North Carolina Solar Installers Settlement with Duke Energy Approved by The NC Utilities Commission

North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) issued an order to approve a rate change for solar customers in NC. This effects NC residents who wish to use the utility grid managed by Duke Energy and to use the grid for shorter term energy storage under a system known as Net Metering.

North Carolina’s rooftop solar payment rules, known as “net metering,” have been in place since 2000. Customers whose solar panels produce more electricity than they immediately need receive ‘credits’ on their bills equal to whatever they pay for electricity. The NC Legislature passed laws in 2017 and 2021 that required state regulators to revise those rules. In March 2023, the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) complied by approving Duke Energy’s plan.

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Early last year, Duke and a group that represented the NC roof top solar industry, called the North Carolina Rooftop Solar Installers (NCRSI), intervened in the NCUC net-metering case and negotiated a compromise that prevented a drastic reduction of the value of solar for NC solar customers.  The group was led by Stew Miller of YES Solar, Dave Hollister of Sundance Power Systems, and Bob Kingery of Southern Energy Management (SEM) and was supported by 17 other solar companies from throughout NC.

The “Stipulation” that NCRSI and Duke negotiated was approved and provides a transitional rate option for solar customers called the “Bridge Rate”. This allows for folks to go solar under a plan that will provide a smooth transition to rates included in Duke’s original filing that will go into effect January 1st 2027.  “The majority of North Carolinians support the expansion of customer-sited solar in NC. NCRSI worked to secure the best deal possible for solar customers in North Carolina.” said Dave Hollister of Sundance Power Systems.

“I hope that in a future docket or law the legislature, NCUC and NC Public Staff iterate their views of small-scale solar and storage as valuable for the grid.  With this support NC can grow into a leader in distributed generation solar like it has been in utility scale solar for years now.” said Bob Kingery, Co-founder and CEO of Southern Energy Management.

The appeal of solar as an investment and a solution to the climate crisis has escalated in recent years, and that is the primary motivation for these policy changes. Utility companies nationwide, including Duke Energy, face challenges in supporting their historical business models.  “Despite efforts like these to slow down customer generation of electricity, I remain confident that homeowners will continue to invest in solar to save money on rising electricity costs, reduce personal taxes with the 30% ITC and participate in the fight against climate change.” said Stew Miller, co-founder and President of Yes Energy Solutions.

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In negotiating with Duke Energy, the solar industry was adamant about including consumer protections for North Carolinians. The NCUC mandates Duke create an online calculator within 60 days of the order that was delivered March 23, 2023. The calculator will provide an accurate estimate for the electrical and financial return for systems designed for their specific location. NCRSI and others contend that this calculator is critical to the transition under this order.

The bottom line is that now is the best time to go solar in North Carolina. Additionally, solar plus battery storage offers homeowners a significant opportunity to indemnify themselves from these and future rate changes. We have one of the most experienced and passionate groups of solar companies in the nation to support the growth of solar in North Carolina.

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