Solar Panel Cost in North Carolina (2026 Estimate)

BySunMetricLab Editorial Team·Independent solar research and calculators

Data last updated September 10, 2026 · ranks #25 of 50 states for modeled payback

North Carolina averages about 4.7 peak sun hours a day (about average for the US) with an approximate residential electricity rate near 13¢/kWh, on the lower end nationally. In the model used here, an 8 kW system in North Carolina produces roughly 10,980 kWh a year and trims about $1,400 off annual electricity costs, paying back its net cost in about 10.6 years. That is a middle-of-the-pack payback, so whether solar is worth it in North Carolina often comes down to your specific rate, roof, and any state or utility incentives.

Want the full picture beyond the numbers? Read the guide North Carolina: The Southeast's Quiet Solar Leader.

Estimated system cost and payback in North Carolina

Costs assume roughly $2.70/watt installed for North Carolina; the net column applies a 30% federal credit for comparison with quotes that include it. Savings and payback use the state's sun hours and rate above.

The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit ended for systems paid for after December 31, 2025 under the 2025 federal budget law. Net-after-credit figures apply only if you still qualify (for example a 2025 expenditure, or a leased system where the installer passes a credit through). Confirm with a tax professional.

What moves the numbers in North Carolina

Two inputs drive most of the difference between states: how much sun a system sees and what each offset kilowatt-hour is worth. North Carolina's 4.7 sun hours set production, and its roughly 13¢/kWh rate sets what that production saves. The bigger unknowns are your roof, shading, and how your utility compensates exported power, since a lower export rate can pull real savings below the retail-rate figure above.

Net metering and export credits in North Carolina

Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress moved to a new net metering structure for customers interconnecting from October 2023 onward, following a settlement approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission. New solar customers choose between two tariffs. The Residential Solar Choice option pairs net metering with a time-of-use rate, nets production against usage within each pricing period, credits any monthly surplus at an avoided-cost rate, and applies a minimum monthly bill along with non-bypassable charges.

The second option, the Bridge Rate, keeps a flat energy price with a minimum bill and, for systems above a size threshold, a grid access fee; it was intended as a transition and has an enrollment deadline, so ask whether it is still open. Customers under the older full-retail rules were grandfathered for a set number of years. Dominion Energy North Carolina and the state's electric cooperatives run separate net metering tariffs, most of them closer to traditional retail crediting.

North Carolina solar incentives beyond the federal credit

North Carolina's 35% state tax credit expired at the end of 2015, and no replacement exists as of 2026. The most notable current incentive is Duke Energy's PowerPair program, launched in 2024, which pays a per-watt rebate on new solar plus a per-kilowatt-hour rebate on a paired battery for Duke Carolinas and Duke Progress customers. Enrollment was capped and handled in application windows, and participants may be asked to enroll the battery in a utility control program, so check availability before assuming the rebate.

State law also removes most of a solar system's appraised value from property tax, which keeps your county assessment from climbing after installation; confirm how your county applies the exemption. Some cooperatives and municipal utilities run their own small rebates, but no statewide rebate or low-interest loan program is currently active.

Utilities and rate plans in North Carolina

Duke Energy Carolinas serves Charlotte, the Triad and the western mountains, Duke Energy Progress covers Raleigh, Wilmington and the eastern plain, and Dominion Energy North Carolina handles a corner of the northeast around Elizabeth City. Roughly a quarter of the state's customers get power from 26 electric cooperatives or municipal systems such as those in Wilson and Greenville, each with its own board-set solar terms. Duke's residential rates are below the national average, which caps how much each net-metered kilowatt-hour can save, and the time-of-use requirement means shifting laundry and EV charging away from the evening peak matters more than it did under flat-rate net metering. A battery improves the math by holding midday output for the pricier evening hours.