Duke Energy to provide a new choice for solar energy in South Carolina

Duke Energy Carolinas is providing another affordable renewable energy option for its South Carolina customers that will enable them to see real savings in their monthly bills from the output of two new solar facilities in Anderson County.

Following on the successful launch of a nearly identical program last year by Duke Energy Progress, the Shared Solar Program is available to all qualified Duke Energy Carolinas residential and non-residential customers including those who hold tax-exempt status, those who rent or live in multifamily housing, and those who may not otherwise have access to solar energy.

Customers who subscribe to solar energy through the Shared Solar Program will receive a monthly bill credit for the value of the energy produced by their subscription.

“This program is a great opportunity for any customers who are unable to put a solar facility on their property to access renewable energy,” said Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, state president for Duke Energy in South Carolina. “We estimate that a typical residential customer will be credited more than $200 per year from their Shared Solar subscription.  Customers are not only saving on their electric bill, they are directly supporting a renewable energy future in South Carolina for generations to come.”

The program is powered by two new facilities in Anderson County – a 2 megawatt facility near Piedmont and a 1 megawatt facility in Pelzer – developed and owned by Soltage, an independent renewable power provider that develops, finances and operates solar and solar-plus-storage projects across the U.S.

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Duke Energy Carolinas serves about 591,000 customers in the Upstate region of South Carolina, including Greenwood, Greenville, Spartanburg, Lancaster and York counties. Duke Energy Progress serves about 169,000 customers in the northeastern part of South Carolina, including Darlington, Florence and Sumter counties.

To enrol, participants pay an application fee and a one-time charge to reserve their share of the solar plant.

Once accepted, the customer will begin seeing Shared Solar monthly credits based on solar production and a small monthly per kilowatt subscription fee on their bill to support operation of the Anderson County solar facilities.

For qualified low-income customers, Duke Energy Carolinas will waive the application cost and initial fees. Customers should contact their local community action agency for assistance determining eligibility.

Space is limited and program reservations will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. To participate in the program, customers must have an active Duke Energy Carolinas account and good payment history. Visit www.duke-energy.com/SCSharedSolar or contact us at 866.233.2290 for more information.

As a result of Act 236 – landmark legislation passed by South Carolina’s General Assembly in 2014 – Duke Energy and its customers have helped make South Carolina one of the country’s greatest success stories for renewable energy. More than 6,000 of the company’s South Carolina customers have installed solar panels on their homes and businesses, and in since 2015, South Carolina has the second most installed residential solar capacity in the Southeast, more than either Georgia or North Carolina.

Act 236 provided a framework for customers to install solar on their homes and businesses through strategic programs like the net metering incentive and rebate offerings. In addition to the net metering incentive, the company has provided more than $50 million in rebates as an extra incentive for customers who wanted to go solar across its South Carolina footprint.

Duke Energy has also proposed a new program to expand renewable energy options for its commercial and industrial customers in South Carolina. The proposed Green Source Advantage program will provide large non-residential customers the option to secure significant amounts of solar or other renewable energy to satisfy their sustainability or other clean energy goals.