North Carolina solar incentives come from your electric utility, not from the state. Duke Energy pays the only cash rebate, and only if you add a battery to your panels. Every utility also pays a small credit for the solar power you do not use yourself. Two Duke offers are running out in 2026. Find your utility below to see what is still open for your home.
Changing soon: Duke homes that got solar before October 1, 2023 keep their old billing plan 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.
Four things North Carolina still offers a solar home, and which are filling up
Sorted by money for a typical home. The first two are for Duke Energy homes only.
Incentive | What you get | Who can get it | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|
Duke PowerPair rebate | Up to $9,000, once | Duke Energy homeowners who add solar and a battery together | Duke Energy Carolinas: nearly full on September 24, 2026, and may be full now. Duke Energy Progress: full, waitlist. |
Duke battery control credit | $52 a month for a Tesla Powerwall 3 | Duke Energy homes with an approved battery | Yes |
Property tax exclusion | 80% of the system’s value is not taxed | Any owner who files Form AV-10 with the county | Yes |
Bill credits for extra power | 3.40 cents per kWh to 4.53 cents per kWh at Duke. Other utilities differ. | Every solar home. The rule depends on your utility. | Yes. Duke’s Bridge plan closes to new requests on December 31, 2026. |
The federal tax credit is $0 for systems switched on after December 31, 2025. North Carolina has no state solar tax credit.
Duke, Dominion, a co-op or a city: who sends your power bill?
The name is at the top of your bill. Duke Energy has two utilities in North Carolina, with different numbers. Open yours.
Duke Energy CarolinasThe Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Durham areas.PowerPair: nearly full on September 24, 2026
What you can get with Duke Energy Carolinas
- PowerPair rebate (solar with a battery)Up to $9,000
$0.36 per watt of solar, plus $400 per kWh of battery. On September 24, 2026, less than a tenth of the 30,000 kW limit was left, only for homes that choose the Solar Choice plan. The Bridge path was full. The rest may be gone by now.
- Battery control credit$52 a month for one common battery
A monthly bill credit if you let Duke use your battery at busy times, 30 to 36 times a year. It is $6.50 per kW of battery power, adjusted by model. A Tesla Powerwall 3 gets $52 a month, or $624 a year.
- Monthly solar charges$8.57 a month on a typical system
Duke adds $0.99 per kW of panel size to a new solar home’s bill each month. The minimum bill is $22 a month.
Your bill credits
Net metering means your utility gives you a bill credit for solar power you send to the grid. New Duke homes pick the Net Metering Bridge, where you stay on a normal price plan, or Residential Solar Choice, a time-of-use plan where power costs more at busy hours.
On both, power you send out first cancels power you buy in the same month. What is left at the end of the month is credited at 4.53 cents per kWh. Example: 100 leftover kWh earn $4.53.
Watch out: The open PowerPair path here uses Solar Choice. On that path you cannot join battery control for the first 24 months. Check the room left on Duke’s PowerPair page before you sign.
Also for you: the property tax exclusion and when you will not get the money.
Duke Energy ProgressThe Raleigh, Wilmington and Asheville areas.PowerPair: full, waitlist only
What you can get with Duke Energy Progress
- PowerPair rebate (solar with a battery)Up to $9,000
$0.36 per watt of solar, plus $400 per kWh of battery. On September 24, 2026, all of the 30,000 kW limit was taken. Duke keeps a waitlist.
- Battery control credit$52 a month for one common battery
A monthly bill credit if you let Duke use your battery at busy times, 30 to 36 times a year. It is $6.50 per kW of battery power, adjusted by model. A Tesla Powerwall 3 gets $52 a month, or $624 a year.
- Monthly solar charges$5.37 a month on a typical system
Duke adds $0.62 per kW of panel size to a new solar home’s bill each month. The minimum bill is $28 a month.
Your bill credits
Net metering means your utility gives you a bill credit for solar power you send to the grid. New Duke homes pick the Net Metering Bridge, where you stay on a normal price plan, or Residential Solar Choice, a time-of-use plan where power costs more at busy hours.
On both, power you send out first cancels power you buy in the same month. What is left at the end of the month is credited at 3.40 cents per kWh. Example: 100 leftover kWh earn $3.40.
Watch out: A waitlist spot is not a rebate. Do not sign a contract that counts on PowerPair money unless Duke has confirmed it in writing.
Also for you: the property tax exclusion and when you will not get the money.
Dominion Energy North CarolinaNortheastern North Carolina.No rebate. kWh credits roll over.
What you can get with Dominion Energy North Carolina
- Utility rebateNone
PowerPair is a Duke program. It is not open to Dominion customers.
- Bill creditskWh for kWh
For systems you own and run yourself.
Your bill credits
Net metering means your utility gives you a bill credit for solar power you send to the grid. Dominion counts it in kWh. Extra kWh from one month carry over to the next. Example: send out 100 extra kWh in April, and they cover 100 kWh you buy in May.
Dominion sets any unused credit back to zero at the start of each summer billing season, and pays nothing for it. On a time-of-use plan, where power costs more at busy hours, busy-hour and quiet-hour kWh are counted apart.
Watch out: Credits have no cash value. A system that makes more power in a year than your home uses gives the extra away.
Also for you: the property tax exclusion and when you will not get the money.
Electric co-opsEnergyUnited, Blue Ridge Energy, Piedmont Electric and other member-owned utilities.No rebate. Each co-op sets its own credit.
What you can get with Electric co-ops
- EnergyUnited5.058 cents per kWh
For every kWh you send out, at the co-op’s avoided cost: what it would pay to buy that power elsewhere. Example: 100 kWh earn $5.06. Systems up to 25 kW that you own. Application fee: $250.
- Blue Ridge EnergykWh roll over
Extra kWh carry over month to month. Credits left at the May bill are paid at 5.0 cents per kWh. Credits cannot pay the grid service charge of $42 a month.
- Piedmont Electric3.79 cents per kWh
For power beyond what you use in the month. A meter charge of $7.50 a month applies.
Your bill credits
The state does not make co-ops offer net metering: a bill credit for solar power you send to the grid. Each co-op writes its own rules. If yours is not listed, ask what it pays per kWh and what monthly charges it adds.
Watch out: Where power you send out earns only a few cents, a system sized to your own use fits better than one that fills the roof.
Also for you: the property tax exclusion and when you will not get the money.
Fayetteville PWC or another city utilityFayetteville Public Works Commission and other city-owned utilities.No rebate. Small monthly credit.
What you can get with Fayetteville PWC or another city utility
- Fayetteville PWC buyback credit4.43 cents per kWh
A bill credit for solar power you send out, for systems of 10 kW or less that you own. Example: 100 kWh earn $4.43. The credit cannot be larger than that month’s energy charges, and nothing carries over.
Your bill credits
PWC says it does not offer one-to-one net metering, which would credit each kWh you send out at the price you pay. Other city utilities set their own rules. Ask yours what it pays before you get quotes.
Watch out: PWC does not allow leased solar in its area. If a company offers you a solar lease in Fayetteville, call PWC first.
Also for you: the property tax exclusion and when you will not get the money.
The rules for every North Carolina home are below.
How does Duke’s PowerPair rebate work, and how much room is left?
PowerPair is a one-time payment from Duke Energy for a home that installs new solar panels and a battery together. The solar part pays $0.36 per watt on up to 10 kW, so $3,600 at most. The battery part pays $400 per kWh on up to 13.5 kWh, so $5,400 at most.
The solar part uses AC size: the power rating of the inverter, the box that turns solar power into home power. Example: a system with 7 kW of AC size earns $2,520. With a 13.5 kWh battery the total is $7,920.
Each Duke utility has a limit of 30,000 kW. On September 24, 2026, Duke Energy Carolinas had less than a tenth of it left, only for homes on the Solar Choice plan. Its Bridge path was full. Duke Energy Progress was full, with a waitlist. Room changes every week, so check Duke’s PowerPair page or ask Duke on the day you sign.
- You must own the home. The panels and battery can be bought or leased.
- Your installer must be a Duke Trade Ally: an installer on Duke’s approved list. The battery must be on Duke’s list too.
- You apply on time. Before the install, or within 90 days after it.
- You sign up for a long term. The contract runs 10 years. Leave early and you owe part of the money back, unless you sell the home.
- You pick a billing plan and keep it. Solar Choice or the Bridge, for at least 24 months. On the Bridge path, you must also join Duke’s battery control program.
Watch out: Duke pays once billing on your new plan starts, not at the sale. If the room runs out first, there is no rebate. Get Duke’s confirmation in writing.
Ask installers which Duke plan your quote assumes
Your ZIP code starts a quote request with installers near you. A good quote names your utility, the billing plan, and the filing date.
- Your utility sets the rulesDuke, Dominion, co-ops and city utilities each credit extra power differently.
- Dates matter this yearThe Bridge plan closes to new requests at the end of 2026.
- Shared only with matched installersYour details go to the installers you are matched with.
What changes when Duke’s Net Metering Bridge closes?
Since October 1, 2023, a new Duke solar home picks one of two billing plans. Both credit leftover power at the same low rate. They differ in what you pay for the power you buy. Home systems on either plan can be no larger than 20 kW of AC size (the inverter rating).
- Net Metering Bridge: you stay on a normal price plan. You keep it for up to 15 years from the date of your request to connect. Duke takes new requests until December 31, 2026, and only while that year’s room lasts.
- Residential Solar Choice: you move to a time-of-use plan, where power costs more at busy hours and more again during peak events that Duke calls. Extra power is counted within each price period. This plan has no closing date.
Watch out: The date that counts is the day your installer files the request to connect your system to Duke’s grid, called an interconnection request. A contract signed in December does not help if that request is filed after December 31, 2026.
North Carolina’s 80% property tax exclusion: what it covers and how to file
Solar raises your property tax only a little, if you file one form. State law keeps 80% of the appraised value of a solar electric system out of the property tax base. Example: if the county values your system at $20,000, then $16,000 is left out and $4,000 is taxed.
The exclusion is not automatic. File Form AV-10 with your county assessor, not with the state. You file it once, in the listing period for the first tax year the system is on your home. That period runs through January 31 unless your county extends it.
There is no state income tax credit for solar. North Carolina’s renewable energy credit was repealed for systems switched on from January 1, 2016.
Watch out: Counties list home equipment in different ways. Ask your assessor how it lists a home solar system, and whether it treats a home battery as part of the system or as separate taxable property.
Six North Carolina cases where the money never arrives
- You want panels without a battery. PowerPair pays nothing for solar alone.
- You rent your home. PowerPair is for homeowners. Ask Duke whether its shared solar program has a site open to join.
- Duke Energy Progress sends your bill. Its PowerPair room is taken. A waitlist spot can end without a payment.
- Dominion, a co-op or a city utility sends your bill. PowerPair and Duke’s battery credit are for Duke customers only.
- Your request to connect is filed after December 31, 2026. The Bridge plan is closed by then. Solar Choice is what remains.
- Your quote still counts the federal tax credit. It is $0 for systems switched on after December 31, 2025. Ask for a new quote.
North Carolina solar paperwork, from Duke’s list to the county form
- Check PowerPair room and pick a Trade Ally. Look at Duke’s PowerPair page. Choose an installer and a battery from Duke’s lists.You. Duke customers only.
- File the request to connect and choose the plan. For the Bridge, the request must be filed by December 31, 2026.Your installer files it with your utility.
- Send the PowerPair application. Before the install, or within 90 days after. Duke pays once your new billing plan starts.You or your installer.
- Enroll the battery for monthly credits. Sign up online for Duke’s battery control once the battery is connected.You.
- File Form AV-10 with your county assessor. Once, by January 31 of the first tax year with the system.You.
Request North Carolina quotes, then check them against Duke’s dates
Enter your ZIP code to request quotes from installers in your area. Ask each one which billing plan the quote uses, and whether any PowerPair rebate in it is reserved.
The form asks about your home first, then your contact details. EcoGen or its installer partners may contact you.
- A quote request, not an applicationThe form does not reserve PowerPair or a Duke plan.
- Home questions firstYour name, email and phone come last.
- Free, and you decideQuotes cost nothing. You are never obliged to sign.
More North Carolina solar guides
North Carolina solar incentive questions
Does North Carolina Have a Solar Tax Credit?
No. North Carolina’s renewable energy tax credit was repealed for systems switched on from January 1, 2016. The federal credit for home solar ended for systems switched on after December 31, 2025. What remains is a property tax exclusion.
Is Duke Energy PowerPair Still Available in 2026?
Partly. Duke’s count of September 24, 2026 showed Duke Energy Carolinas with less than a tenth of its room left, for homes that choose the Solar Choice plan, and Duke Energy Progress full, with a waitlist. Check Duke’s PowerPair page for today’s room. PowerPair pays up to $9,000, only for new solar with a battery.
Does North Carolina Have Net Metering?
Yes, but the credit 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 cents per kWh in Duke Energy Carolinas and 3.40 cents per kWh in Duke Energy Progress. Dominion, co-ops and city utilities set their own rules.
When Does the Duke Net Metering Bridge Close?
Duke takes new requests for the Net Metering Bridge until December 31, 2026, while that year’s room lasts. A home that gets in keeps the plan for up to 15 years. Later homes go on Residential Solar Choice.
Do Solar Panels Increase Property Taxes in North Carolina?
Only slightly, if you apply. State law leaves 80% of a solar electric system’s appraised value out of the property tax base. You file Form AV-10 once with your county assessor.
Can an HOA Stop You From Installing 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 shared area.
Sources (21)
- Duke Energy, PowerPair program and capacity table: duke-energy.com
- Duke Energy Carolinas, Residential Solar Choice Rider RSC: duke-energy.com
- Duke Energy Progress, Residential Solar Choice Rider RSC-3: duke-energy.com
- Duke Energy Progress, Net Metering Bridge Rider NMB-2: duke-energy.com
- Duke Energy Carolinas, Rider NM (old net metering plan): duke-energy.com
- Duke Energy, Battery Control: duke-energy.com
- Duke Energy, North Carolina Shared Solar: duke-energy.com
- N.C. Public Staff, Net Metering in North Carolina: publicstaff.nc.gov
- N.C. General Statutes 105-275(45), solar property tax exclusion: ncleg.gov
- N.C. General Statutes 22B-20, solar rights: ncleg.gov
- N.C. Department of Revenue, Form AV-10: ncdor.gov
- N.C. Department of Revenue, 2016 Form NC-478G instructions (credit repeal): ncdor.gov
- Dominion Energy North Carolina, Terms and Conditions (net metering, Section XXV): dominionenergy.com
- EnergyUnited, Avoided Cost Rate Schedule 2026: energyunited.com
- EnergyUnited, Net Metering Rider NM-R: energyunited.com
- Blue Ridge Energy, Schedule R-NM net metering rate: blueridgeenergy.com
- Blue Ridge Energy, Rider NB net billing: blueridgeenergy.com
- Piedmont Electric, Home Solar: pemc.coop
- Fayetteville PWC, Renewable Energy Buy Back Rider: faypwc.com
- Fayetteville PWC, Rooftop Solar: faypwc.com
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit: irs.gov
