North Carolina · Net metering · Deep-stack program
NC Net Metering
Sets the billing terms for excess solar generation sent back to the grid by residential customers in North Carolina -- see the credit rate and how it shapes payback below.
- Retail rate credit
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 14.4 yr
- North Carolina baseline payback
- 3
- other North Carolina programs
Deep-stack program · mid directory
North Carolina runs a 4-program DSIRE stack; this net metering is one layer on a 14.4-year modeled baseline, not the whole story.
- Stack4 programs
- In-state #2/3
- Type #24/46
- Baseline14.4 yr
In-state directory place #2 of 3 (mid alphabet). National net metering directory #24 of 46. Amounts and eligibility change; verify with the official program page before relying on a dollar figure. Informational only - not financial advice. See our disclaimer.
Program description
North Carolina provides net metering at full retail rates for systems up to 1 MW.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Net metering
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- Retail rate credit
- State electricity rate
- 12.8¢/kWh
- North Carolina solar score
- 33/100
Solar's trajectory in North Carolina
The market this incentive operates in: total installed solar capacity in North Carolina reported to the EIA.
North Carolina's solar incentive stack
How this net metering sits among North Carolina's 3 tracked programs, by type
- Tax exemption
Tax exemption
1 programs
- Net metering
Net metering
1 programs
- Rebate
Rebate
1 programs
What this shows North Carolina tracks 3 incentive types; net metering (1 program) governs the billing side, while the state's other tracked types handle upfront cost or ongoing payments.
How this net metering layers inside North Carolina's deep stack
The NC Net Metering governs how North Carolina credits excess solar generation sent back to the grid, one of the state's DSIRE-tracked solar policies. Eligibility is scoped to residential customers, with a stated benefit of Retail rate credit. DSIRE lists no scheduled sunset, though enabling legislation and appropriations can still be revised year to year.
That baseline is slower than most states, which raises the stakes for every incentive on the table. North Carolina averages 5.2 kWh/m²/day of usable sunlight and residential rates of 12.8¢/kWh, producing an estimated 9,110 kWh/year and $1,166 of annual utility offset on a typical 6 kW system costing $16,800. That baseline already implies a 14.4-year simple payback and a 25-year modeled net of roughly $12,350 before this incentive - every dollar this net metering delivers compresses that payback further.
North Carolina bundles a deep incentive stack, so this program rarely stands alone. North Carolina has 4 solar incentive programs indexed in DSIRE, including adjacent options like NC Renewable Energy Property Tax Exclusion, Duke Energy NC Solar Rebate. The state's net-metering policy is classified as full, which governs how excess generation is credited and often decides whether a given program is worth claiming for a specific household.
Other North Carolina incentives
Frequently asked questions
Where does the NC Net Metering sit in North Carolina's deep program stack?
How does this net metering work beside North Carolina's other programs?
Who is eligible for the NC Net Metering?
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in North Carolina?
Which other North Carolina programs stack with this one?
Incentive data from the DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency); state solar economics from NREL and the U.S. EIA. See our methodology · North Carolina solar data · ROI calculator · All incentives.