exempt from property taxes. However, if you claim depreciation expenses on your tax returns or receive direct income from selling electricity to utilities, your system is considered business personal property and will be taxed at the reduced rate (20% of appraised value). This incentive has no expiration date and applies automatically when your property is assessed.

The Solar for All (EnergizeNC) program is a $156 million state initiative funded by the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to help North Carolina homeowners, particularly those in low-income and disadvantaged communities, access affordable solar energy. Led by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s State Energy Office in collaboration with several clean energy organizations, this program aims to deploy rooftop solar systems that will reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions across the state.

While specific financial benefits aren’t detailed in the announcement, the program focuses on making solar accessible to households where energy costs represent a significant portion of their budget. Eligibility appears to prioritize low-income and disadvantaged communities, including state and federally recognized Tribal lands. The program is still in development, so interested homeowners should visit www.energizeNC.org to sign up for updates on deployment timelines, application processes, and specific benefit details as they become available.

Duke Energy’s PowerPair program offers North Carolina homeowners a significant financial incentive for pairing solar panels with battery storage systems. This pilot program provides a one-time incentive of up to $9,000 to help offset the cost of installing both solar generation and battery storage at your home. The exact incentive amount depends on the specific type of solar array and battery system you install.

To participate, homeowners must be Duke Energy customers in North Carolina (in either Duke Energy Carolinas or Duke Energy Progress service areas). You’ll need to work with an approved Duke Energy Trade Ally installer and have qualifying equipment. The program opened for applications on May 10, 2024, with participants initially selected through a random selection process. Additionally, participants can choose between two enrollment options: the Residential Solar Choice rider or the Net Metering Bridge rider. Those selecting the Net Metering Bridge option must also enroll in Duke Energy’s battery control program, which allows the utility to temporarily adjust your battery system up to 36 times per year in exchange for monthly bill credits.

The Net Metering Bridge Rider (NMB) is a transitional solar incentive program offered by Duke Energy in North Carolina for both Duke Energy Progress (DEP) and Duke Energy Carolina (DEC) customers. This program allows solar system owners to receive credit for excess electricity their systems generate and send back to the grid. Unlike the previous 1-to-1 net metering program that ended October 1, 2023, the NMB provides monthly net metering where excess production is credited at 3.4 cents per kilowatt-hour.

To be eligible, homeowners must submit interconnection applications starting October 1, 2023, until the annual capacity allocation is filled. The program includes minimum monthly charges ($28 for DEP customers and $22 for DEC customers) plus a monthly charge based on system size ($0.62/kW DC for DEP and $0.28/kW DC for DEC). Important considerations include: credits are settled monthly rather than annually, the program serves as a bridge until capacity is reached, after which customers will be transitioned to the Residential Solar Choice (RSC) program requiring time-of-use pricing with critical peak pricing. Customers who were on the previous 1-to-1 net metering program are grandfathered until January 1, 2027.