South Carolina · Tax exemption · Deep-stack program
SC Solar Property Tax Exemption
Removes a tax burden residential solar owners in South Carolina would otherwise carry -- see what it covers, eligibility, and payback impact below.
- Property tax exemption
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 14 yr
- South Carolina baseline payback
- 3
- other South Carolina programs
Deep-stack program · late directory
South Carolina runs a 4-program DSIRE stack; this tax exemption is one layer on a 14-year modeled baseline, not the whole story.
- Stack4 programs
- In-state #3/3
- Type #36/45
- Baseline14 yr
In-state directory place #3 of 3 (late alphabet). National tax exemption directory #36 of 45. 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
South Carolina exempts solar energy systems from property tax assessment.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Tax exemption
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- Property tax exemption
- State electricity rate
- 13.2¢/kWh
- South Carolina solar score
- 34/100
Solar's trajectory in South Carolina
The market this incentive operates in: total installed solar capacity in South Carolina reported to the EIA.
South Carolina's solar incentive stack
How this tax exemption sits among South Carolina's 3 tracked programs, by type
- Tax exemption
Tax exemption
1 programs
- Net metering
Net metering
1 programs
- Tax credit
Tax credit
1 programs
What this shows South Carolina tracks 3 incentive types; 1 are tax exemptions like this one, removing a cost solar owners would otherwise carry, on top of the state's other program types.
How this tax exemption layers inside South Carolina's deep stack
The SC Solar Property Tax Exemption removes a tax burden solar owners would otherwise carry, one of South Carolina's DSIRE-tracked solar incentive programs. Eligibility is scoped to residential customers, with a stated benefit of Property tax exemption. 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. South Carolina averages 5.2 kWh/m²/day of usable sunlight and residential rates of 13.2¢/kWh, producing an estimated 9,110 kWh/year and $1,203 of annual utility offset on a typical 6 kW system costing $16,800. That baseline already implies a 14-year simple payback and a 25-year modeled net of roughly $13,275 before this incentive - every dollar this tax exemption delivers compresses that payback further.
South Carolina bundles a deep incentive stack, so this program rarely stands alone. South Carolina has 4 solar incentive programs indexed in DSIRE, including adjacent options like SC Net Metering, SC Solar Energy Tax Credit. The state's net-metering policy is classified as partial, which governs how excess generation is credited and often decides whether a given program is worth claiming for a specific household.
Other South Carolina incentives
Frequently asked questions
Where does the SC Solar Property Tax Exemption sit in South Carolina's deep program stack?
How does this tax exemption work beside South Carolina's other programs?
Who qualifies, and what does a late in-state directory place mean?
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in South Carolina?
Which other South 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 · South Carolina solar data · ROI calculator · All incentives.