Duke Energy solar rebates total more than $50M

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Duke Energy’s Solar Rebate Program has provided more than $50 million to help defray the upfront cost of solar installation to customers across the state. The rebate program was one of several solar initiatives made possible by Act 236, legislation that spurred the South Carolina solar energy market, making it one of the top 10 states in the nation for solar energy, according to a news release.

“Act 236 has been a game-changer for the growth of solar in the Palmetto State,” said Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, Duke Energy’s state president in South Carolina, in the release. “That collaborative effort among solar developers, energy companies, environmentalists and other stakeholders has created jobs and allowed thousands of customers to participate in the renewable marketplace.” 

More than 5,000 Duke Energy customers in South Carolina have incorporated rooftop solar into their daily lives, the release said.

Duke Energy reports more than 675 schools and businesses and 1,400 residential customers are getting solar rebates. The most recent, and largest, of any K-12 school in Duke Energy’s South Carolina service area to go solar was Independence Elementary School in Rock Hill. The company provided the school a $280,000 rebate for its 230-kilowatt solar installation, the release said.