Duke Energy has enrolled more than 1,300 customers in North Carolina in its new PowerPair pilot program to make affordable solar battery systems available to homeowners.
Approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) in January and launched in May, the pilot program offers up to $9,000 in incentives for residential customers who install a new solar battery system. The total incentive is based on the approved capacity of the solar array and battery installed.
North Carolina ranks fourth in the nation for overall solar power, with at least 45,000 Duke Energy customers generating about 350 megawatts through solar panels, the utility said.
“PowerPair is a valuable solution for our customers ready to invest in solar plus storage for their homes,” said Meghan Dewey, Vice President of products and services for Duke Energy. “It is one of several ways we’re helping our customers save energy and money, while continuing to explore new ways to help manage low carbon grids of the future.”
Participants in the program can choose to enroll in PowerPair on a residential solar choice rider (RSC) or through a net metering bridge rider (NMB) and receive a one-time incentive of up to $9,000. NMB customers additionally enroll in the company’s new Power Manager and EnergyWise Home battery option and receive additional monthly bill credits for allowing Duke to periodically and temporarily adjust their battery system’s operating setting to provide stored electricity back to the grid, Duke said.
“Duke Energy is diving headfirst into our next iteration of solar rebate programs to match the increased need to pair solar and battery,” Dewey said. “We’re already seeing that PowerPair is proving to be quite popular with customers, and our team is hard at work to develop what comes next for innovative solar and battery storage offerings.”
Duke Energy has capacity to spare and is still taking applications for the PowerPair program. A list of approved battery vendors and information on equipment eligibility are available here.
The utility is looking to expand the availability of solar energy generation to customers who may not be able to purchase a new solar and battery system outright. The company is considering several options that could focus specifically on income-qualified customers, customers dependent on medical devices, or a comparable program for nonresidential customers or other targeted participants.
“It was important to first commit to a successful initial PowerPair launch and ensure that the pilot got off the ground smoothly, and we accomplished that,” Dewey said. “We are excited to now turn our attention to developing additional offerings that fit a broader scope of our customers’ varying needs and lifestyles.”
