Solar Panels Cost

Solar Panel Cost in North Carolina (2026): Prices, Savings and Rules

Last reviewed: October 30, 2026. Prices, rates and rules change. Every figure below links to its source.

This guide explains solar panel cost North Carolina homeowners may see, using the state average installed price of $2.45 per watt (EnergySage North Carolina cost data (average, before incentives), October 2026) before incentives. At that price a 7 kW system costs about $17,200. Homeowners who buy a system in 2026 get no federal tax credit, so that price is close to what you actually pay.

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Solar panel cost North Carolina: compare typical system sizes

Installers price systems by the watt, so the size you need drives the total. At the average price above:

System size Estimated installed cost
5 kW about $12,300
7 kW about $17,200
9 kW about $22,100
11 kW about $27,000

EnergySage reports a range of $30,263 to $40,945 for a 14.52 kW system in North Carolina, which is about $2.08 to $2.82 per watt. Real quotes vary with your roof, equipment, permitting and the company. Compare quotes in dollars per watt (total price ÷ system watts) so different system sizes line up.

No federal tax credit for buyers in 2026

The 30% federal credit for homeowners (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025 (Solar.com). If you buy with cash or a loan, do not subtract 30% from any quote. Companies that own a system on your roof (a lease) can still claim a business credit; see our lease vs. buy guide.

North Carolina’s electricity rate

The average North Carolina residential rate was 14.95¢ per kWh (U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (residential average price), updated automatically, August 2026). Each kWh your panels make saves you that much only when it replaces power you would have bought, so payback depends heavily on your own bill. Use the rate printed on your bill in the calculator if you can.

Selling extra power back in North Carolina (Duke Energy)

Most North Carolina homes are served by Duke Energy Carolinas or Duke Energy Progress. Since October 1, 2023, new rooftop solar customers of both have joined one of two riders approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission:

  • Residential Solar Choice (Rider RSC). You must be on Duke’s time-of-use rate with critical peak pricing. Power you send to the grid is netted against power you buy within the same time-of-use period each month, and any remaining excess is credited at Duke’s Net Excess Energy Credit rate.
  • Net Metering Bridge (Rider NMB). Does not require a time-of-use rate and uses the same monthly excess credit. It has a yearly first-come, first-served capacity limit and closes to new applicants on January 1, 2027. Customers who apply before then can stay on it for up to 15 years from their interconnection application date.

Duke’s current riders set these monthly terms:

Duke Energy Carolinas Duke Energy Progress
Credit for net excess power 4.53¢ per kWh 3.94¢ per kWh
Non-bypassable charge $0.99 per kW of panel capacity (about $6.93 a month for 7 kW) $1.16 per kW of panel capacity (about $8.12 a month for 7 kW)
Minimum bill (customer and distribution part of the bill) $22 $28
Grid access fee (RSC only, above 15 kW) $2.05 per kW $1.50 per kW

Systems on either rider can be no larger than 20 kW AC or your home’s estimated maximum monthly demand, whichever is less. Our calculator does not include the non-bypassable charge, the minimum bill or the lower export credit, so ask installers to show these in their savings estimates.

Duke’s PowerPair program pays one-time incentives of $0.36 per watt AC of solar (up to 10 kW AC) and $400 per kWh of battery (up to 13.5 kWh) for a qualifying solar-plus-battery system installed by a Duke Energy Trade Ally, on a first-come, first-served basis. Duke’s older NC Solar Rebate program is no longer accepting applications. If you are served by Dominion Energy, an electric membership cooperative or a city utility, ask it in writing how it credits exported power before you sign a solar contract.

North Carolina property and sales tax

North Carolina law excludes 80% of the appraised value of a solar energy electric system from property tax (G.S. 105-275(45)). Bills filed in the 2025–2026 session would phase out or end this exclusion (House Bills 729 and 1213); neither had become law as of the review date above, so check again before you buy.

We have not found a North Carolina sales tax exemption for homeowner-owned solar. The NC Department of Revenue treats installing items that become part of a building as a real property contract: the installer pays sales tax on the materials it buys and may not add a separate sales tax line to your invoice.

HOAs and solar in North Carolina

North Carolina law (G.S. 22B-20) makes covenants and deed restrictions that would prohibit, or have the effect of prohibiting, solar collectors on residential property void and unenforceable. An association can still regulate where panels go and require screening, as long as that does not prevent reasonable use of solar. It can also prohibit panels visible from the ground on a facade or roof slope that faces common or public areas, such as the street. The rule does not cover condominiums in multi-story buildings. Get your association’s approval in writing before you sign an installation contract.

Storms, roofs and insurance

  • Ask each installer what wind ratings the panels and racking are installed to, and confirm the job will be permitted and inspected. Hurricane exposure along the coast makes this especially important.
  • If your roof is near the end of its life, price a re-roof first. Removing and reinstalling panels later adds cost.
  • Call your homeowners insurer before you sign to ask how solar affects your coverage and premium.

Questions to ask every installer

  • What is the price per watt, and what exactly is included (permits, monitoring, roof work, electrical upgrades)?
  • Which panels and inverters, and what are the product and workmanship warranties?
  • How did you estimate my production, and how did you account for shade?
  • Which Duke rider does your savings estimate assume (Residential Solar Choice or Net Metering Bridge), and did it include the export credit, the non-bypassable charge and the minimum bill?
  • If I want Net Metering Bridge, can my interconnection application be filed before January 1, 2027, and is there capacity left this year?
  • Which North Carolina and local licenses and permits apply, and who does the installation: your crew or a subcontractor?

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Sources

North Carolina solar cost questions

How much do solar panels cost in North Carolina?

The average installed price of home solar in North Carolina is $2.45 per watt (EnergySage North Carolina cost data (average, before incentives), October 2026), before any incentives. Real quotes vary with your roof, equipment, permitting and the installer. The system-size table above shows typical totals.

Is solar worth it in North Carolina?

It depends on your own bill and rate, and on how much power you export. North Carolina’s average residential rate was 14.95¢ per kWh (U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (residential average price), updated automatically, August 2026), while Duke Energy credits net excess power at 4.53¢ (Carolinas) or 3.94¢ (Progress) per kWh and adds a monthly charge per kW of panels. Systems sized to cover what you use as it is made tend to save the most. Enter the rate printed on your own bill in our calculator to see a closer estimate for your home.

Is there still a federal tax credit for solar in North Carolina?

No. The 30% federal credit for homeowners under Section 25D ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so a North Carolina homeowner buying in 2026 should not subtract 30% from any quote. Companies that own a system on your roof can still claim a business credit.

Does North Carolina have net metering?

Not the old one-for-one kind for new Duke Energy customers. Duke nets power within each time-of-use period every month and credits any excess at 4.53¢ or 3.94¢ per kWh. The Net Metering Bridge option closes to new applicants on January 1, 2027, after which new customers take Residential Solar Choice. Dominion, cooperatives and city utilities set their own terms.

Can my HOA ban solar panels in North Carolina?

Generally no. G.S. 22B-20 voids covenants that prohibit solar on residential property, though an association can regulate placement and screening and can bar panels visible from the ground on a facade or roof slope facing the street or common areas. Condominiums in multi-story buildings are not covered.