More than 1,500 customers apply for Duke Energy’s solar rebates

The launch of Duke Energy’s North Carolina solar rebate program has started strong, with more than 1,500 people applying for the incentivized chance to install solar systems at home or work.

The rebate opened July 9, and all customers in the state are applicable. The company intends to run the program for five years and put up $62 million to see it done. Because of the first-come, first-serve nature of the rule, Duke Energy has requested that the North Carolina Utilities Commission for permission to allow customers that installed systems between Jan. 1, 2018 and July 26, 2018, to apply for the rebate program again in 2019.

“Customers are overwhelmingly embracing our rebate program and are supporting Duke Energy’s efforts to promote renewable energy in North Carolina,” David Fountain, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president, said. “Under the Competitive Energy Solutions for North Carolina legislation, Duke Energy will bring a steady influx of new solar capacity to the state over the next five years.”

About 16 megawatts of new solar capacity has been granted rebates, and the company hopes to add up to 20 MW of new capacity each year of the program. Resident participants can get a rebate of 60 cents per watt for solar energy systems of 10 kilowatts or less. Those greater than 10 kW can get a maximum rebate of $6,000. Nonresidential customers can get rebates of 50 cents per watt, while nonprofits can get 75 cents per watt for systems 100 kW or less.