Progress Energy Carolinas, a Raleigh, N.C.-headquartered energy company, says it will begin offering incentives to North Carolina residential customers who install and own solar photovoltaic systems at their homes, under a program newly approved by the N.C. Utilities Commission.
The SunSense Solar PV program, expected to launch on Jan. 1, 2011, will provide up-front rebates of $1,000/kW and monthly bill credits of $4.50/kW for PV systems installed after the launch date. The ongoing incentive provides customers with additional financial assistance and provides Progress Energy Carolinas with the rights to the renewable energy credits generated by the PV installations.
The program gives residential customers an opportunity to participate in the state's renewable energy goals. Under N.C. S.B.3, the state's electric utilities must increase the amount of energy produced by renewable resources from 3% in 2012 to 12.5% in 2021, the company notes.
Participants in the SunSense Solar PV program must be residential customers of Progress Energy Carolinas and must own the installed solar PV system, sized from 2 kW to 10 kW. The total program capacity limit is 1 MW per year. Certain other restrictions and commitments apply.
SOURCE: Progress Energy Carolinas
