South Carolina Solar Panels

South Carolina’s TC-38 credit is 25% of eligible solar system purchase and installation costs. The amount used in a tax year is limited to the lesser of $3,500 per facility or 50% of the taxpayer’s South Carolina income-tax liability; unused credit may be carried forward for up to 10 years. The credit is nonrefundable.

The taxpayer must own the qualifying system installed at a facility in South Carolina, so a renter or a customer whose system is leased generally cannot claim the credit. Eligible costs may include equipment and installation expenses. SCDOR guidance says a battery connected to a solar system and charged entirely by solar may qualify; a standalone or grid-charged battery does not qualify under that guidance. Claimants should review the current TC-38 instructions and retain invoices and system documentation.

South Carolina exempts qualifying renewable-energy resource property with a nameplate capacity of no more than 20 kW AC from ad valorem property tax. The exemption applies to the qualifying renewable-energy property, not to the home itself or all property taxes on the parcel.

The statutory definition includes components that support the generating equipment, including battery storage devices. A homeowner should confirm with the county assessor how the system and any paired battery must be documented and how the exemption is applied locally.

South Carolina’s solar billing benefit depends on the electric utility, the customer’s tariff, and sometimes the date of the interconnection application. Investor-owned utilities use Solar Choice or other approved tariff options; credits for exported energy can depend on time of use, and fixed or non-bypassable charges may still apply. Older customers may have different transition or grandfathering terms.

Electric cooperatives and municipal utilities may set their own interconnection and export-credit rules, so their terms should not be assumed to match Duke Energy or Dominion Energy. Before signing an installation contract, homeowners should obtain the applicable tariff in writing and check export-credit values, monthly charges, annual or monthly true-up rules, and any battery-export limits.

Santee Cooper’s Solar Home program offers a rebate of $950 per kilowatt for a qualifying residential solar installation, up to a maximum of $5,700. The rebate applies to the solar-electric portion of the project, not the battery portion.

The system must meet Santee Cooper’s program and interconnection requirements and be installed by a Solar Energy Trade Ally. The utility issues the rebate after final acceptance testing and meter exchange. Homeowners should confirm current funding, eligible system specifications, and application steps with Santee Cooper before committing to a project.

Santee Cooper’s 2026 Solar Share Home offer provides a rebate of $750 per block, up to $4,500, for an eligible community-solar subscription. This is a subscription benefit, not a rebate for installing a rooftop solar array or battery at your home.

Block size, subscription charges, eligibility, and available funding are governed by the current application and program contract. Review those documents and confirm that enrollment is still open with Santee Cooper before relying on the rebate.

Dominion Energy’s Community Solar Select is a no-cost solar subscription option for qualifying customers. The published program description provides a $0.01 per kilowatt-hour bill credit based on the generation of the customer’s subscribed panels; it does not require the customer to install rooftop panels or purchase a home battery.

Eligibility is described for customers who received electric-bill assistance from a Community Action Agency within the prior 12 months. Enrollment availability and current program terms should be confirmed directly with Dominion Energy before applying.

Duke Energy’s PowerShare Storage program is for qualifying nonresidential customers in South Carolina; it is not a residential battery rebate. Published payment terms include a one-time $120 per enrolled kilowatt connectivity credit, an additional $30 per kilowatt when the battery is charged using renewable energy, $3.50 per enrolled kilowatt per month subject to a system-loss factor, and $0.10 per kilowatt-hour for energy used during curtailment events.

Participants allow Duke to dispatch enrolled storage during approximately 30–36 events per year, with each event lasting up to four hours. Businesses should confirm eligibility, enrollment availability, equipment requirements, and final payment calculations directly with Duke Energy.