Solar Rebate Program
Funding Amount
Residential: $6,000 (60¢/watt); Non-residential: $50,000 (50¢/watt); Nonprofit: $75,000 (75¢/watt)
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Grant Type
foundation
Overview
Solar Rebate Program
Status: Program concluded December 31, 2022
Geographic Scope: North Carolina (Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress territories)
Background: Created under HB589, the Solar Rebate Program was designed to expand accessibility and encourage customer adoption of rooftop solar energy through innovative financing. The program required creation of rebates for 20 MW of rooftop solar installations per year for five years.
- Increased residential solar installations in Duke's NC territories from approximately 5,600 systems (31 total MWs) in 2017 to over 17,000 systems (115 total MWs) by end of 2020
- In 2021, 1,661 rebates were paid and 15,620 kW in capacity were installed
- Demand consistently exceeded supply (2018: exhausted within 2 weeks; 2019: 1.5 hours; 2020: 21 minutes)
Program Impact
- 10 MW reserved for residential consumers
- 5 MW reserved for non-profit organizations (schools, places of worship, etc.)
- 5 MW for commercial/non-residential
- Minimum 5 MW/year for both Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas
Rebate Allocation by Customer Type
Annual Allocation:- Residential: 60¢/watt, up to $6,000 (maximum 10 kW)
- Business/Non-Residential (commercial, industrial): 50¢/watt, up to $50,000 (maximum 100 kW)
- Nonprofit (schools, places of worship): 75¢/watt, up to $75,000 (maximum 100 kW)
Rebate Rates by Customer Type
Program Changes
2021: NCUC implemented changes including decreased rebate size, lottery system (replacing first-come-first-served), and biannual application schedule (January and July)- Residential: First 10 kW of installations
- Non-residential: First 100 kW of installations
- Nonprofit organizations including schools and places of worship
Eligibility
- Address: 4441 Six Forks Road Suite 106-250, Raleigh, NC 27609
- Phone: 919.832.7601
- Email: [email protected]
Contact Information
NC Sustainable Energy Association- NC Utilities Commission docket (Part VIII of HB589)
- NC General Statute § 62-155
- Information on net energy metering
Related Resources
How to Apply
Application Process
Note: This program has concluded as of December 31, 2022. The following information is historical.
- Application Portal: Online application portal was used
- Application Schedule: Biannual offerings in January and July (as of 2021)
- Allocation Method: Lottery system (implemented 2021, replacing first-come-first-served)
- Application Period: Applications were accepted during specified windows; in 2020, all available rebates were exhausted within 21 minutes of opening
- Applicants needed to provide information about their solar installation (size in kW)
- Customer type designation (residential, non-residential, or nonprofit)
- Information on Duke Energy service territory
Requirements
- July 9, 2018: Program launched and online application portal opened
- September 20, 2018: Order issued modifying first year of program
- January 2, 2019: Program opened for 2019 calendar year
- 2021 onwards: Biannual offerings with lottery system
Historical Timelines
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
Categories
Browse similar grants by category
Related Grants
Similar grants from this funder and related organizations
Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program (Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit)
Amount
Up to 70% of solar/wind project costs (base 30% ITC + 20% Low-Income Adder + additional bonuses possible)
Deadline
June 27, 2026
CFEBA Cornerstone Grant
Amount
$50,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CFEBA General Grant Program
Amount
$10,000 - $50,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
JOE-4-SUN
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Imperial Valley Solar Homes Program
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Technical Assistance Fund (TAF)
Amount
Varies; $200,000 awarded to 21 organizations in 2022; $180,000 in TAF grants specifically
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to apply for Solar Rebate Program?
Grantable helps you assess fit, draft narratives, and track deadlines — so you can submit stronger applications, faster.