Living by the coast, we are no strangers to power outages. They happen every summer during hurricane season, and sometimes even in the winter when all the energy consumed to heat our homes creates too much demand on the grid.

To mitigate this issue, the North Carolina Utilities Commission approved the PowerPair pilot and rebate program in January of 2024 for homeowners purchasing a battery-tied solar system. This program will not only allow homeowners to produce and own their own power, but also allow Duke Energy to study how distributed solar and battery storage can help stabilize North Carolina’s electric grid and reduce the potential for grid failure.

For those who participate in PowerPair, there are several incentives available based on the size of the installed system. All participants will receive a solar rebate of $0.36 per kW (maxing out at 10kW or $3,600) and a battery rebate of $400 per kWh (maxing out at 13.5kWh or $5,400). This means that Duke Energy will be paying up to $9,000 to customers to get solar panels and a battery, on top of the 30% federal tax credit!

Duke is willing to pay an additional monthly incentive for those who elect to participate in the Battery Control option of $6.50 per kW, per month, adjusted by a 70.9% capability factor for the duration of the ten-year program. This basically means that a participating homeowner will earn $6.50 per kW of 70.9% of the total power output of their storage system for ten years. And the best part is that there is no limit to this incentive!

This Battery Control option will permit the utility to discharge a home’s battery reserves down to 20% between 30-36 times per year when the grid is vulnerable. By tapping into nearby residential batteries, Duke hopes to supplement the required load during times of peak demand or when electrical transmission gets interrupted. The incentive for participation will be paid monthly, regardless of any discharge; however, eligibility for participation in the Battery Control option will depend on your interconnection policy.

Duke’s PowerPair rebate is truly groundbreaking and the largest we’ve seen in our area. What’s amazing is the fact that it has a twofold design that best serves both those who value energy independence and those who are trying to save the most money each month. To determine how much energy your roof can produce and see how much you could save with the PowerPair rebate, contact Cape Fear Solar Systems today: (910) 409-5533.

About Cape Fear Solar Systems:
As a Duke Energy Trade Ally, Cape Fear Solar Systems has been installing high quality, turnkey systems in the Cape Fear region since 2007. The company is currently ranked as the number one installer in southeastern North Carolina and the Greenest Contractor in America by Solar Power World, with over 4,500 installations to-date. In addition to roof-mounted solar arrays and battery backups, Cape Fear Solar also offers electric vehicle charging stations, solar carports, and ground-mounted systems.