North Carolina Solar: Your Filing Date Picks Your Duke Plan

Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.Prices from the September 2026 Cost Index. Duke riders re-read October 14, 2026. Updated October 19, 2026.

A typical North Carolina home system is 9.76 kW and costs about $26,938 in cash at $2.76 per watt. With Duke Energy Carolinas, the largest utility, it pays for itself in about 28.4 years on the Bridge plan (24.2 to 33.0 years, set by how much power is left over each month) and in at least 16.7 years on Residential Solar Choice, simple payback before incentives. Duke’s Bridge plan takes new requests only until December 31, 2026.

Get free North Carolina solar quotes

Not ready for quotes? Check your roof with our savings calculator

Free for you. Solar providers pay us when you ask for quotes. How we make money

Duke’s Net Metering Bridge closes to new requests on December 31, 2026

Since October 1, 2023, a new Duke solar home goes on one of two billing plans. Both credit leftover power at the same low rate. They differ in how you pay for the power you buy, and the date your installer files the interconnection request decides which one you can get.

Net Metering Bridge until Dec 31, 2026

  1. You stay on a normal home price plan.
  2. Exports cancel power you buy in the same month, kWh for kWh.
  3. You keep the plan for up to 15 years from the date of your interconnection request.

Residential Solar Choice no closing date

  1. You move to a time-of-use plan: power costs more at busy hours and during peak events.
  2. Exports are netted within each price period.
  3. What is left in a period at month’s end earns the same 4.53¢ or 3.94¢ credit. It carries to later bills, with no yearly reset.
Dec 31Last day to file for the Bridge

The rider closes to new participants on January 1, 2027.

38,700 kWBridge room in 2026, Duke Energy Carolinas

First come, first served. Duke Energy Progress has 43,500 kW AC.

15 yearsHow long the Bridge lasts

Counted from your interconnection request, then you move to Solar Choice or a later plan.

20 kW ACSize limit on both plans

Or your home’s estimated highest monthly demand, if that is lower.

Duke reserves Bridge room when a valid interconnection request is filed, not when you sign a contract. A contract signed in December does not help if the request goes in after December 31, 2026, or after that year’s room is used up. Then the home goes on Solar Choice.

Already have Duke solar from before October 2023?

Homes on Duke’s older net metering rider keep it only until December 31, 2026. Duke must move them to the Bridge or another newer plan by January 1, 2027. Expect a monthly solar charge and a minimum bill after the move.

Duke Energy Carolinas payback turns on what is left at month’s end

On both Duke plans, solar power you send out first cancels power you buy in the same month. Only what is left when the month closes earns the low credit. Our per-utility figures give one case for each Duke plan.

Typical 9.76 kW system with Duke Energy Carolinas, $26,938 cash
CaseYear-one savingsAfter solar chargeSimple payback before incentives
Net Metering Bridge: 40% used at home or netted, 60% left over at 4.53¢ (a modeled share)$1,065$94928.4 years (24.2 to 33.0)
Residential Solar Choice: every kWh valued at 12.60¢, Duke’s 14.00¢ average price less its $14 customer charge (a best case)$1,730$1,614At least 16.7 years

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

On the Bridge, the more of your solar power you use at home or cancel within the month, the shorter the payback: 24.2 years at 55% used at home, 33.0 years at 28%. The Solar Choice figure prices every kWh at Duke’s average less its customer charge, so a real Solar Choice home takes longer.

How we calculated this
  • Output: 9.76 kW × 1,407 kWh per kW = 13,732 kWh a year.
  • Bridge: power used at home or netted within the month is worth 12.60¢, Duke’s 14.00¢ average price less its $14 monthly customer charge. Too few Duke Energy Carolinas solar homes are in the reported data, so the share left over at month end is modeled: 60%, credited at 4.53¢. 13,732 × 40% × 12.60¢ + 13,732 × 60% × 4.53¢ = $1,065 a year.
  • Solar Choice: every kWh at 12.60¢, Duke’s 14.00¢ average price less its customer charge = $1,730 a year. Solar Choice nets by price period, so this is a best case.
  • Duke’s solar charge on both plans: 9.76 kW × $0.99 × 12 = $115.95. Payback: $26,938 ÷ (savings − $115.95), so 28.4 years on the Bridge and 16.7 years on Solar Choice. No upkeep, rate changes, financing or panel aging.
  • 14.00¢ is Duke Energy Carolinas’ EIA average for the 12 months to August 2026. If Duke’s $22 monthly minimum bill applies every month, the Bridge payback is 31.6 years.
  • Dominion Energy North Carolina nets kWh for kWh: for a system sized to your use, every kWh is worth 12.37¢, its 13.48¢ average price less its $14.40 customer charge, so $1,698 a year and 15.9 years.
  • Duke Energy Progress: power used at home or netted is worth 15.05¢, its 16.38¢ average price for the 12 months to August 2026 less its $14 customer charge; leftover power earns 3.94¢ and its solar charge is $1.16 per kW a month ($135.86 a year). Bridge: 13,732 × 40% × 15.05¢ + 13,732 × 60% × 3.94¢ = $1,151 a year, so 26.5 years (21.6 to 32.4). Solar Choice, every kWh at 15.05¢ (a best case): $2,067 a year, so at least 14.0 years.

Run your own North Carolina numbers

Duke Carolinas, Duke Progress, Dominion or a co-op: what each pays for leftover power

The name at the top of your bill sets the credit for solar power you do not use yourself. Duke runs two separate utilities in North Carolina, with different numbers.

Duke Energy Carolinas or Duke Energy Progress

4.53¢ or 3.94¢ per leftover kWh

Carolinas serves the Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Durham areas. Progress serves the Raleigh, Wilmington and Asheville areas. Solar charge: $0.99 or $1.16 per kW a month.

Next: ask which Duke utility and which plan the quote uses.

Dominion Energy North Carolina

kWh for kWh

Northeastern North Carolina. Extra kWh roll over to the next month. Unused credit goes back to zero, unpaid, at the start of each summer billing season.

Next: size the system to your yearly use, not the roof.

A co-op or a city utility

Its own rules

The state does not make co-ops offer net metering. Each co-op and city utility writes its own rules. The table below shows four of them.

Next: get the credit and any monthly charge in writing.

What North Carolina utilities credit for the solar power you send out
UtilityCreditWhat earns itExtra for solar homes
Duke Energy Carolinas4.53¢Power left over at month’s end$0.99 per kW a month; $22 minimum bill
Duke Energy Progress3.94¢Power left over at month’s end$1.16 per kW a month; $28 minimum bill
Dominion EnergykWh for kWhExtra kWh, carried to next monthUnused credit lapses each summer, unpaid
EnergyUnited5.058¢Every kWh sent out$250 application fee
Blue Ridge EnergykWh for kWh, then 5.0¢Credits still unused at the May bill$42 a month grid service charge
Piedmont Electric3.79¢Power beyond the month’s use$7.50 a month meter charge
Fayetteville PWC4.584¢Power sent out, up to that month’s energy chargesNothing carries over; 10 kW limit

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Size limits, the minimum bill and leases

Duke limits a home system to 20 kW AC or the home’s estimated highest monthly demand, whichever is less. EnergyUnited allows up to 25 kW on its per-kWh credit, for a system you own. Fayetteville PWC’s credit is for systems of 10 kW or less, and PWC does not allow leased solar in its area.

Duke’s minimum bill covers only customer and delivery costs. Credits for leftover power are taken off after it is applied. Homes in Duke’s low-income energy assistance programs with systems of 8 kW DC or less are exempt.

North Carolina at $2.76 per watt, 13th lowest of 51 in the Cost Index

The September 2026 benchmark, $0.13 below the US average. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.

Cash price and yearly output by system size
Size (kW DC)Cash pricePower made a year
5 kW$13,8007,035 kWh
8 kW$22,08011,256 kWh
9.76 kW (typical)$26,93813,732 kWh
12 kW$33,12016,884 kWh
How we got these numbers
  • 9.76 kW is the typical North Carolina system in our Cost Index, calibrated from Berkeley Lab’s 2025 median of 9.88 kW (5,650 systems). Size yours to the power you use each month.
  • Output uses the Cost Index figure of 1,407 kWh per kW a year. Shade lowers it.
  • Duke caps a home system at 20 kW AC, or lower if your home’s highest monthly demand is lower.
  • A system you own gets no federal tax credit after December 31, 2025.

Full North Carolina price guide

Duke’s PowerPair rebate: up to $9,000, only with a battery

PowerPair is Duke’s cash rebate for North Carolina home solar paired with a battery. Duke pays it once, for new panels and a home battery installed together. On September 24, 2026, its room was nearly gone.

$3,600Solar part, at most

$0.36 per watt AC on up to 10 kW AC.

$5,400Battery part, at most

$400 per kWh on up to 13.5 kWh.

2,007 kWLeft at Duke Energy Carolinas

Of 30,000 kW on September 24, 2026, and only for homes on Solar Choice.

FullDuke Energy Progress

No room on September 24, 2026. Duke keeps a waitlist.

Example: a system with 7 kW of AC size earns $2,520 for the solar part. With a 13.5 kWh battery the total is $7,920. Room changes every week, so check Duke’s PowerPair page on the day you sign. Our payback cases leave PowerPair and the battery out.

PowerPair rules to check before you sign
  • You must own the home. The panels and battery can be bought or leased.
  • Your installer must be a Duke Trade Ally, and the battery must be on Duke’s list.
  • Apply before the install, or within 90 days after it.
  • The contract runs 10 years. Leave early and you owe part of the money back, unless you sell the home.
  • You keep your billing plan for 24 months. On Solar Choice you cannot join Duke’s battery control credit in those 24 months.
  • Battery control pays a monthly credit when Duke may use your battery 30 to 36 times a year: $52 a month, or $624 a year, for a Tesla Powerwall 3.

North Carolina’s 80% property tax break, and no solar tax credit

North Carolina has no state rebate or tax credit for home solar. What it offers is a property tax exclusion you file for once.

80%Of the system’s value left out

File Form AV-10 with your county assessor, not the state.

Jan 31Filing deadline

The end of the listing period for the first tax year, unless your county extends it.

$0State tax credit

Repealed for systems switched on from January 1, 2016.

$0Federal tax credit

Not for a system you own placed in service after December 31, 2025.

Ways to pay for solar in North Carolina
Way to pay
Who owns the panels
North Carolina point to check
Cash
You
File Form AV-10 for the 80% exclusion
Loan
You
Compare the financed total with cash, and any dealer fee
Lease
The company
Fayetteville PWC does not allow leased solar; ask your utility first

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

How the 80% exclusion works

Example: if the county values your system at $20,000, then $16,000 is left out and $4,000 is taxed. It is not automatic, and you file once, for the first tax year the system is on your home. Ask your assessor whether it treats a home battery as part of the system or as separate property.

North Carolina incentives guideWhat $0-down solar means in North Carolina

Does solar fit your North Carolina home?

  • Monthly usePower that cancels kWh you buy that month saves your full price. The leftover earns 4.53¢ or less, so size to your monthly use.
  • HOA rulesState law voids deed rules that ban solar on a home. An association may still bar panels seen from the street-facing side.
  • Shade and roofTrees cut output. Replace an old roof first, or get the remove-and-reinstall cost in writing.
  • Time in the homeOur Duke Energy Carolinas figures run from at least 16.7 years on Solar Choice to 28.4 years on the Bridge. Compare your planned stay with your quote’s payback.

Is solar worth it for your North Carolina home?

Four North Carolina installers we checked, A to Z

Companies on our North Carolina list, A to Z, not ranked. Facts from their own sites and the state license boards, read October 13 to 15, 2026.

8MSolar

Office
Raleigh, NC
NC licenses
General contractor L.82456, active; electrical contractor U.35668, active to October 11, 2027 (read October 15, 2026)
Warranty
Lifetime workmanship covering roof penetrations, per its FAQ; another paragraph says “up to 20 years”
More facts
Founded
“Over a decade ago” (company says)
Ways to pay
Purchase, loan, LightReach lease or PPA (Palmetto owns the panels), prepaid lease
8MSolar profile

ESD Roofing Solar

Buys leads from EcoGen
Office
Pinellas Park, FL (headquarters); no North Carolina office listed
NC license
Electrical U.35440, active to March 24, 2027, under its legal name J&C Energy Enterprises LLC (read October 15, 2026)
Warranty
Maker warranties; no workmanship or roof leak term published
More facts
Legal name
J & C Energy Enterprises LLC, dba Energy Solutions Direct
Experience
Over 11 years installing (company says)
Ways to pay
Purchase, loan, lease
ESD Roofing Solar profile

Palmetto

Office
Charlotte, NC (headquarters)
NC license
Electrical contractor U.32289, active to August 26, 2027 (read October 15, 2026)
Warranty
10-year workmanship, 5-year roof penetrations
More facts
Who installs
Its subsidiary PlugPV or a partner; ask which
Ways to pay
Purchase, loan, LightReach lease or PPA
Palmetto profile

Renu Energy Solutions

Office
Charlotte, NC (headquarters), Arden (Asheville area) and Cary, NC
NC licenses
Electrical contractor U.30408, active to January 15, 2027 (read October 15, 2026); general contractor L.76615, active
Warranty
No panel, inverter or workmanship term published; battery maker terms only
More facts
Also installs
Batteries and standby generators
Ways to pay
Cash, loan, LightReach lease, Participate Energy prepaid plan
Renu Energy Solutions profile

ESD Roofing Solar buys homeowner leads from EcoGen America. That does not change its facts or its place in this A to Z list. How we make money.

Purelight Power, which earlier versions of our North Carolina pages listed, has shut down; its companies filed for Chapter 7 liquidation on December 30, 2025. If you have a Purelight system, contact your panel and inverter makers for warranty service.

Compare North Carolina solar companies in detail

What a North Carolina quote should name before you sign

  • Your utility and planDuke Energy Carolinas or Progress, and Bridge or Solar Choice by name. Or your Dominion, co-op or city utility.
  • Month-by-month outputExpected kWh for each month, set against 12 months of your bills.
  • The leftover and its creditHow many kWh the quote expects to be left over each month, priced at 4.53¢ or 3.94¢, not your full rate.
  • Duke’s charges countedThe $0.99 or $1.16 per kW monthly solar charge and the $22 or $28 minimum bill.
  • The filing dateWhen the interconnection request goes in, and which plan you get if the Bridge closes or fills first.
  • License and incentivesAn electrical contractor license you can look up with the state electrical board, no federal tax credit, and PowerPair money only if Duke confirmed it in writing.

Comparing North Carolina quotes?

Ask each installer which Duke plan the quote assumes and how many kWh it expects to be left over each month.

Get free North Carolina solar quotes

EcoGen America does not sell or install solar. When you request quotes, we pass your request to solar providers serving your area, and they pay us for the introduction. Providers can include installers, solar marketplaces and lead exchanges, and more than one may contact you. You never pay us. Privacy policy

North Carolina Solar FAQs

Does North Carolina have net metering?

Yes, but the credit for leftover power is small for new Duke homes. Power you send out first cancels power you buy in the same month. What is left over is credited at 4.53¢ in Duke Energy Carolinas and 3.94¢ in Duke Energy Progress, and that credit keeps reducing later bills, with no yearly reset. Dominion, co-ops and city utilities set their own rules.

What date counts for Duke’s Net Metering Bridge?

The day a valid interconnection request is filed. Duke takes new Bridge requests until December 31, 2026, while that year’s room lasts. A home that gets in keeps the plan for up to 15 years from that request. Later homes go on Residential Solar Choice.

What happens to Duke solar homes from before October 2023?

They keep Duke’s older net metering rider only until December 31, 2026. By January 1, 2027 they move to the Bridge or another newer plan, which adds a monthly solar charge and a minimum bill.

Is there a North Carolina solar tax credit?

No. North Carolina’s renewable energy tax credit was repealed for systems switched on from January 1, 2016. The federal credit ended for systems you own placed in service after December 31, 2025.

Will solar raise my property tax in North Carolina?

Only a little, if you apply. State law leaves 80% of a solar electric system’s appraised value out of your property tax. File Form AV-10 once with your county assessor, during the listing period that runs through January 31 unless your county extends it.

Can my HOA block solar panels in North Carolina?

Not fully. State law (G.S. 22B-20) voids deed rules that ban solar on a home. An association may still bar panels that can be seen from the ground on the side of the house that faces a street or a shared area. Ask for the rules in writing.

North Carolina sources, read dates and authors

Sources (28 documents, each with the date we read it)
  1. EcoGen Solar Cost Index, September 2026: North Carolina$2.76 per watt, 13th lowest of 51, 9.76 kW typical size (calibrated from Berkeley Lab’s 2025 median of 9.88 kW, 5,650 systems), 1,407 kWh per kW, 14.79¢ statewide average (EIA).
  2. Duke Energy Carolinas: Rider RSC, Residential Solar Choice4.53¢ month-end credit, $0.99 per kW, $22 minimum bill, netting by price period, 20 kW AC limit; effective September 1, 2026. Read October 14, 2026.
  3. Duke Energy Carolinas: Rider NMB, Net Metering BridgeClosed to new participants from January 1, 2027; 15 years; 38,700 kW AC of 2026 room; low-income minimum bill exemption. Read October 14, 2026.
  4. Duke Energy Progress: Rider RSC, Fourth Revised Leaf No. 6703.94¢ month-end credit, $1.16 per kW, $28 minimum bill. Effective April 1, 2026 (NCUC Docket E-2, Sub 1396). Read October 21, 2026.
  5. Duke Energy Progress: Rider NMB, Fourth Revised Leaf No. 60543,500 kW AC of 2026 Bridge room; closed to new participants from January 1, 2027. Read October 14, 2026.
  6. Duke Energy Carolinas: Rider NM, the older net metering planOlder solar homes must move by January 1, 2027. Read September 29, 2026.
  7. N.C. Public Staff: Net metering in North CarolinaNew riders from October 1, 2023; older rider until December 31, 2026; 15-year Bridge term. Read September 30, 2026.
  8. Duke Energy: PowerPairRebate amounts and rules read September 29, 2026; capacity table as of September 24, 2026.
  9. Duke Energy: Battery Control$52 a month for a Tesla Powerwall 3; 30 to 36 events a year. Read September 29, 2026.
  10. Dominion Energy North Carolina: Terms and Conditions, Section XXVkWh carry-over and the summer reset. Checked for our incentives guide, updated October 1, 2026.
  11. EnergyUnited: 2026 avoided cost rate5.058¢ per kWh, effective February 1, 2026. Read September 30, 2026.
  12. EnergyUnited: Net Metering Rider NM-R25 kW limit on its per-kWh credit option. Read September 30, 2026.
  13. EnergyUnited: Renewable energy$250 application fee. Read September 30, 2026.
  14. Blue Ridge Energy: Schedule R-NM$42 single-phase grid service charge; credits paid at the May bill. Read September 30, 2026.
  15. Blue Ridge Energy: Rider NB5.0¢ per kWh. Read September 30, 2026.
  16. Piedmont Electric: Home solar3.79¢ beyond the month’s use; $7.50 meter charge. Read September 30, 2026.
  17. Fayetteville PWC: Renewable Energy Buy Back Rider4.584¢ per kWh, Revision 4, effective May 1, 2026. Read November 4, 2026.
  18. Fayetteville PWC: Rooftop solar10 kW limit, no carry-over, no leased systems. Read September 30, 2026.
  19. N.C. General Statutes 105-275(45)80% property tax exclusion. Read October 14, 2026.
  20. N.C. Department of Revenue: Form AV-10Filed with the county assessor. Read September 30, 2026.
  21. N.C. Department of Revenue: 2016 Form NC-478G instructionsState credit repealed from January 1, 2016. Read September 30, 2026.
  22. N.C. General Statutes 22B-20Solar rights and homeowners associations. Read October 14, 2026.
  23. IRS: Residential Clean Energy CreditNo credit for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Read September 30, 2026.
  24. U.S. EIA: average residential price by state14.79¢, 12 months September 2025 to August 2026.
  25. 2025 Annual Technology Baseline: residential PVOwner costs of $29.83 per kW a year. Our October 30, 2026 per-utility paybacks on this page count no upkeep.
  26. Berkeley Lab: solar self-consumption research (2022)Informs the 40% home-use planning default. It is not a measured North Carolina average.
  27. N.C. State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors: license searchInstaller electrical licenses. Checked October 13 and 15, 2026.
  28. N.C. Licensing Board for General Contractors: license searchInstaller general contractor licenses. Checked October 13, 2026.
Dean Mahmoud
Written by

Dean Mahmoud

CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.

About Dean
Trevor Guilday
Checked by

Trevor Guilday

Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.

About Trevor

Editorial standardsCost Index methodologyVerified Installer methodology